Free Market

The Tyranny of the Local Majority


Residents in Highland, Utah wish to force property owners in that city to close their businesses on Sunday and are gathering signatures on a petition to put the issue on November’s ballot. Put differently, residents in that city are seeking to obtain a majority by which to impose their tyrannical preferences on the minority.

As harsh as it may sound, tyranny is what it is; no individual has the moral authority to compel his neighbor not to peacefully use his property when and where he pleases. Many believe that a “community” should be able to set “standards” but whenever this is done and enforced through the coercive arm of the law, it is illegitimate and leads to tyranny.

For more on this issue, click here.