OhNoDontTouch
155694
4859
64
This successful tree
Sep 17, 2018 6:06 AM
OhNoDontTouch
155694
4859
64
ESPRESS0PATRONUM
I will always upvote tree independence.
Aingelproject667
Sure, when a tree owns itself, its cool but when I own myself its "funny" and "humiliating"
Vertisce
And this asshole doesn't even have to pay taxes on it's own land!
reykjavikparadise
Basically it's a running joke that everyone just went with, like the so called " Emperor of the United States"
MyVetteIsSlow
I mean it’s in Athens, GA so this makes sense. A place where you can pay for sandwiches with a song and the streets are made of marijuana.
Pottery420GlazeIt
xochiluvr
Those puns aren't worth the paper they weren't printed on.
AtypicalTitan
I live in Athens and I love this tree! I feel it represents the best of the city’s character
YouBetterBite
Ah ah ah it didn't pay its inheritance tax. VOID.
Gweehe101
Omg. I LOVE this story! I am going to follow suit with the trees on our plot of land. Imagine more of us doing that to stop the developments
itotallyagreewithwhatyousaid
I dont even own a piece of land. And this tree.. I suck.
notquitebilbobaggins
Son of a birch. That’s a great story.
LeNoseKnows
I love Georgia. We always get the weirdest attention/news/stories
Raydeeo
Maybe not the coolest thing but it sure is up there among the coolest things. Can I still be in his/her face?
stevensls35
this needs to happen to a lot more trees.
shaggykx
How does it pay council tax?
Pottery420GlazeIt
With carbon credits?
OkramTheBarbarian
Papier IS magical
clevermotherfucker
All other trees are slaves.
sweaterrarium
lots are wild yet
morgmomonster
Yay Athens!!! My hometown. I grew up hearing stories of the tree that owns itself. The cobblestone road it's on is a bitch though.
AJerkyMcJerkface
If you have debt to the bank. You’re a slave to the bank! You work not for yourself but for the Bank and government. Taxes and interest!
AJerkyMcJerkface
No one is free! Except this tree!
FiftyShadesOfMascarpone
This shows that human concepts like ownership only exist as long as most of us agree to maintain the same pretense. Like children playing...
FiftyShadesOfMascarpone
a game. The floor is lava, until mom calls for dinner. This also applies to our societal power structures. Rulers and governments rely on...
FiftyShadesOfMascarpone
us to all pretend the same thing. The police and courts of law have power over us until enough people disagree that they do. We could ...
FiftyShadesOfMascarpone
undo countries, currencies, or the entire current world order simply by saying "I hate this stupid game and I'm not playing anymore".
votfgz
And that, my friend, is called a world war.
NexiKuro
nah, it's more the french revolution or similar insurrections than a world war. People still played along during both world wars.
popejubal
We absolutely can do that and throughout history we've changed the rules of the game many times.
Witzyremark
Ent-eresting!
MikeTheScientist
It’s good to own land -That Tree probably
6Oh4
I mean it's interesting. But coolest thing?
ErectileFunction
And now trees are doing better than me. Great.
SVcross
You are the best at being you, pal.
felunaluce
To be fair the tree had way more time than you had
Xaixar
Trees do better than everyone, don’t worry.
lurker5000
TheMountainIsBreathing
Don't worry, I'm pretty sure you own yourself too.
OverMyDadBody
But they neither have their own house just the land. Btw what would trees build their house of? Humans?
somedudefromgermany
The tree did nothing. It was born with a silver acorn in its roots. Or however you might say this.
RememberTheC4nt
They even got laid
Solivoid
The saddest thing about that comment of yours, is that people actually upvoted it.
Technohawk
Don't fret, oak-ay. Yew just gotta be-leaf in yourself. You have tree-mendous potential.
itotallyagreewithwhatyousaid
Rubbing salt to the wound.
echosierra775
Don't be so sappy
Technohawk
I seed what you did there.
Terminology
Lawyer here. Lots of people in the comments don't seem to get this but this is just a tale. The tree doesn't actually have legal rights, 1/
Terminology
2/ there's no evidence of the deed existing and even if it did it wouldn't have legal value. It's a fun tale but law doesn't work that way.
dankapotamis
I live in this town. There is a plaque at its base and everything. As stated we all just go with it ♂️
Terminology
I'm well aware. But there's people commenting who legitimately don't seem to understand this isn't legally correct, so I clarified.
philosoraptor1000
No politicians wants to be "that asshole" who cut down the tree.
Pottery420GlazeIt
CossackHD
'TωT'
PenultimateFrisbee
You’ve done it, you’ve won the post.
RaisinZetaJones
They also just won every spot in my fuck, marry, kill.
BobHubert
The internet is over now, we can all go home
PhurbuMukpodom
ArcherPointingFromTheComments
That’s awful
Pottery420GlazeIt
Agreed.
Swaggynator387
*Agrared
austinwizardforhire
Is it possible to learn this power?
michielveedeebee
Magnificent bastaard
BangBangLuckyLuke
michielveedeebee
Whats dis from?
gatharen
Treybetrey
medsal15
OhNoDontTouch
this deserved so many more points
MAXIMUMPOTASSIUM
Get out
RaisinZetaJones
God. Fuck. I love you. Dammit.
Treemandeous
The three people who downvoted have never seen Star Wars... only explanation.
dissociativeidentitydisorder
I thought i knew puns, alas i do not, please teach me thine craft.... master
ButterfaceTaintClown
Have you heard the story of @Pottery420GlazeIt The Wise?
dissociativeidentitydisorder
(blank expression)
ButterfaceTaintClown
Hold me, like you did by the lake on Naboo.
dissociativeidentitydisorder
(mumbles about sand)
MrDrThatguy
How come we cant do this with more trees?
calvinblanes
Cuz we don't need a tree located in an unconvinent area, we need millions of them located in a good place
Sometimesithinkimcanadianbutimnotsorry
You got a buncha land you offerin to the trees?
popejubal
We can do this. We choose not to. That tree would lose in a court fight, but no one has challenged it's ownership because it's popular.
3Davideo
No, it's an oak, not a poplar.
Radix865
Because it gets expensive when decades later they need that area for development but the fucking tree won't sell the land.
WelcomeToMagrathea
But the tree kind of needs that area to live so yeah. Call me a hippie but trees are pretty important for oxygen and stuff
Radix865
Chinese propaganda! I don't have any trees in my apartment but I'm not running out of oxygen!
easytigger
Maybe the tree could have some kinda accident. Happens alla time, pal. You got your dry rot, termites, enthusiastic woodpeckers...
twozerooz
The tree doesn't actually legally own itself. It's more protected out of PR issues that would be associated with trying to tear it down.
gaystoner
IDK for sure but I think the tree would have to have some kind of guardian or something because a living someone has to administer the deed.
djsdkdjsk
trees are living though
reykjavikparadise
Its just a joke/gimmick/novelty that's just been accepted by the local residents, I'm just waiting for the tree to fall over and dmg a car
reykjavikparadise
Then the tree will have to represent itself in court lol
smashsouls
Someone will do it pro bono, I assure you.
SpaceGK
What happens if it doesn't show up?
reykjavikparadise
Failure to appear maybe?
Pottery420GlazeIt
"TIL Georgia gave rights to a tree before it gave rights to black people."
Cowfister
And?
dingofdong
And that probably says something about Georgia's historical evolution
esbear
Actually slavery was banned in Georgia in 1735, it was later unbanned however.
gaystoner
I *want* to surprised, for the sake of humanity and stuff...but i am not.⅔¹
halfhumanhalfpie
A -white- Oak too
VitaminJay
"Well, of course. Trees are useful!" --unironic racist idiot
ShaneEngland
"Umm, pardon me but we had free labor and it was greatly" - former slave owners
YouL0stTheGame
“I’m sorry mister but I can’t be working all day long in these cotton fields” -slave
shutupthisisreal
"Um, excuse me, what the fuck" - first slave to ever be ridden, probably
YouL0stTheGame
“Shhh just relaxx you’ll get a quarter after this” -kinky slave owner