Transcript for Jefferson on Ownership Rights
I think an important aspect of working landscapes is rediscovering our heritage and roots in our democracy. Thomas Jefferson, one of our founding fathers, really advocated not just the right to own land but the duty and responsibility of citizens to be members of society and to use their ownership of land as a way to understand the larger context in which humans and nature have to live together. And, so, Jefferson was basically opposed to everybody moving into the cities. He wanted to make sure that this connection between the land and people was sustained because at the heart of it was the capacity for individuals to have the right to make independent decisions and not be beholden to others.
