The right to own private property is generally considered fundamental in this society; we value it because we value freedom. But in practice a system of private ownership tends to limit the freedom of some citizens—notably, the poor—more than would a system such as that of the native peoples of North America (under which land is held in common). But that does not prove that a system of common use or common ownership is necessarily right for western society today. But it should make us question our often unthinking allegiance to private property rights.