Choices for me but not for thee

[Brian Phillips]

Housing advocates are promoting two bills introduced in the Texas Legislature that would give tenants more choices and reduce choices for landlords. The bills would prohibit landlords from using source of income as a consideration when renting a property. The purpose of the bills is to force landlords to accept housing vouchers. Advocates defend the bills, saying

that every person has the right to choose where they call home. Today, people with vouchers do not have that freedom because many landlords choose not to accept voucher holders as tenants.

In other words, tenants should have the freedom to choose where they use their vouchers, but landlords should not have the freedom to choose whether to accept them or not.

The right to choose is not a license to force others to satisfy one’s desires. But this is what housing advocates seek. They want voucher holders to be free to choose, but landlords should not be free to choose.

The right to choose means the freedom to act on one’s choices. When our choices require action by other individuals, those other individuals should have a choice to participate or abstain. Housing advocates don’t seek the voluntary consent of landlords. They want to force landlords to act as they—the housing advocates—think proper.

A movement that claims certain rights for its members while denying those same rights to others is intellectually dishonest. Such a movement is not interested in rights or what is right. It simply seeks the power to impose its views on others.

Housing advocates claim that they seek “housing justice.” But there is no justice in forcing your views upon others. There is no justice in compelling others to act contrary to their own judgment because you think that their judgment is wrong. There is no justice in imposing undeserved penalties on landlords or granting unearned benefits to tenants.

A movement that seeks “justice” for its members while denying justice to others is a fraud. Such a movement is not interested in justice. It simply hides behind fictitious claims of injustice while seeking the power to impose its views on others.