I was recently told I was “selfish and self-serving,” for opposing a 700-mile proposed carbon pipeline that is cutting through multiple states, strong-arming families, condemning landowners, and attempting to forcibly take easements against people’s will.
The commenter suggested that “for the good of all,” we should be willing to give up our own private property rights for a hypothetical, unproven suggestion of greater profitability for one industry.
I was aghast to read this. To be quite frank, it sounded like extreme socialism to me. And while I value differing opinions, freedom of speech, and the ability to have difficult conversations with others, I found this to be quite alarming that an individual would suggest that standing up for your family and your neighbors and protecting them from potential harm could somehow be “selfish and self-serving.”