Sure, why not...

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

It's the original quintessentially American political argument. Older than the Constitution. Washington nearly walked out of the Constitutional Convention because of the states righters (anti federalists) and their precious sovereignties. He entertained the idea of a ruling elite.

There are still some topical issues that are very states-rightishy. On the right you've got your Bundy-esque disdain for Federally-owned land. Your antipathy towards Federal eminent domain (except if it's for a wall). It's a tactic by "pro life" activists to use state law to press the boundaries of Roe v. Wade (e.g. make stringent requirements on abortion clinics - admitting rights, etc). Much ObamaCare criticism centers on the Feds seizing control of insurance regulation - historically a state thing. Complaints about civil rights law and affirmative action is often based in Federal meddling in the states. Gun control (or lack thereof) is often framed in terms of state's rights.

On the left you have "sanctuary states/cities" - antipathy towards state cooperation in Federal law enforcement. You have "right to death" issues, where some states want to allow assisted suicide (Oregon). Some states gave the Feds the finger in allowing same-sex marriage, until eventually the Feds caved. All sorts of states are giving the finger to Federal drug law as it pertains to cannabis. Oh, really, it's still a Schedule I narcotic? That's adorable, Washington, D.C.!

So I think it's pretty alive and well.

I do agree that we tend to vastly over-value Federal politicians and vastly under-value our local and state governments.

We treat our Presidents like monarchs, and we fought a damn revolution to get away from that shit. I wish we'd treat them like valued civil servants rather than celebrities.

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"Du or Du not-there is no Tri" - Yoda

Are you like Barry? Have you blocked my posts? Really?

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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

both sides are fond of states rights. it's just that both sides are fond of not letting the other side have their states rights. taking my state as an example, republicans are against letting calif choose to have their air and water be as clean as californians seem to want it to be.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Lol. Blocking on a message board. I'm not sure there's a more childish, self-insulating action online than that. But .. digression..

States' rights has become outdated concept on the seaboards. And is becoming outdated in middle America. As someone mentioned in the EC thread, the divide is rural/urban. Take the mid-Atlantic for instance - there are many people in VA/NC that don't think like they do in Fairfax, Richmond, Charlotte, and Raleigh. But they are becoming "purple" states. What is exactly is a "state right" for them? Is a state right for Virginians the ability to own a small arms factory, or to murder unborn babies at will?

You can see implementation of the divide, with cities that declare themselves sanctuaries from federal agencies, or counties that won't prosecute what they deem unconstitutional gun "violations". It's becoming impossible to even keep the states together. And you wonder why we are barely keeping America together. I think it's becoming more people wanting to protect their "way of life" rights. The answer is not put federal government in charge of everything - goodness no. But then on the flip side, how localized can rights become? We can't get into a situation where every town has their own set of laws. Why not every household? Why not each person in the household?

I can agree with some of that.

I want to add though, IMO, a lot of situations really push the boundaries of things that should be universal rights versus things unique to a certain state.

"State's rights" shouldn't be about things that are inalienable across any border within the US.

Well, I agree that many things should be left to the states to decide. However, what do we do if the Federal gov't pulls the trigger and decides to decide certain things for all states? If California citizens want their air and water cleaner than the Feds decide, then are we also to let the Montanans decide their air and water doesn't need to be as clean as the Feds decide?

And then who should decide what is federal overreach and what is not? Evidently, it's the feds. Fun times.

There is no such thing as states' rights. A right is a limit on governmental power over an individual. States, being a governmental unit themselves, have powers. There are limits on both state and federal powers, which, well, that's the whole federalism thing.

I usually think this is an issue that is typically overblown -- usually whenever the federal government decides to enter into an issue formerly left to the states. Fed preemption will get you every time...

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

It might even be worst. I have blocked them.. but when I am in the right mood, there is a show this post on the right so I click it and read your posts.... So I probably see about 50% of your posts.

It has made S.T. a better place for me... lol.... I do feel bad at times as I enjoy some of your banter but I guess I just have to be in the right frame of mind.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

I don't block anyone. But we all know some contributors "jump the shark" on occasion. When I see it happen I just go into 'auto-ignore' for a time.

Now I'm wondering if there is a leaderboard for most times blocked like there is for post count.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

Well, obviously that becomes a bigger issue w/ things like car emissions, just like it was for seat belts in the past... Since CA is such a huge market, when they pass a vehicle requirement the manufacturers can't realistically make a separate CA version different from the rest of the US market, so it ends up becoming a de facto nationwide regulation just for them to be able to sell cars in CA ~ which of course the manufacturers and other associated entities chafe against, so that drags the EPA/Feds into being the arbiter to either set a uniform new standard nationally, or preemptively pass some sort of law that explicitly prevents the states from adopting something stricter than what's required federally in order to maintain consistency.

Not really sure what your first paragraph has to do with States rights (Do States have the power to enact there own rules and if so in what areas) what those rules(pro or con abortion etc..) are or how the state sets them is not the issue should the state even have the right to decide if abortion is legal or illegal within its boundaries.

For your 2nd Yes There are Federal rights, State rights, County rights, city rights, HOA rights, Building rights.
I get to set the time my kids go to bed in our house. My HOA gets to decide what color the houses will be, my city gets to decide curfew time in the parks, My county gets to decide the speed limit on county roads, my State gets to decide concealed carry laws.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

(suspend geography for a minute) And what happens when Montana's dirty water runs into California?

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Maybe you don't know but the OEM's actually do sell different cars in Calif and few east coast states. There is a different emissions package put on those vehicles then there if in other states.

But an example of what your talking about is Text Books, Texas and Calif are the largest by far markets of text books (k-12 age) So the rules they put in place become the defacto rules for text book publishers who then enforce them on their authors ... My wife is an writer of some of those text books.. No sorry you cant have a birthday cake, cookies in the party cause that is an unhealthy food, there were rules for describing people neither of us can recall now but it seemed like you could not say they were from the city or the country anyhow some really weird shit.. she just reminded me she has been out of that for like 10yrs so I can't even imagine what the rules are like now.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

That's way to narrowly defined, in my opinion. That's an individual right.

If JSA doesn't stop sending me pictures of himself in various states of undressing from his denim man leggings, I might have to resort to blocking him as well.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

https://www.cnn.com/...tics-love/index.html

You Americans seem to have a more centralized gov't than many other first world countries. In Canada healthcare and education are provincial responsibilities.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot