Yes they are; the Articles of Confederation expressly state that the States are Sovereign States. The Articles, furthermore are part of the organic law of the United States; but if that isn't enough read the 10th amendment. The right of secession is not denied to the States by the Constitution, nor is it given to the federal government to prevent such secession, therefore it must remain with the States themselves or the people. (See the cites in this paper.)
My father served in the United States Army in WWII. My brother served in the United States Air Force in Viet Nam. I served in the United States Navy during peacetime. We are or were as the case may be, Americans.
By virtue of being citizens of your State, and your State being a member of the United States, yes. No one here is saying differently.
One must emigrate from Germany to France. It's quite a process that involves dissolving prior allegiances and swearing to new ones, with a host of other legalities and responsibilities thrown in just because.
Ah, and when you move, changing States, you don't have to re-register your voting location? Re-license your vehicles? Just because our system's streamlined it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. (Just because you don't have to do it right away doesn't mean you don't have to do it.)
It's a mobile American population, and state citizenship means little. That's just a fact of the 21st century. Love it or hate it, it's a fact.
And like I said, that's precisely the problem. You equate 'mobile' with "state citizenship means little."
In so doing you demean the State and align yourself with the Federal.
It's still not even remotely comparable. If I emigrate from the USA and become a citizen of Singapore, I lose my U.S. citizenship. It's gone, and I'm unlikely to ever get it back. Hell, looking at recent headlines, the USA may not ever even allow me to re-enter the country for a visit. I can go back to Colorado and become a citizen any time I wish. I can become a brand new citizen of Alabama, or California on a whim.
State citizenship, unlike national citizenship carries absolutely no requirements of allegiance. Nothing is surrendered moving from state to state, and nothing special is granted. The same cannot be said when expatriating.
To put it another way. I live in Texas, because I love Texas. I love my little corner of Texas in particular. But whereas nationality is like marriage, state citizenship is like having a mistress.
America is my country. If I were ever to leave America, I’d have to get a divorce before I could remarry, and I’ll go to jail if I have two wives at once.
Texas is home to me, and I do believe it will be my home forever. However, it’s purely voluntary. No divorce is required if I ever decide that Louisiana is sexier. And, there is no law that says I can’t have two mistresses.
To put it another way. I live in Texas, because I love Texas. I love my little corner of Texas in particular. But whereas nationality is like marriage, state citizenship is like having a mistress.
America is my country. If I were ever to leave America, I’d have to get a divorce before I could remarry, and I’ll go to jail if I have two wives at once.
Texas is home to me, and I do believe it will be my home forever. However, it’s purely voluntary. No divorce is required if I ever decide that Louisiana is sexier. And, there is no law that says I can’t have two mistresses.