States Rights

I think this is an article worth reading.

Santorum and Obama: Two Peas in a Pod?

by Connor Boyack

George Orwell is no doubt smiling down from the heavens after witnessing last night’s Republican “debate” in Ames, Iowa. Why, you might ask? This event featured more doublethink (if not hypocrisy) than any other in recent history. Recall that Orwell defined doublethink in 1984 as “The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them…” The Ames Debate offered several instances of this very thing, many relating directly to the Tenth Amendment. Congresswoman Bachmann, for example, has positioned herself repeatedly as a leader in the tea party, state’s rights, and Tenth Amendment movements.

Asked last night whether there was a difference between the state or federal government mandating that an individual buy a product (referring primarily to health care insurance), Bachmann responded that there was no difference. It is “unconstitutional,” she maintained, regardless of whether it is imposed by the state or federal government. She did not cite which part of the Constitution denies states this authority. Of course, that’s because no clause in the Constitution prevents states from doing it, as Congressman Paul rightly noted in response to Bachmann’s doublethink. Paul stated that the federal government is not empowered to go in and stop states that do bad things. Moments later, Senator Santorum jumped in to criticize both of them, claiming that their responses were indicative of “the Tenth Amendment run amok.” 

Said Santorum: Michelle Bachmann says that she would go in and fight health care being imposed by states, but she wouldn’t go in and fight marriage being imposed by the states. That would be okay. We have Ron Paul saying oh, whatever the states want to do under the Tenth Amendment is fine. So if the states want to pass polygamy, that’s fine. If the states want to impose sterilization, that’s fine. No! Our country is based on moral laws, ladies and gentleman. There are things the states can’t do. Abraham Lincoln said “the states do not have the right to do wrong.” I respect the Tenth Amendment, but we are a nation that has values. We are a nation that was built on a moral enterprise. And states don’t have the right to tramp over those because of the Tenth Amendment. Leaving aside the fact that he inaccurately portrayed Rep. Paul’s stance, it is obvious that Santorum is no Tenther, but rather a power-loving thug looking to impose his personal set of morals and values on any people living under whatever level of government he can use to accomplish his goals.  In this respect, he’s hardly different from Barack Obama at all. Obviously, Santorum has either not read or understood the Tenth Amendment — included in the Constitution which he has on several occasions sworn an oath to support and defend — which provides for the very things he is criticizing.

States do have the ability, under the constitutional system the Founders put in place, to “do wrong.” They have the sovereign authority to decide whatever they wish on whatever matters they like, provided that this authority has not already been delegated to the federal government, or has not been explicitly denied them in the Constitution.

For as we read in the Tenth Amendment, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

In Federalist 45, James Madison provides a well-known quote regarding the balance between federal and state powers:

The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government, are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected. The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State.

Nowhere does Madison describe the Constitution as empowering the federal government to intervene in a state’s affairs when it is believed by others to be “doing wrong.” Indeed, the very purpose of the Tenth Amendment is to enable states to retain the authority and ability to do stupid things (and hopefully good things, too). For if the other states can, through the federal government, force another state to not do something they consider to be “wrong,” then what can that federal government not do?

Another common attempt used by nationalists to impose in one fell swoop what they otherwise would have to introduce in 50 different states is to authoritatively affirm, simply, that we are “a nation.” It was notably used in the last presidential cycle by Governor Huckabee who claimed that “…we are one nation. We can’t be divided. We have to be one nation under God. That means if we make a mistake, we make it as a single country.” Without qualifying these remarks with the constitutional limits placed upon the federal government — and thus describing what that “nation” can and cannot do — support is manufactured for policies that have no authority, yet which are then imposed upon everybody.

The federal government was created by the states, and unless explicitly denied the authority, states retain the ability to pass dumb laws — even horrible ones.  In fact, many already do!  It is up to the individuals in that state to fix those laws and improve their government.  It is not the right or duty of their neighbors to use the federal government to correct their behavior/

When we sit back for a moment and recognize that the federal government already claims the power to require to you to purchase health insurance, to tell you what size toilet you can have, what kind of plants you can grow in your back yard, what kind of light bulb you can use, and so much more – don’t we realize there’s already too much federal power?  For people like Obama and Santorum, it sure doesn’t seem that way.

The examples mentioned here are unfortunately not mere doublethink. They are constitutional treason. They are violations of the oath of office to support and defend that document, and they are either ignorant or intentionally destructive attempts to impose upon an entire nation of people things that should be left up to them to decide.

In doublethink, writes Orwell, “the lie always one leap ahead of the truth.” It is true that the Tenth Amendment is important, that the federal government should be restrained, and that the Constitution should be upheld. Unfortunately, most of the politicians promoting these truths are doing so in the shadow of their contradicting lies which run totally contrary to those positions.

Thus did Orwell also write that political prose is crafted “to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” Voter beware.

Connor Boyack is the state chapter coordinator for the Utah Tenth Amendment Center. He is a web developer, political economist, and social media consultant changing the world one byte at a time. Read his blog or follow him on Twitter.

Labor Day 2011

It is raining in north Alabama. I think it is raining all over the Southeast. As I look across Lake Guntersville, I can only see a few hundred yards. The fog and rain are keeping me from seeing clearly. The lake is rough, and I am glad that I am not outside. This is not a pretty picture. This is not why I built my house here, but it is why my house has a firm foundation and a solid roof. Luckily, I know more than what the current conditions tell me. I know that someday the clouds will clear, the lake will calm, and the view from my window will be beautiful. I will once again venture out onto the lake to enjoy life.

Everyone experiences storms in their life. Some are minor storms, and some are major storms. While the sun is shining, prepare for the storms, for they will come. Create. Earn. Save. Do what you can do to insure that you can weather the storms. Do not depend on someone else to take care of you. Your ship will come in only if you have built a secure harbor with a shining beacon to guide it to you. The only things that will accidentally wash up on your shore are shipwrecks.

Our country is in the midst of a storm this Labor Day. The economy is bad. The housing market is bad. Many people are unemployed. Businesses are afraid to spend. I believe the culprit is too much government. Although I strongly disagree with the policies of the current administration, both major parties have created the problems that are killing our nation. Both Republicans and Democrats have grown government and ignored our Constitution. The responsibilities of the Federal Government are clearly enumerated and limited in our Constitution. Everything else belongs to the States, or to the People. We cannot expect nor do we need someone else (the Feds) to take care of us. The less the Feds give to us, the less we will be forced to give them. I know that I can spend my money better than Washington can. The out-of-control Federal Government is the problem with our economy. If we cannot right the Ship of State, it will sink, and it will take us with it!

You need to do three things this Labor Day in order to get our Nation back on the right track. 1. Commit to create, earn and save for your own well-being. You cannot depend on anyone else to take care of you. 2. Commit to work to elect Constitutional Conservatives to local, state and federal office next November. I believe both liberals and conservatives can trust our Constitution to be the beacon that will guide our nation back to liberty and prosperity. 3. Commit to turn (back) to God and pray asking Him to cleanse your heart both personally and ours as a nation, and to forgive us for removing Him and His Son from our daily lives. It was God's blessings that created this nation. It will be His blessings that calm the rough waters we are experiencing now.

Donations, Donations, Donations

I have donated to: Ron Paul, The Tea Party Patriots, Paul Bussman, and the Republican Party. I am no longer a supporter of the Republican Party, primarily because of how their leadership in D.C. believes it is more important to get re-elected than to it is to do what is best for America. Boehner and his cronies had the opportunity to STOP our government's out-of-control spending, but instead they passed a reduction in the rate of the future increases of their spending. They are RINOs, and will hopefully be thrown out of office in 2012. My Congressman, Robert Aderholt, also voted in favor of the debt deal. I will campaign against him in 2012 if there is a candidate running who supports Constitutional government, fiscal responsibility, and free-market capitalism. Amazingly, both of my Senators voted against the debt deal.

I do support some statesmen who are Republicans. I am supporting Ron Paul for President. I hope he wins the GOP primary. If not, I think his candidacy will impact the Republican platform and help other Constitutional Conservatives win spots in the House and Senate.

I just received another solicitation for a donation from MicheleBachman, Presidential candidate. I will not give to her candidacy. She should be supporting the Father of the Tea Party, Ron Paul.

Don't Raise the DEBT Limit!

Here is an email I sent to my Congressman and Senators today:


Dear Senator Sessions, Senator Shelby, and Congressman Aderholt,

I have earned a lot of money in my life. Wisely, I have spent less than I have earned. There have been emergencies over the years where I have had to go in to debt. I also have purchased homes using a mortgage. In both instances, not only prudence on my part, but realistic restrictions on the part of my lenders, have limited how deep into debt I could go. Because of these limitations, I have always been able to repay my debts. Personally. I have never had to have my children, or even other citizens with more money than me, bail me out.

Regretfully, our Federal Government is not only unwise concerning how it spends my money, it also has the ability to borrow much more than is wise. And it has done so. For some idiotic reason, there is now a current move to increase our national debt limit in order to prevent an economic crisis. Again. The analogy of trying to put out a fire with gasoline is very fitting. What fool really thinks that adding to the debt will decrease it? How will giving the federal government more of my money teach it to be more prudent with how it spends?

I urge you to lobby the House/Senate to NOT increase the debt limit! Make the government live within its means. We all know the threat of default on the US debt has nothing to do with raising the debt limit. There is plenty money in the current revenue stream to pay the obligations on our debt, as well as to maintain all of the Constitutionally required services provided by the government.

Will not raising the debt limit hurt? You bet. Will a lot of the government handouts and unconstitutional departments have to be done away with? You bet. Not raising the debt limit will force the government to live within its means, and it will force the shrinking of the government. Both of these things will go a long way toward insuring that both our economy and our nation remain vibrant and free.

Thank you for your service,

Bobby Taylor
1501 Stadium Dr. NE
Cullman, AL 35055

Things

I was born in 1956, just about in the middle of the Baby Boom generation. By the time I was a senior in high school, Veit Nam was winding down, most hippies had cut their hair, and Nixon had resigned. The Beatles were already gone, and the Space Race was over. Teenagers were already moving from motorcycles to cars, and the cassette tape was the new technology replacing 8-tracks. We had one television in the house, and it was a color set (however, you still specified that it was color, because there were still a lot of black & white sets around.) We had expanded from three channels to five, but all were free via our antenna. We had one phone in our house, although a lot of people had an extension phone.

My grandparents had upgraded to an in-door toilet only a few years earlier (about the same year we landed on the moon.) I had an uncle and aunt who not only still used an outhouse, but they had just recently got electricity. Although my dad worked at a "plant", he also farmed. I helped. A lot. It was not unusual at all for me to get home from school and then get on the tractor and plow until after dark. Of course, on Saturday it was farming all day long. When I was about 14 or 15, my older brother and I planted an acre of okra to sell to the local farmers' market. It was my first entreuprenural endeavor. It required a lot of hard, hot work, but we made good money.

I had a happy childhood.

Why now do I spend over $100/month on cable television? Why do I have a color TV in almost every room of my house? Why do I have several phone extensions in my house, as well as a cellular telephone in my pocket? Why do I live in a house at least twice a big as my parents, but I have only half as many kids? Not only do I not farm, I hire someone to spray my house for bugs, someone else to cut my grasss, and someone else to maintain my pool.

Am I happier than I was when I was a teenager?

The US Is Failing

America was great because it was founded on Christian principles and the morality of the Holy Bible that permeated our whole society. Although they were certainly unChristian and immoral actions taken by individuals within the country, and even though our government sometimes did bad things, the basis of our nation, the very blueprint for our being, was the moral code outlined in the Old and New Testaments. Anyone who denies this truth has not read the hundreds of documents written by our founding fathers. The Bible's moral code is clearly engrained within our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence of the United States Constitution. God blessed America.
 
Our country is now faltering, ready to fall. We are no longer the envy of the world. Our government is in shambles, but no one recognizes the cause of the decay. Here is what I believe is causing the downfall of our country:
 
We removed the mother from the home, letting someone else raise our children.We removed prayer and God from the school, allowing other doctrines to be taught.We legalized abortion, putting self before the good of others.We normalized and sensationalized sex, breaking down the bedrock of the family unit.We made homosexuality moral, stretching the bounds on other moral bounderies.We took away personal responsibility, and replaced it with government control.We now accept immoral behavior in our families, our communities, and our government.
 
We are also beginning to no longer support Israel. The Bible promises that God will bless those who are a friend of Israel, and curse those who are her enemies. That is a promise that is repeated many times in the Bible. If you are a Christian or a Jew, you must believe this promise.
 
I believe that God is no longer blessing America. It does not matter how many times our politicians include the mandatory "God bless America" at the end of their speeches. It does not matter how many prayers are offered to a "higher power." We the people of the United States of America, must turn back to the Bible and the absolute moral guidelines clearly outlined therein. Jesus Christ is the only way to gain enternal life, and following his teachings, and teaching them to your children, is the only way to save America.
 
Pray for Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And pray for America. But do not waste your time praying to a "higher power." Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, is the The Way.