The following was submitted by a TAC member. It is a powerful statement about why he believes in the work we do here at the TAC and why he’s involved. We appreciate his support and his testimony! – Mike Maharrey TAC national communications director

I get asked this question often: why nullify?

Well, I write and volunteer to help nullify because I care about my community. I care about my neighbors, my friends, my family and my state. I want the best for each and every person.

The nullification of certain federal acts should not be construed to mean we necessarily object to the intention of the act, but rather we oppose the act being done by the federal government.

And why would I object to this?

Because we know our community better than bureaucrats and busybodies in Washington D.C.

Would a city know best how to serve its community? Would a state know best how to allocate its money to provide for the education of its citizens? Why would we want a one-size-fits-all solution imposed by 495 representatives, 100 Senators, and a president on a citizenry composed of 320 million people, all with unique wants, needs, talents, desires, dreams, and skills? They are not chess pieces to be moved on a board. Their dreams and desires are to be fulfilled by them, not dictated nor negated by Washington D.C.

Why would I want to nullify the Affordable Care Act? Do I actually object to people getting health insurance and healthcare?

The obvious answer is no.

What I do want is for the people of my state and my community to find a way to solve this issue satisfactorily for ourselves. Will it be private solutions like direct primary care physicians? Will it be charity and churches? Who knows. The point is that as a community, we can come together and find the solution that works for us – not mandates imposed on us with a massive bureaucratic apparatus attached to them.

Would it not be better for the people of Kansas to find a solution to a societal woe in Kansas than for those in Washington who have no idea about the way of life here, the traditions, and the non-statistical information that a bureaucrat could not possible have access to? I would prefer to see the people of Kansas offer solutions rather than see lobbyists and cronyism in Washington D.C. get fatter off the backs of everyone while not actually offering viable solutions.

An oft-heard objection I get is that the states can’t afford these things. They can’t provide what the people are demanding. Just look at the budget shortfalls. But the truth is if the people of the states were able to keep more of their money, rather than it being taken by the federal government, they could save more, give more, and spend more money. All three of these activities enrich their communities and the state. Business could hire more and overall tax revenue would increase in the state.

On a different note, the state governments could spend this money on what they wanted rather than spending it according to the strings attached to it by the feds. States could spend it on education and roads, or medical care for those at risk. The increase in money for the average citizen could also translate to an increase in charity. Nullification can help bring us back to financial sanity.

Nullification can bring about more diversity in the body politic. The people of the states can decide issues, not those cronies in Washington. You can have liberal policies in a state such as California, or conservative policies in Wyoming, or libertarian policies in New Hampshire. There would be a flourishing and diverse set of states competing for citizens, each with a unique blend of policies and culture its own. This is the type of diversity you cannot get from a top down approach like we currently have.

Nullifying unconstitutional acts would place the power back into the hands of the states and this, in turn, gives the people more control over their government. This allows the citizens of the states to decide how they want to live. Do they want a more socialist program like that in California, one that offers the welfare state or do you want something that offers you more liberty and economic freedom? This would give the people the chance to choose. Nullification provides that by stripping the tentacles of the federal government back to its constitutional bounds and allowing the states to flourish and experiment on how people want to be organized.

To switch gears a bit, I also nullify for your right to privacy. I don’t want bureaucrats listening to your most intimate and personal conversations, reading your heartfelt emotional emails, or watching what you may say online. I know the argument “if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.” This assumes that people are OK with being watched. Knowing that somebody is logging everything you say, write, type, watch, search, purchase, video, or do will alter your patterns of behavior. You do not need to be judged by some nameless, faceless keyboard warrior. You deserve your privacy from your government. The statement quoted above is made to shame us into submission. If this statement is true, then the government should be more than willing to pull back the curtain and let the light in to see what they have been doing. You do not need somebody judging an emotional outburst and placing you on a list for further surveillance. You should not be watched because you say something critical about government on social media or you make a tasteless joke. It shouldn’t be “if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.” Instead, ask yourself this: do you want them knowing every intimate detail of your life? For that reason, I nullify for privacy.

The last point I’ll share is this – I nullify for you – to show you that there is a way to put the power back into your hands. You may not care about many of the issues I’ve brought up, but that doesn’t mean the government won’t step on your toes soon. You may come to find an issue you do care about, like the drug war, police brutality, the hemp ban, homeschooling, asset forfeiture, Washington cronyism, are all made worse by Washington. You should realize that you can have much more of an impact on your community by nullifying overreaching Washington dictates than much of anything else politically.

So why do I nullify?

I nullify for my community, my state, for you and most of all for my family.

Why do you nullify?

patricktaylor
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