Those of us who are becoming increasingly terrified over President Obama's interference in the free market and the abrasion of our individual liberties have gone to tea parties, visited sites, left comments, fretted across our kitchen tables, and screamed at our TVs and radios. And we still feel lost. We ask the question many times over, "Where do we go from here?"
The focus of our frustrations is on Washington D.C. We have no power there until 2010. In the meantime, the U.S. Constitution gives us, the people, the express authority to do something about a burdensome government any time we want to under the 10th Amendment.
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
The last phrase of the 10th Amendment says "or to the people." The founding fathers (Jefferson and Madison, specifically) were fierce states' rights advocates, and I believe when they wrote those final four words they meant "revolution." But just before this phrase they first wanted appropriate "powers" attempted at the state government level, where they believed power really belonged.
That is where we must start, by organizing a Missouri 10th Amendment Sovereignty Project.
We need to mount a pincer movement on the monolithic federal government. One side of the pincer will be the 10th Amendment, attacking from the state level. And moving in from the opposing side we'll employ HR450, a bill introduced in the House by John Shadegg (AZ), called the Enumerated Powers Act, which states, in part:
...Requires each Act of Congress to contain a concise and definite statement of the constitutional authority relied upon for the enactment of each portion of that Act.
The Missouri House has passed a 10th Amendment resolution (HCR13) and the Senate will take it up next session; it will pass. The State Pincer flank needs to make sure the legislature honors that resolution on a regular basis. We must remind them that the 10th Amendment gives them and us more power over our lives.
As part of the Federal Pincer flank, when our Congressmen and Senators run for election, we need to make each of them take a public stand on Shadegg's Enumerated Powers Act. It should be political suicide for anyone running for office NOT to honor any part of the Constitution.
So we get both political bodies - state and federal - on record supporting the 10th Amendment.
Missourians, let's join together to bring decision-making back to our great state; it's what Jefferson and Madison wanted. We need you, and you need you.
Thomas Grady, founder
Missouri Sovereignty Movement, St. Louis
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