The idea that criminals should forfeit certain civil rights reaches back at least to the 19th-century concept of civiliter mortuus (“civil death”). Today, federal law bars convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition. Case closed, right? Wrong. Federal law works in mysterious ways, particularly when it bumps up against state interests and high court interpretations.
History is so replete with property swindles that we still have jokes about them. The phrase, “if you believe that, then I’ve got a bridge to sell you” derives from a favorite dodge of turn-of-the-century confidence men like George C. Parker, who sold the Brooklyn Bridge multiple times — along with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Statue of Liberty and Grant’s Tomb. Selling Florida swamp land, a favorite scam of the early 20th century, continues to this day.
Scan the internet, and you’ll quickly find a half-dozen companies ready to sell you your very own piece of space property, starting with the moon. In this article, I ask whether anyone can actually own our nearest neighbor, or if all these companies are exchanging for your green is a load of green cheese.