A couple I know was sitting in their hot tub, in the privacy of their secluded back

yard, when suddenly a man with a clipboard came wandering onto their patio,

looking around and taking notes. They asked what he was doing, and he identified

himself as an inspector from the Homeowner’s Association. He claimed the right

to go anywhere on any property, with or without the owner’s permission, anytime

he wants. But these homeowners look through the lens of liberty, and they

understand their right to privacy, enshrined in the Bill of Rights. They know that in

America, all governments – including local homeowners associations – only get

power from the consent of the governed. If your right to privacy doesn’t matter to

you, it certainly doesn’t matter to anyone else – what have you allowed in your

neighborhood?