Brickbat: A Thorn Tree in the Garden

Udra11 / Dreamstime.com

For 17 years, Tom Carroll and Hermine Ricketts grew a vegetable garden in the front yard of their Miami Shores, Florida home, and no one ever complained. Then, the City Council passed a law requiring front lawns be covered with only with grass, sod or "living ground cover," and city officials threatened them with a $50 a day fine if they planted that garden again. The couple are now in court fighting for their right to plant their garden.

Comments

[Adans smith]

Sounds like some new busy bodies have power now.They can go after all the little things they don't like.Here in S.E. Ohio it's pours,2 inches on rain on the garden and more coming.

[Groovus Maximus]

"We're not saying you can do anything you want on your property," attorney Ari Bargil told Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Monica Gordo. "We are simply saying you can grow vegetables on your property and that is protected by the Constitution."

Yes, Counselor, that's all well and good, but you didn't specify which Constitution. According to Wickard v. Filburn, yessiree-bob, FL can tell you what you can do with that front yard and who can plant roots in it. Because that garden and the fruits of your labour are public accommodation, being in plain view. (Unless you can prove those veggies are fruitsgay veggies.)

That pesky $50 fine? Well! That's a tax, for inactivity. In case you don't sell those fruits and veggies and keep them for personal consumption, which, in fact, is denying people health care. Yep, ObamneyCare and Dread Pirate Roberts strikes again!

With a last name like "Ricketts", lady, you're *really* lucky you and yours weren't selling raw milk, and Judge Gordo (actually, Gorda is more accurate. First on the left.) would have issued a bench verdict already.

[Adans smith]

Wickard is one of the most evil decisions the S.C ever handed down.If you an stop people from growing their own food ,then,there are no limits to the power of government.If Hillary is elected expect more of this type of crap from her appointments to the court.

[Groovus Maximus]

Hermine Ricketts

She's in the latest planned case of sequelitis, Harry Potter and the Malformed Mal'chiki.

[The Hyperbole]

Sarafan said. "Aesthetics and uniformity are legitimate government purposes....

Ah yes the Aesthetics and Uniformity clause, I'd forgotten about that part of Article FYTW.

[Akira]

And of course, the government - in their infinite wisdom - has discovered the one true meaning of "aesthetic". They've deduced with 100 percent scientific accuracy that a sprawl of useless green grass is more beautiful than a row of lush plants bowing under the weight of produce in vibrant colors.

[WTF]

There is a house in my neighborhood that does not have a front lawn, the front yard is planted entirely with various flowers and flowering ground cover. It looks really nice.

[Groovus Maximus]

One of my neighbours in our (allegedly) hoity-toity neighbourhood, has a desert landscaped front lawn, very similar to this house. I don't care for it, personally, and it seems he is always weeding by hand, since many herbicides are rather expensive here.

[UnCivilServant]

I a snae world, a judge would hear that argument and laugh the city out of court.

[Groovus Maximus]

I a snae world...

Bless you! *hands you a hanky*

[Radioactive]

and a wet nap...that one sounded like it left a big snot...

[Suthenboy]

"Sarafan said. "Aesthetics and uniformity are legitimate government purposes...."

For the good of all humanity this person should kill himself.

[WTF]

Uniformity?! Mao suits for everyone!

[Fist of Etiquette]

It's Florida. All they have to do is develop a tomato that is pink and flamingo shaped. Do I have to think of everything?

[Groovus Maximus]

That's.....pathetic, Fist of Botany. Weak. Unimagined. Pretentious and snooty. And racist. And homophobic. And probably transphobic somehow (in some colonically pretzelled, twisted, and tortured way). In other words, utter, utter trash.

Who do you think you are, John Waters?

[WTF]

+1 Divine

[Radioactive]

oh poo!

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

Easy. Brandywine Pink in a flamingo mold.

Disney grows watermelon and pumpkins in Mickey Mouse molds to make them Mickey Mouse shaped.

[WTF]

Let's see, they previously had use of their front yard for a vegetable garden, the government has now taken away that use of their front yard. Sounds like a taking requiring compensation.

[SugarFree]

So Miami Shores just created a food desert.

[UnCivilServant]

Naw, the gators still have plenty to hunt.

[Groovus Maximus]

The pythongs won't starve either.

[UnCivilServant]

I don't want to know what kind of mutant creature those are...

[Groovus Maximus]

...and you're out of luck.

An exotic, invasive species that became troublesome, breeding with and overtaking the native banana hammock.

[Radioactive]

similar to the pyspeedos, but stringier

[Fist of Etiquette]

No, they didn't just create a food desert, idiot. They created it in 2013, when this story took place.

[UnCivilServant]

Desertification is a slow process.

Dessertification, however...

[Radioactive]

is that where you take away the license to pie?

[Groovus Maximus]

And the noble Sandworm Cycle can do both in one fell melange laden swoop!

[B26354]

+1 Muad'Dib

[SugarFree]

Don't make me slap the taste out of your mouth, boy.

[Rich]

"living ground cover"

Like chickens or goats?

[straffinrun]

Gaiagenital warts.

[straffinrun]

No vegetation without taxation.

[Radioactive]

no deforestation without desertification?

[Atlas Slugged]

Yet another reason why south FL can suck it. Truly Miami is the gateway to hell; looks nice in pictures but you do not want to be there.

[Pay up, Palin's Buttplug!]

"Living ground cover"? aren't fruits/vegetables living and don't they cover the ground?

[jackrose]

nice post thanks admin