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Your Views: US government is out of balance with states rights
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The U.S. Constitution is rich in checks and balances. The Founders’ great fear of an out-of-control central government led them to incorporate several tiers of checks and balances to avoid the situation we actually find ourselves in today. What has happened that allowed the government to get out of control?

We all understand the three autonomous branches of government that became the uniqueness of the Great American Experiment. The failure in this tier, for simplicity’s sake, is that they have blended. The elected congressmen of good character and integrity, or not, have acquiesced to the executive in utter submission to the graft, greed and corruption of the K Street lobbyists.

The executive has gladly usurped the authority of the legislative and runs a corrupt and omnipotent administration with a shadow government of czars. The judiciary is left blowing in the wind. So much for the checks and balances of Skousen’s "Three Headed Eagle."

The "we the people" folks have finally gotten off the couch and away from the television and will do their part in the checks and balances of government by not voting the dictates of the mainstream liberal media. A sleeping giant has arisen. Heads will roll at the polling places in November. But will it be too little, too late?

But the third tier is powerless. States’ rights were abolished in 1861 for all intents and purposes and states’ representation in the federal government was rescinded with the ratification of the 17th Amendment. This allowed state senators to be elected by constituents’ ballot rather than appointment by state legislators. And that put them under the influence of lobbying interests and out of control of the constituents as we see in the current charade called "health care reform."

Now comes the Copenhagen Treaty, which could very well be signed by the president, he for interests of expanding global government and his financial supporters for purposes of lining their pockets. But the Founders put ratification by two-thirds of the Senate in place to control such nonsense. After all, the states were not allowed to engage in treaties, but the checks and balances dictated that representatives of the states have the last word.

Unfortunately, our good senators no longer report to the states, (see 17th Amendment, above) but instead are representing their pocketbooks by way of the Washington lobbyists. They’ll do a little show for the folks (see preview now playing with health care) and sign off on the treaty in a New York minute! Copenhagen is a slam dunk.

So is it time to find state’s rights candidates for our elected officials and start the ball rolling to reclaim the lost Constitution? Wouldn’t it be appropriate to place a high priority on gathering a coalition of states to effect repeal of the 17th Amendment? Can the concept of state’s rights actually be effective if the states do not have representation in the federal government? Do you know which of your candidates and incumbents support state’s rights issues? For those of you asking what you can do, you could start by answering the above questions.

Millard J. Blanchard
Blairsville