-Caveat Lector-
Abolishing the states?
The Chattanooga Free Press
Because history, our Constitution and government are so little
taught -- and learned -- in our country these days, many people
have been mystified about the division of powers and the checks
and balances built into our system, and especially the role of
the Electoral College in our election process.
It is important to remind ourselves that the independent,
sovereign states created the federal government -- not that the
central power created the states. The states, through
ratification of the Constitution, surrendered certain specified,
limited powers to the national government -- retaining all others
for the states or the people (10th Amendment of the Bill of
Rights of our Constitution). The Founding Fathers' goal was to
surrender very little power, maintaining personal freedom by
retaining the rest.
Over the years, however, there has been a constant trend toward
abolishing state powers and infringing upon individual freedom.
Reduction in state power has come in several ways. Most
prominently it has come through the unchallenged assumption of
power by Washington, made possible in large part by the federal
income tax, which provides Washington the money to bribe states
and individuals with political promises.
The 16th Amendment of the Constitution, allowing the income tax,
was a big part of the erosion of personal freedom.
So was the 17th Amendment. Senators originally were elected by
legislatures, in "smoke-filled rooms" in many cases. So it might
have seemed a good idea at the time to change to the popular
election of senators. But that reduced state power. Presidents
supposedly represent the nation, representatives the people in
small home districts, and senators the states. But the 18th
Amendment changed that.
And now, because of much justified dissatisfaction with the
presidential election of 2000, there is agitation to abolish or
at least change the Electoral College for selection of
presidents. To do that would further erode the power of the
states.
The Electoral College was designed so the states, through the
people, would elect the president. There were several reasons.
In the early days of our history, with limited communications,
the people might know little of candidates and issues. It was
provided for them to vote for electors within their state, whom
they might better know and who might better know the presidential
candidates. But the Electoral College also was designed to
protect states' interests.
Each state has electors equal in number to its two senators (a
favor to small states) and representatives (reflecting the
greater population of larger states).
The idea of abolishing the Electoral College and choosing
presidents by popular vote would invite candidates to make their
promises and appeals primarily to a few population centers,
ignoring the much larger areas of the country with thinner
population. Thus California, New York, Texas, Florida and a few
more heavily populated states could rule the nation to the
exclusion, at least in some degree, of the others.
Sadly, dangerously, our democratic republic has seen and is
seeing a trend toward the abolition of the importance of our
states in protecting individual freedom.
With the 10th Amendment flagrantly being violated by usurpation
of power by Washington, with the 16th Amendment giving Washington
the power to buy our votes and make states and people dependent,
with the 17th Amendment making senators less representative of
the states and seekers of popular votes paid for by federal
taxes, and with some people seeking to abolish the states' power
in the Electoral College, it should be easy to detect the
destructive trend.
There's much more, of course: Presidents issue dictatorial
executive orders. Congress creates unrestricted dictatorial
bureaus. Judges usurp power to rule by decree where the
Constitution and Congress do not speak.
All of these are symptoms of the dilution of government "of the
people, by the people and for the people."
And since this comes "little step by little step," and without
some previously effective checks and balances, many Americans are
not really aware of what is happening.
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Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF:
*Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
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