The Power of One
Jeff Benedict
Education Conference ·
June 05, 2009
Jeff Benedict spoke about his recent book “Little Pink House: A True
Story of Defiance and Courage,” about the most controversial Supreme
Court decision since Roe v. Wade.
The book tells the story of a
woman who fought to save her house from being seized and demolished by
the government to improve an area near a pharmaceutical company’s new
headquarters. Suzette Kelo fought her battle all the way to the Supreme
Court in the controversial case Kelo vs. New London, Conn.
Kelo
lost and the Supreme Court sided with the city of New London in a 5-4
decision that set legal precedent for municipalities to take land not
only for public use, but also for private use if the amount of tax
derived is larger.
Benedict and Kelo have been traveling all
over the country this year on a book tour, and have received standing
ovations time after time. Benedict knows it’s not because of him, but
it’s because one person stood up and did the right thing for the right
reason. People see Kelo as a terrific heroine, he said.
Even
though she lost her case at the Supreme Court, 43 states have rejected
the decision as law. And not one state supreme court has upheld the
Kelo decision, Benedict said.
Benedict, who teaches courses in
advanced writing and contemporary issues at Southern Virginia,
explained why he loves being a writer.
“I get to climb into
people’s lives, sometimes for six months, sometimes for three years,”
he said. “I get to learn about issues that shape our country and our
society and our norms and values.”