Now let’s see if I’ve got this straight. You’re saying this parcel of land is yours, and that I can’t hunt across it. Right? Everything within this little fence is yours alone? Does that also apply to the sky above? If a wind blows some of your air into my nose and I breathe in, do I owe you recompense?
Don’t you understand, the idea of owning the earth is as absurd as the idea of owning the air? Nobody can own the land or the beasts and plants on it. And that is why I tore down your fence.
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Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
Brilliant 🙂 We can have separate skies for our imagination.
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Thanks so much, Reena
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Up to the penultimate line I could see the reasoning. But if I work hard and use what I earn to buy a donkey, it’s mine, pal. 🙂
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If you can follow the antepenultimate line, isn’t that a little wilful?
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Cop24 was so well fenced in, I like what you did here,
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Thanks so much, Michael
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Haha! I was laughing at his tone throughout the story, and the ending fits his character!
Of course he is right by law in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and sort of Scotland, and in places like Mongolia or parts of Africa it is totally normal.
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Yes, there are cultures where the idea of owning land is absurd and carries no meaning
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Dear Neil,
I’m not sure the landowner is going to buy that line of rationale, no matter how logical. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It may depend on which society they live. Thanks so much, Rochelle
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Don’t give the government ideas, they’ll be charging air-tax soon!
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They used to have a light tax, when they taxed windows
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I don’t doubt it for a second.
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What a convincing explanation. I hope the fence owner sees the wisdom too. But I doubt it. 🙂
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The fence owner probably has more guns on his side
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If all thought this way, there would be no fences or borders!
The fence-owner will be upset. Maybe she’ll sue this person & then perhaps get a brand new fence 🙂
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Or maybe the complainer will sue the fence owner
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Haha.. owner may have different point of view
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Native Americans would understand the reasoning. They built no fences unless you go waaaay back into the foggy past to places like Cahokia. But I’m wondering if the character in your story would be okay with his neighbor moving into his yard and house on the same premise that no one owns anything.
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You’re right. I was thinking precisely of the thinking of indigenous Americans in Central America. As for his attitude to his yard, I’m not sure he has a yard
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An idealistic view on how it should be. But that only works if everyone thinks like that. Which we should, but we don’t. Back to line one… Great writing!
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It is like that in some societies
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Ah, that great questions of capitalism. But yes, in UK law at least, he who owns the land owns the sky above and ground below it too. Once the wind blows off my land, you can do what you like with it!
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I own my house and garden, but the original Medieval owner still owns the subsoil
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I feel a land war a’coming!
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That could be.
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Thought provoking piece, Neil. Given that climate change is the result of a “tragedy of the commons” we badly need a different way of organising the way we do business. Part of that might involve doing away with land ownership, I suspect. Nice writing, too.
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Thanks so much, Penny. We definitely are going to have to learn to manage ourselves differently.
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Well now… I ain’t so sure he’s gonna buy that whole reasoning.
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I’m pretty sure he won’t buy it.
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Yeah. It’s a tough sell.
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Oh, this is not going to end well, is it, Neil? Well done.
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Thanks so much, Bill
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You’re welcome, Neil.
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This made me think of disputes we read about where people go to court over a fence that’s 6 inches into someone else’s garden. This could be a new line of defence!
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I think his objection is to the existence of fences at all, not their location
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I remember the days when the Church claimed all the land as it belonged to God. This gave them the right to collect tithes. Of course so did Kings claim this right, in truth fences and borders are forms of control to contain wealth.
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The idea of property has changed, and will probably change again, yes
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I don’t think the judge will see it that way…
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That will all depend on what society the characters are in
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it’s one’s personal opinion, of course. but i don’t think the neighbors will agree.
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That depends on who the neighbours are. They may not be North American sodbusters
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I imagine this could be a contentious issue if once the fence came down sheep ate the prized flowers for example. Great piece Neil. I lovely way to look at the world. If only we didn’t have such a ‘mine’ culture, right?
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Still worse if the sheep eat the crops. Thanks so much, Laurie
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Bam! what a superb final line, wasn’t expecting the philosophical nasty neighbour!
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Strong in mind and body. Thanks so much
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Logical but not legal. I’m with your character though, owning what isn’t ours to own is absurd.
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Whether or not it’s legal may depend on which dispensation they’re in
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Hmm – don’t think that argument is going to cut much ice.
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Perhaps not
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Fences make good neighbors … but, in this case, there seems to be
a bit of a strong opinion. Happy I have good neighbors.
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Pave paradise and put up a parking lot
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Lol
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He’s right of course, but excuse me while I go in and lock my doors and windows.
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Owning the land is an absurdity when you come to think of it
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I take it that you don’t agree with the old adage “good fences make good neighbors”?
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I do, because I live in a society in which owning bits of land is perceived as normal
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Yes, I have my little acre also. The neighbor put up the fence on one side. The building contractor put up another side. We are are the corner so the street sides are open. No bother except by a deer or skunk now and then. I guess a fence wouldn’t hinder them much anyway. 😀
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Deer and skunk don’t have much truck with fences
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I agree with your premise. All we do is occupy the space a few years and pay taxes on it. Try telling that to the people who move her from out of state. They set up barriers to protect their “litle kingdoms.” Fences should only be erected to contain livestock.
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Thanks, Russell
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LOL. While I empathize, I have a feeling this argument may not hold up in court. Fun story.
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Ah, but whose court?
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