A rural Oregon man was convicted and is now facing 30 days in jail for the Heinous crime of collecting rainwater — on his own property. And the poor fellow may simply have gone to jail — if not for the reverberating voice of social the medium — In other words, if we do not do something by sharing our outrage, who will?
Gary Harrington of Eagle Point, Ore., was sentenced to 30 days in jail and over $1,500 in fines because he dug some holes on his property to collect and use rainwater.
Harrington says he plans to appeal his conviction on nine misdemeanor charges put on him under a 1925 law for having an “illegal reservoir” on his property – and for filling said reservoir — with rainwater and snow runoff.
“The government is bullying,” Harrington told reporters in an interview Thursday. “They’ve just gotten to be big bullies and if you just lay over and die and give up, that just makes them bigger bullies. So, we as Americans, we need to stand on our constitutional rights, on our rights as citizens and hang tough. This is a good country, we’ll prevail,” he said.
Harrington has the two weeks to report to the Jackson County Jail to begin serving his sentence…
“When something is wrong, you just, as an American citizen, you have to put your foot down and say, ‘This is wrong; you just can’t take away anymore of my rights and from here on in, I’m going to fight it.”
Like I started this story, if we do not do something by sharing our outrage, who will? The Government? I think not. I urge you to consider Tweeting this and pressing “like” on Facebook — if you think what is happening to this man is wrong.
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The way they said it is misleading. The case he's facing is having an illegal reservoir. I can't see how that's stealing but he should have asked for permit if he wanted that supply of water.
This is actually rather misleading. It's not just some small project. He built two small dams and used them to create a HUGE reservoir. Totaling about 13 million gallons of water. You NEED a permit to collect water on such a massive scale.
And Alan...you'll notice...those fist shakers are not paying a bit of attention to the LOGICAL posts...you know...the ones the grown ups are posting? hehehehe
master debunker
It really is simple...but some folks still need reasons to shake their fists in the air.
Who the fuck are you talking to? I can't even tell what side you are on. I am shaking my fist and screaming, because fuck everybody. If I want to dig a hole on my land to catch rainwater, I should be able to do it. WHO the FUCK SAYS THE GOVERNMENT CAN OWN THE FUCKING RAIN!!! ಠ_ಠ
NOT to mention the fact that this man DID HAVE PERMITS, the GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO REVOKE THEM AFTER THE FACT, several YEARS AFTER he had already received the permits and built his PONDS. THEY made him a criminal, they demanded that he DISMANTLE his ponds.
FUCK THE GOVERNMENT RAIN OWNING SHIT COMMIE BASTARDS.
Alan...right... its called LIBERTY....the so called american people used to know what that meant.
This is totally out of this world, I mean when all this human rights violations going to stop? time to stand up stronger.
They will NEVER stop because almost no one is standing up, and those who do go to jail.
Can yall read? This man built 20f and 10f.t tall dams on creeks on his property and denied his neighbors their right to the "rain water". All he had to do was get permits from the state Of Oregon, which he refused to do.He built the dams so he would have lakes for commercial pleasure fishing. Laws are to protect all people.Put brain in gear before starting typing fingers!
Can you read motherfucker? HE DID GET PERMITS, if you had done any research at all; and the govt came after him and repealed his permits AFTER THE FACT. QUOTE: That's the explanation from Jackson County officials, who initially granted Harrington "permits" to build ponds back in 2003. Yes, in Oregon you actually need to beg for permission from the government just to have a pond on your own land. But the state of Oregon revoked his permits a few years later, after he had already created the ponds, thus putting Harrington in the position of being a "water criminal" who was "stealing" rainwater from the state.
SECONDLY, you fat gasbag SOB, as far as I know, when it RAINS, it rains on the neighbors property as well. HE IS NOT DAMMING up a spring, or a river that flows across the lands. IT'S RAIN.
THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO '''OWN''' THE FUCKING RAIN you dumb s**t. And who do you think YOU are telling people to 'ask permission' to CATCH RAINWATER. I don't care how much he caught. I don't care if he created another GREAT LAKE. Once rain falls on your own property, it should belong to the property owner.
These states are now initiating laws that say you cannot catch rainwater in a barrel after it falls off the roof of your house, or even IN A BUCKET ON YOUR LAWN. Because it stops evaporation of water and the EVAPORATION belongs to the government.....MAYBE YOU ARE UNAWARE, that the world is running very short of fresh water, and that he who controls the water will control everything in the very near future. That the govt is sending officials to private land with fresh springwater sources and claiming the water for the govt. FASCISM, DICTATORSHIP, POLICE STATE.
That the govt is buying bulk amounts of fresh water from reservoirs and taking it away to store in underground tanks. What do you think is happening? The government has become a separate entity APART from the people and no longer is run by the people or for the people, but, for itself.
STOOGES LIKE YOU MAKE ME SICK TO VOMIT. Hope you like GULAG you commie bastard.
Alan L Hefley...It really is simple...but some folks still need reasons to shake their fists in the air....you'll notice...those fist shakers are not paying a bit of attention to the LOGICAL posts...you know...the ones the grown ups are posting? hehehehe
Alan...right... its called LIBERTY....the so called american people used to know what that meant.
Alan...right... its called LIBERTY....the so called american people used to know what that meant.
You have to have a permit to build a dam. You get to keep all the water that falls on your land just not all the water that travels through your land. Simple
is there a link to the information that he had actually built the dams? that information isn't here. but if you're gonna yell at everyone for listening to what they read here; might as well post some links to other articles for people to consider
you mean ask for permit water ? wow,wow,wow hold on Mr. water is lord. this is obviously another way to squeeze citizens with pen and paper by your glorious gov.(shame)
Yes you ask permission when your actions directly effect anothers rights ,property or well being!
if you are the "head cheese" at Hefley Swimming Pools do they call you "Smegma" for short??
Water rights are complicated. Kind of like mineral rights, they don't always go with the land. Some western states even restrict the collection the collection of rainwater on rooftops. As for the guy in Oregon, he must not have watched many westerns. How many stories have control of water as the reason for range wars?
Water rights are complicated. Kind of like mineral rights, they don't always go with the land. Some western states even restrict the collection the collection of rainwater on rooftops. As for the guy in Oregon, he must not have watched many westerns. How many stories have control of water as the reason for range wars?
do you ask permission for everything you do ?
The govt commits HEINOUS CRIME AGAINST ITS CITIZEN = PICKPOCKET!
IT STEALS FROM TAXPAYERS LEGALLY AS WELL AS ILLEGALLY.
how is the goverment owning rain seriously now ya need to get a life cuz the bs.
how is the goverment owning rain seriously now ya need to get a life cuz the bs.
Old laws that fuck with people and instead of them removing this law from 1925, they use this law to charge him with 9 Misdemeanors.