Patriots, I believe it's time for this idea to gain some traction. Whatever your feelings about the War between the States may be, there is no doubting that states' rights have been in steady decline from the Reconstruction and the New Deal on down to our time of the abundantly stimulated Raw Deal. Here, I think, is a means to check federal power by reviving the power of state governments sufficiently so they can hold the federal government in check. What follows is the text of a letter outlining the Faith in State Government Amendment proposal which I sent to every governor and the leadership of every state legislature last summer. I'm hopeful that if several more like minded comrades circulated this idea, it might catch on. Here's the letter...

Dear Governor/State Representative (unless you live in Nebraska)/State Senator,

I believe it's time for the states to take advantage of an opportunity to assert their power as a check against the increasing growth and intrusion of the federal government and the decisions of the Supreme Court. While Amendment X of the Constitution is intended to protect the states by restricting the power of the federal government, there is not yet a means by which federal power can be effectively limited by the states. Currently, federal laws and regulations that impact the lives of citizens simply trump state laws, and a five judge majority of the Supreme Court assumes the power to make irrelevant the will of the people expressed through their state legislatures.

As a solution to the current imbalance of power, I propose the Faith in State Government Amendment which reads:

A simple majority of state legislatures shall have power to rescind federal law and void decisions by the Supreme Court.

Of course, such an amendment is unlikely to pass through the House or the Senate, so it could not be proposed and ratified in the usual way. However, Article V of the Constitution allows for the Constitution to be amended by two thirds of the several states calling for a convention, and three fourths of the state legislatures ratifying the amendment. In other words, thanks to the wisdom of our founding fathers, we the people of the states have within our grasp the means to protect our freedom and to roll back the increasing power of big government.

Such an amendment could provide an effective remedy to laws made by a distant body of bureaucrats which adversely impact the personal and business lives of American citizens. It could also be used to overturn decisions by the Supreme Court that ignore the will of the people and sweep aside the work of state legislatures.

Without this amendment, I fear that states' rights, a truly endangered species, will simply cease to exist in the near future. With this amendment, I believe we, the American people, through our state legislatures, will be able to regain our precious freedoms and preserve them for our posterity.

I urge you, therefore, to consider seriously the proposal of a constitutional convention for the passage of this amendment for the purpose of saving the Constitution and the rights of the people of the several states.

Sincerely,
Your Name Here

YES! This shall be the most Glorious Amendment of ALL, indeed. EXACTLY what the Union needs now, simply to preserve herself from obliteration.

Did you catch the Montana gun bill?

These kinds of Amendments will multiply with a fervor. I hearsay of nearly 40 states enacting some kind of such legislation or another. The Central Planners had better watch out, lest they lose their grip. Many years ago, I was acquainted with a little boy whose parents named him State Rights, demonstrating that the seeds for this type of insubordination was planted in the minds of the people even before our glorious system of government was ingrained in the minds of today's young pioneers.

Nice! I mean, so we can be more left thatn the other states.

Comrade_Tovarich wrote:Did you catch the Montana gun bill?

You bring the cannon comrade and I'll bring the S'mores Schnaps. We'll rendezvous at Fort Sumpter and let the revolution begin.

Hoosier daddy, baby?

(off)
I had to think about this a little hard Comrade, but it's simple and quite a good idea.

Commissar_Elliott wrote:(off)
I had to think about this a little hard Comrade, but it's simple and quite a good idea.

I believe the time is coming when people will see what I see, that we ALL lost the battle of Northern Aggression for it is what gave the Federal govt the power it has ruled over the states ever since.

It is a bit heartening to see some of these governors refusing, or at least threatening to refuse, some of this bail out money, for that is a most risky thing for a governor. But they are right! Did you know that for instance, one of the bills regarding unemployment pay states that sure, the Fed is going to pay for the first 3 years as I recall, but the bill also states that by accepting the money, the states will continue this forever! But you don't see this advertised so much do you?

Komissar Blogunov wrote:

the War for Southern Independence

Um, Comrade that would be the War of Northern Aggression.


The nuttiness has trickled down to the local level, Houston City Council is thinking of giving families $3,000 to pay off credit card debt so that they can qualify for home loans. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6277344.html

California sure won't be refusing any of that money. Horray for bankrupt states!

Comrades,

It is refreshing to see that this thread is not, after a long period of voluntary confinement in a resort area, what I had assumed it to be about: bringing the fascists back into power.

Long live the Party!