With the exception of those who have taken a vow of poverty, human beings desire 
“stuff.” We want more than the basic necessities that life requires. We want a safe place to live and dependable transportation. We want to attend concerts, movies, and sporting events. We want gadgets, such as smart phones, computers, and flat screen televisions. We want more than to survive. We want to thrive. We want to flourish.
Property rights are a primary enabler of individual flourishing. Property rights protect our freedom to attain and use the things that sustain and enhance our lives. Without property rights, our “stuff” is not secure. The money we earn today can be taken tomorrow. Without property rights, our land and home can be seized. Without property rights, we aren’t free to acquire and utilize the things that make our lives better. Without property rights, we can’t flourish.
Property rights are under attack in America today. Those attacks come in many different forms, but all are founded on the same principles. The enemies of property believe that your property is not really yours. They believe that you are merely a steward, and your property can be taken or controlled when it is deemed necessary for purposes that they consider noble.
Unfortunately, even many “defenders” of property rights accept this principle. And so, they are left to quibble over details. Eminent domain, they claim, is a necessary evil. And so, they can only complain that they believe that that evil has been applied improperly. Business and environmental regulations, they say, are necessary to protect consumers, workers, and the “environment.” And so, they can only complain when they believe those regulations go “too far.”
We will not and cannot defend property rights by conceding moral principles to those who wish to destroy private property. Instead, we must identify and refute those principles. And more importantly, we must defend the moral right of each individual to pursue his flourishing.
The real battle to defend property rights isn’t political. The real battle is moral.
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