RPA releases Fifth Party Principle: the personal right to own private property

The Republican Party of Arkansas Deputy Treasurer John Nabholz wrote this week about the Party's fifth principle, the personal right to own private property. This op-ed is the latest in a series on the ten principles of the Party Platform.

"Private Property: At first glance the phrase conjures a mental picture of a sign posted on the side of the highway with foreboding on the other side, perhaps mean dogs, or sketchy neighbors. And yet, this simple, intuitive right is so foundational to the worldwide decline of poverty, that our society as we know it would not exist without it. The “natural” right to property is so fundamental to Capitalism that it is often overlooked and lately, even maligned as an evil. Fortunately, its importance is proclaimed by the Republican Party of Arkansas as the fifth of its ten principles listed in the Party Platform.

The right to property is intuitive, because we are taught this by every father and mother from a time before we can even talk. “Oh,” you say, “we are taught to share first.” Perhaps so, we are taught to share, but immediately before or after that we are taught not to take from others without their permission. Babies will be taught that if there is something they want, that their playmate is not inclined to share, that they should offer another toy in exchange. It is the same with private property..."