Tennessee Senate Affirms Sovereignty under the 10th Amendment

[Guest Seminole]

They do nothing, we complain they don't protect our constitutional rights. They finally do something to represent our constitutional rights and we are going to be pessimistic and say it's probably not going to do anything?

The problem is that this doesn't do anything either--it's just words that say, "Hey, those other words are really important." If the fed .gov is inclined to ignore the 10th Amendment to the Constitution (and it is and has been so inclined for going on more than the last hundred years), it will most certainly ignore this.

This is like the guy who draws a line in the sand and says "Don't step over this line," but when the other guy does step over the line, he just draws another line and repeats, "Don't step over this line. . . ."

[eapking]

It's a shot across the bow, and one I heartily agree with.

See my signature. Not from an American, but a man I really admire. Many great quotes from him. This one warns well of keeping silent.

[TGO David]

Guys, don't worry about offending me with replies to the thread. I'm just trying to provoke thought on the issue and see what people believe we are accomplishing with these edicts. I was baptized Lutheran so I'm all for disgruntled folks nailing a 10th Amendment Thesis on the door of the Supreme Court if that's what it comes down to.

My question essentially revolves around the mettle of the people these days and whether we as a society have the same stuff in us that our forefathers did. The stuff that makes common men and women lay aside the luxuries of life and risk everything to throw off the chains of tyranny.

My fear is that the majority don't. People have grown fat and lazy, content to suck at the Government tit for all their needs. Somewhere along the line, the status quo shifted and people forgot that a government big enough to do everything for you is big enough to do anything to you.

Our great-great-grandkids are so screwed.

[S&WForty]

Our great-great-grandkids are so screwed.

I think you just swung far to the side of optimism. I think there's 1-2 too many generations in there.

[G27]

My fear is that the majority don't. People have grown fat and lazy, content to suck at the Government tit for all their needs.

By all accounts, the majority of colonists during the revolution were torries...

Point is, it's not what the majority is ready to do, but what the few active folks are willing to give up to accomplish their goals. Remember, we're a republic, and while we've strayed from that in many ways with our modern democratic approach to everything, the reality is a few active folks can accomplish quite a bit.

This is a baby step, meaningless in and of itself, but it's also a display of an attitude that's long been dormant in this country. This could signal an awakening or simply be another ripple in our allowance of the federal government's growth. I prefer to be optimistic, realizing that our representatives wouldn't have 'wasted their time' in this effort if they didn't believe it was our right and what their constituents want.

[HanSolo]

I read a few places that the Firearms Freedom Act passed in Montana and that it is coming up here in TN. Is that true? If so, does that mean, if it passes, we can buy cool toys at Hero-Gear made here in TN without the tax stamp?

[G27]

I read a few places that the Firearms Freedom Act passed in Montana and that it is coming up here in TN. Is that true? If so, does that mean, if it passes, we can buy cool toys at Hero-Gear made here in TN without the tax stamp?

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/political-issues/20995-news-last-night-bit-about-weapons-made-tn.html

[Guest Seminole]

I was baptized Lutheran so I'm all for disgruntled folks nailing a 10th Amendment Thesis on the door of the Supreme Court if that's what it comes down to.

Now THAT I'd love to see!

My question essentially revolves around the mettle of the people these days and whether we as a society have the same stuff in us that our forefathers did. The stuff that makes common men and women lay aside the luxuries of life and risk everything to throw off the chains of tyranny.

My fear is that the majority don't. People have grown fat and lazy, content to suck at the Government tit for all their needs. Somewhere along the line, the status quo shifted and people forgot that a government big enough to do everything for you is big enough to do anything to you.

I share your fear. Too often people who say they support individual liberty in the face of big government actually mean that they are willing to pile words on top of more words, but not actually do anything.

This was my main complaint about the recent "Tea Parties." Too few of the organizers participants seem to remember that the people involved in the original Boston Tea Party were doing much more than rallying and talking. The Boston Tea Party was, in essence, a law-breaking endeavor; the participants were engaged in the destruction of property and depriving the .gov of taxes. To think that standing around holding signs and listening to speakers rail against big government is the equivalent of that is to somehow the equivalent of that is to display a fundamental misunderstanding of history--both of what the founders of this Republic considered tyranny and of what they found necessary for the abolishment of that tyranny.

[Guest rlrm777]

All these things are 1st steps. Granted, not much with real teeth yet, but up til now nobody seems to have been willing to even start.

Here's what I hope is the big picture here.

I think we all agree one a few things:

The Govt is too big, too cumbersome, too powerful, too intrusive, too expensive, and much of what they do is unconstitutional. And the rush to Progressivism has been ramped up. The criminals in DC are grabbing power and trampling rights at an ever-increasing pace.

The important thing is that these bills are designed to get DC's attention. The message is "you've been pushing for years, now it's our turn to push back". If enough states are willing to take these steps and stick together, the next logical step is to start to starve the beast.

Short of sending in Federal Troops or the US Marshall service, their main weapon to punish us is to withhold federal funds. They steal our money, then dole it back to us as long as we behave. They use the IRS and the tax code for societal change. They use OUR MONEY to make us act the way they want, and act like they're doing us a favor letting us actually keep some of it.

If enough states are willing to pass resolutions affirming their 10th amendment rights, maybe our legislators will be emboldened to call for a Contitutional Convention. Repeal the 16th amendment. Game, set , match.

No more sending our money to be used to buy votes and payback favors, no money to take over banks and car companies.

I know this isn't quite that simple, it will be a long fight and not an easy one. In the beginning all we may accomplish is to cause them to stop and think before going too much farther down a disastrous road.

( personally, I'd be happy short-term to wipe that condescending smirk off Chuck Schumers' face )

So whatever you think of it's chances off success, I prefer it to the only other alternative to fundamentally returning our govt to it's original purpose. The alternative will be bloody, and indeed no one may win that one.

[greenego]

Tennessee Follows Montana’s Lead, Files Bill to Remove Federal Gun Laws From Firearms Produced and Sold in the State | All American Blogger

Glenn Beck had something on his show, Friday, about this. There is a group that is trying to get each state on board.