FrankRep
02-19-2010, 08:26 AM
ACTION SUMMARY
* Support nullification resolutions in your state that are in accordance with the Constitution.
* Send us information about nullification resolutions in your state so that we can add them to the Legislative Action section of JBS.org (http://www.jbs.org/).
Nullification!
The States Are Restoring Their Role in Enforcing the Constitution.
Larry Greenley, Director of Marketing, John Birch Society (http://www.jbs.org/)
09 February 2010
Will it be sufficient to mark, with precision, the boundaries of these [federal] departments, in the constitution of the government, and to trust to these parchment barriers against the encroaching spirit of power? — James Madison, The Federalist Papers, No. 48, 1788
[T]he federal legislature will not only be restrained by its dependence on its people, as other legislative bodies are, but that it will be, moreover, watched and controlled by the several collateral [state] legislatures.... — James Madison, The Federalist Papers, No. 52, 1788
As James Madison noted in the first quote above, will the parchment barriers in our Constitution be sufficient to restrain the encroaching spirit of power? Of course, our nation’s history answers a resounding “NO.” Then, what other barriers can be utilized to help restrain the encroaching power of the federal government? Madison’s answer (in the second quote above) is: (1) the people who elect the federal legislature; and (2) the state legislatures. We’re all familiar with the first barrier, but the second barrier, the state legislatures, is not generally known.
Ten years later, Thomas Jefferson adopted an approach similar to Madison’s reasoning in the quotes above when he developed his concept of nullification of federal legislation by state legislatures in his Kentucky Resolutions of 1798:
[I]n cases of an abuse of the delegated powers, the members of the general government, being chosen by the people, a change by the people would be the constitutional remedy; but, where powers are assumed which have not been delegated, a nullification of the act is the rightful remedy.... and that the co-States, recurring to their natural right in cases not made federal, will concur in declaring these acts void, and of no force, and will each take measures of its own for providing that neither these acts, nor any others of the General Government not plainly and intentionally authorized by the Constitution, shalt be exercised within their respective territories.
The Nullification Movement
Now fast-forward to 2010. A new buzzword is emerging from the grassroots, constitutionalist movement — Nullification! Ron Paul is mentioning it in his speeches. Historian Thomas Woods is also favorably speaking about it and has announced he’ll publish a book with that title. Legislators in dozens of states are considering various nullification resolutions. And, closer to home, the cover story for the March 1 issue of The New American is “State vs Federal: The Nullification Movement.”
Nullification is the general term that is being applied to the dozens of state legislative initiatives that have been introduced to restrain the increasingly unconstitutional actions of the federal government. As most of you know, members of The John Birch Society have been working with state legislators for many years already to pressure the federal government to adhere to the Constitution with resolutions, such as: Get US out! of the United Nations; Stop the Free Trade Area of the Americas; Stop the North American Union; Restore Sound Money; Stop Illegal Immigration; and more recently, Tenth Amendment resolutions.
Today there are millions of newly awakened constitutionalists who see the “encroaching spirit of power” in the federal government, thanks to Ron Paul and the Campaign for Liberty, the Tea Party movement, the Glenn Beck 9-12 Project, and others. Many of them want to help preserve our freedom by forcing Congress and the President to obey the Constitution through state legislative initiatives. As a result, we are now witnessing a large number of nullification resolutions in state legislatures with legal teeth in them. Where a couple years ago, many states were rebelling against the Real ID Act, in 2010 the focus has moved to healthcare and firearms freedom.
Although the nullification movement is exciting and has great promise, we shouldn’t put all of our eggs in one basket. We should remember that our primary responsibility as Birchers is to create an informed electorate. Properly informed citizens will take the necessary measures to elect constitutionalists to office at the federal, state, and local level. As we increase the proportion of constitutionalists in office, we’ll see a gradual return to constitutional government. So although we encourage our members to be active in politics, in promoting state nullification resolutions, and in opposing or supporting congressional legislation, we need to keep the goal of creating sufficient understanding and building our educational army in mind in everything we do.
If you have a nullification state resolution that you would like us to add to our “Legislative Action” page on JBS.org, send us two items via email to teambirch@jbs.org (Attn: Larry): (1) A brief description of what the bill is about (including bill number, title, purpose, and expected date for vote) and why citizens of your state should support or oppose it; and (2) a brief sample message that citizens of your state could send to their state legislators asking for their support or opposition.
SOURCE:
The John Birch Society
http://www.jbs.org/
* Support nullification resolutions in your state that are in accordance with the Constitution.
* Send us information about nullification resolutions in your state so that we can add them to the Legislative Action section of JBS.org (http://www.jbs.org/).
Nullification!
The States Are Restoring Their Role in Enforcing the Constitution.
Larry Greenley, Director of Marketing, John Birch Society (http://www.jbs.org/)
09 February 2010
Will it be sufficient to mark, with precision, the boundaries of these [federal] departments, in the constitution of the government, and to trust to these parchment barriers against the encroaching spirit of power? — James Madison, The Federalist Papers, No. 48, 1788
[T]he federal legislature will not only be restrained by its dependence on its people, as other legislative bodies are, but that it will be, moreover, watched and controlled by the several collateral [state] legislatures.... — James Madison, The Federalist Papers, No. 52, 1788
As James Madison noted in the first quote above, will the parchment barriers in our Constitution be sufficient to restrain the encroaching spirit of power? Of course, our nation’s history answers a resounding “NO.” Then, what other barriers can be utilized to help restrain the encroaching power of the federal government? Madison’s answer (in the second quote above) is: (1) the people who elect the federal legislature; and (2) the state legislatures. We’re all familiar with the first barrier, but the second barrier, the state legislatures, is not generally known.
Ten years later, Thomas Jefferson adopted an approach similar to Madison’s reasoning in the quotes above when he developed his concept of nullification of federal legislation by state legislatures in his Kentucky Resolutions of 1798:
[I]n cases of an abuse of the delegated powers, the members of the general government, being chosen by the people, a change by the people would be the constitutional remedy; but, where powers are assumed which have not been delegated, a nullification of the act is the rightful remedy.... and that the co-States, recurring to their natural right in cases not made federal, will concur in declaring these acts void, and of no force, and will each take measures of its own for providing that neither these acts, nor any others of the General Government not plainly and intentionally authorized by the Constitution, shalt be exercised within their respective territories.
The Nullification Movement
Now fast-forward to 2010. A new buzzword is emerging from the grassroots, constitutionalist movement — Nullification! Ron Paul is mentioning it in his speeches. Historian Thomas Woods is also favorably speaking about it and has announced he’ll publish a book with that title. Legislators in dozens of states are considering various nullification resolutions. And, closer to home, the cover story for the March 1 issue of The New American is “State vs Federal: The Nullification Movement.”
Nullification is the general term that is being applied to the dozens of state legislative initiatives that have been introduced to restrain the increasingly unconstitutional actions of the federal government. As most of you know, members of The John Birch Society have been working with state legislators for many years already to pressure the federal government to adhere to the Constitution with resolutions, such as: Get US out! of the United Nations; Stop the Free Trade Area of the Americas; Stop the North American Union; Restore Sound Money; Stop Illegal Immigration; and more recently, Tenth Amendment resolutions.
Today there are millions of newly awakened constitutionalists who see the “encroaching spirit of power” in the federal government, thanks to Ron Paul and the Campaign for Liberty, the Tea Party movement, the Glenn Beck 9-12 Project, and others. Many of them want to help preserve our freedom by forcing Congress and the President to obey the Constitution through state legislative initiatives. As a result, we are now witnessing a large number of nullification resolutions in state legislatures with legal teeth in them. Where a couple years ago, many states were rebelling against the Real ID Act, in 2010 the focus has moved to healthcare and firearms freedom.
Although the nullification movement is exciting and has great promise, we shouldn’t put all of our eggs in one basket. We should remember that our primary responsibility as Birchers is to create an informed electorate. Properly informed citizens will take the necessary measures to elect constitutionalists to office at the federal, state, and local level. As we increase the proportion of constitutionalists in office, we’ll see a gradual return to constitutional government. So although we encourage our members to be active in politics, in promoting state nullification resolutions, and in opposing or supporting congressional legislation, we need to keep the goal of creating sufficient understanding and building our educational army in mind in everything we do.
If you have a nullification state resolution that you would like us to add to our “Legislative Action” page on JBS.org, send us two items via email to teambirch@jbs.org (Attn: Larry): (1) A brief description of what the bill is about (including bill number, title, purpose, and expected date for vote) and why citizens of your state should support or oppose it; and (2) a brief sample message that citizens of your state could send to their state legislators asking for their support or opposition.
SOURCE:
The John Birch Society
http://www.jbs.org/