Under the dome of the Texas capitol, folks typically focus on the Texas constitution, but it’s time to revisit the U.S. Constitution and the protections it guarantees, specifically in the Tenth Amendment. The authors of this amendment, ratified in 1791, remembered what it was like to be under the thumb of a distant, all-powerful government.
Unfortunately, the protections guaranteed by this visionary document have melted away over time. Since the U.S. Constitution was first ratified, the federal government has slowly, steadily and successfully eroded the notion of state’s rights.
The Founding Fathers understood that a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work, especially in a country the size of America, and it certainly doesn’t work for Texas. Our economic strength, compared to the federal budget mess and other states’ troubles, is evidence that Texans know what’s best for Texas.
The Constitution simply does not empower the federal government to override state laws without restraint.
I agree with Texas’ 7th governor, Sam Houston, who once said, “Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may.â€
We didn’t like oppression then and we certainly don’t like it now. Unfortunately, pressure is increasing from a federal government that is growing increasingly oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state.
I am calling on Texans to stand up and be heard, because this state of affairs cannot continue indefinitely. Returning to the letter and the spirit of the U.S. Constitution, and its essential Tenth Amendment, will free our state and, ultimately, strengthen our Union.
Regardless of your party affiliation, that is a goal we can all embrace.
