Time For The United Independent States Of America?
From so much variance among the states and the people in them, to the framers concerns of federal government overreach, the 10th amendment sits waiting to reframe how we do things.
Gas is expensive in California. There’s no state income tax in Texas. Or Arizona. In 2003, gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts and nowhere else at first. Sports betting is legal in 35 states and in Washington, DC. In Texas and Oklahoma, The Ten Commandments hangs in school hallways. 24 states have made marijuana use legal.
That’s the power of the 10th amendment.
We’re different, and we’re different state to state. Each state is a different age, each state has its own history, customs, traditions. What works in one place doesn’t work even a few miles away.
Throw in the framers concerns that the new federal government might attempt overreach, and get into the business of each state or, local municipalities, and you’ve got a recipe for gridlock, frustration, inefficiency, and pain.
The Constitution is an amazing document. It was the fella’s second whack at creating a governing document for this new - Great Experiment. The Articles of Confederation, in effect from 1781 to 1789, reflected how much this new country didn’t want the government in their business. The Articles was so weak and ineffectual, that we had no means to levy taxes, put down rebellions, see to public goods, or provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare. The Articles, laying out only one branch of government, had no checks and balances.
The rights of the individual - and the rights of the individual to not have the federal government in their shit was everything. But the Articles…
So, after some fits and starts, the boys get together in Philly, (finally…) and decide to edit the Articles. Try it again. We don’t want the federal government in our shit - but - we gotta get shit done. Long story short - James Madison says - oh gimme the damned thing - I’m gonna rewrite it and bring y’all a new draft next week.
Madison returned with the framework - three branches - checks and balances - separation of powers.
The anti-federalist states, those concerned the federal government still might try and pull some shit like - marching federal troops into local cities - limiting the press or free speech - or - nationalizing a religion… they said - OK - we’ll ratify - but you gotta put something in there for us…
Here - here’s 10 things - we call em the Bill of Rights - the kids will become familiar with them as the first 10 amendments. We gotta have em. We won’t ratify without them.
We needed 9 of 13 to ratify. Without the Bill of Rights - we don’t get that done.
And we got them - and they’re important. In scope and intention - these 10 amendments - and the document as a whole - is to limit what the federal government can do - and protect the rights of the individual.
And the 10th amendment - is the way forward you ask me. After 250 years, it’s time to reimagine the country. It’s time, to use what the founders setup - in order to allow real independence state to state - and get the federal government off all our asses. Which was the point of this whole thing when we started…
Interested?
