When The Government Shuts Down, Suddenly "Public" Land Isn't Public, but the Property of the State

When The Government Shuts Down, Suddenly "Public" Land Isn't Public, but the Property of the State:

The government shutdown is teaching us a lot about the “public sector” — mainly that it doesn’t exist.

For many folks Autumn is a season for getting out into the wild, for viewing fall colors, building camp fires, breathing in the still sweet air and plainly enjoying the great outdoors — “our” public lands. With the government shutdown, however, it is rather difficult to access “our” national parks and wilderness areas. Public lands are suddenly not so public — access is denied.

This presents a conundrum: If our wilderness areas are really public lands why do we not have access to them? The answer is rather simple — we do not have public parks or wilderness areas; in their place we instead find state territory. We do not have freedom to roam, explore and enjoy uncultivated land because it is property claimed by the state.