[ForGod'sSake]

Somewhat dated article but it could have been written today without any loss of context. Some principles are timeless.

[ForGod'sSake]

For the 10th Amendment Division’s perusal...

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[maine-iac7]

bump

[WKUHilltopper]

It really is time to “form a more perfect union”. We already have the Constitution written—so check that one off the list.

[Huck]

From the standpoint of this theory of government, the Constitution has not only been violated, it has been destroyed. What exists now is only a faulty facsimile of the original document. The process of mutilation began a long time ago, in the Jackson Administration, when political gangsterism announced that “to the victors belong the spoils.”

Good article. Nice to see some realism regarding the Constitution.

[Huck]

That is a distinguishing feature of The Federalist, a party platform replete with promises of what the party would not do. It is strange reading, when compared to modern political pledges, in its negative assurances.

Incidentally, I believe when Obama referred to "negative" rights, he was using the term in the same way "negative" assurances is used here. He wasn't saying "negative", meaning bad. He was simply saying they are rights defining what the gubmint can't do. The term "negative" rights is entirely appropriate. People like Limbaugh sound like dopes when they fail to grasp this usage.

That said, negative rights are fine. I like them better than positive rights when it comes to gubmint. But the term is correct.

[LearsFool]

That’s a very good essay. Thanks for posting and pinging.

Bookmarking to re-read every month or so.

[The Comedian]

What’s-past-is-prologue ping!

[Neoliberalnot]

The world is fixin’ to change again, too. At least this country. The level of instability is increasing hourly. We are rapidly approaching crisis on multiple fronts - economic, political, military, social - you name it. What specifically happens and what triggers it are totally unpredictable. What is a near certainty, IMHO, is that we will have serious crisis and a new type of breakdown within a year.

Have you all noticed how the left is using their media to set up the right to take the fall for any violence set in to motion by any of the above factors? They just don’t get the fact that they and their media mouthpieces have zero credibility with us and we are rapidly approaching the point where we would pay just about any price to be rid of them. The best scenario is that we as states just start ignoring them and their edicts.

[TChris]

I don't like the term "states' rights", because states have no rights. (If you think I'm wrong, look for any form of the word "right" in relation to a state or states in the Constitution.)

God gave rights to man, and man created states (governments) to secure those rights.

I think it's a simple (but very important) question of jurisdiction, not "rights".

The citizens of a state, who have rights, grant limited, enumerated powers to governments at the state and the federal levels. The Constitution clearly restricts the powers of the US government to enumerated matters and specifically reserves all other powers to the states or to the people.

"Rights" is not the correct word here. This is about powers and jurisdiction. Citizens have rights.