Comments on: The United States Are, or The United States Is? http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2008/02/04/the-united-states-are-or-the-united-states-is/ Concordia res Parvae Crescunt Wed, 22 May 2013 14:19:45 +0000 hourly 1 By: Michael Boldin http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2008/02/04/the-united-states-are-or-the-united-states-is/comment-page-1/#comment-256088 Michael Boldin Mon, 18 May 2009 20:20:14 +0000 http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2008/02/04/the-united-states-are-or-the-united-states-is/#comment-256088 Mike – great points. It’s definitely our goal to see a federal government exist under, as Jefferson put it, the “chains of the constitution”

]]> By: Mike http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2008/02/04/the-united-states-are-or-the-united-states-is/comment-page-1/#comment-255912 Mike Sun, 17 May 2009 11:50:28 +0000 http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2008/02/04/the-united-states-are-or-the-united-states-is/#comment-255912 The Federal Governemnt has been exceeding its reach beyond that specifically enmuerated (there’s that word again!) for decades. Some items that quickly come to mind are The Social Security Act, creation of the Department of Education and the overly broad interpretation of the Commerce Clause. The War Between The States was not, as many today seem to beleive, fought about the issue of slavery. It was fought about States Rights, where the members of the Confederacy argued that the Federal Government violated the Tenth Amendment with regards to regulation of interstate commerce. Lincoln knew that the Emancipation Proclamation, much like most of today’s Executive Orders, had no legal standing and was unenforcable except as a temporary war measure. The Federal Government knew that to make it enforceable, the 13th Admendment would have to be written and ratified, which it was on December 6th, 1865. These days, it is more likely that Congress will pass a law that is a blatant violation of the Constitution, making it enforceable only by the threat of withholding federal funds from the states.

People don’t realize that slavery existed in the north as well. In my home state of NJ, State Law provided, after ratification and adoption of the 13th Amendment, that former slaves, irregardless of their state of origin, who were born prior to 1804, could be held as indentured servants. In other words, slaves. As far as I know that law is still on the books, although there are few 205 year old former slaves walking around.

We, as a people, need to return to the understanding of Federalism prior to the 1937 Marshall court. If it’s not explicitly detailed in the Constitution, the federal government has no right to do it.

]]> By: Nathan http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2008/02/04/the-united-states-are-or-the-united-states-is/comment-page-1/#comment-254537 Nathan Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:25:04 +0000 http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2008/02/04/the-united-states-are-or-the-united-states-is/#comment-254537 I’ve often thought about that phrase with “is” or “are” since watching National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I’m glad I’m not the only one who picked up on that.

Thanks for writing an excellent article!

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