Sunday, January 17, 2016

Watch Flip propose this in the General Assembly

By Sarah
There’s something stirring in the Deep South that is reminiscent of when the South decided they were going to throw a hissy fit and secede from the union for not being allowed to own people as property.

Some states feel that they shouldn’t have to follow federal law and believe states’ rights supersede the laws of the federal government.

EDITOR’S NOTE: this belief is called “nullification” and it is one of the core political principles of Charlestown’s state Representative Blake “Flip” Filippi. The concept of nullification was put to the test by the Confederacy during the Civil War. What Flip and others forget is that the South LOST.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R), knowing in his heart of hearts that while he doesn’t like that the federal government holds supremacy over the states, due to this little thing called Article 6 Section 2 of the United States Constitution, has decided to release a plan to change the Constitution.

This is in an effort to change the rule of law in the United States and prohibit Congress, the Supreme Court and the president from regulating states.

He seems to be calling forth for there to be an overthrow of the government by the states who don’t agree with the Constitution as it is written so that they can have their own set of rules and laws.


Abbott, in a bit of word play claims to have unveiled constitutional amendments to “restore the rule of law.” However, it seems he would rather not have federal law at all. Honestly? The next step after this would be secession. It looks like Abbott may be on the verge of wanting to start another Civil War.

Abbott, with his own interpretation of the Constitution put out a press release that stated:

Governor Greg Abbott today delivered the keynote address at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Annual Policy Orientation where he unveiled his Texas Plan to restore the Rule of Law and return the Constitution to its intended purpose. In his plan, Governor Abbott offers nine constitutional amendments to rein in the federal government and restore the balance of power between the States and the United States. The Governor proposes achieving the constitutional amendments through a Convention Of States.

“The increasingly frequent departures from Constitutional principles are destroying the Rule of Law foundation on which this country was built,” said Governor Abbott. “We are succumbing to the caprice of man that our Founders fought to escape. The cure to these problems will not come from Washington D.C. Instead, the states must lead the way. To do that I am adding another item to the agenda next session. I want legislation authorizing Texas to join other states in calling for a Convention of States to fix the cracks in our Constitution.”

Governor Abbott went on to explain that dysfunction in Washington, D.C. stems largely from the federal government’s refusal to follow the Constitution. Congress routinely violates its enumerated powers, while taxing and spending its way from one financial crisis to another. The President exceeds his executive powers to impose heavy-handed regulations. And the Supreme Court imposes its policy views under the guise of judicial interpretation. Governor Abbott urged action by Texas – and other states – to restore the Rule of Law in America.

Governor Abbott offered the following constitutional amendments:
  1. Prohibit Congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one State.
  2. Require Congress to balance its budget.
  3. Prohibit administrative agencies—and the unelected bureaucrats that staff them—from creating federal law.
  4. Prohibit administrative agencies—and the unelected bureaucrats that staff them—from preempting state law.
  5. Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
  6. Require a seven-justice super-majority vote for U.S. Supreme Court decisions that invalidate a democratically enacted law.
  7. Restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments by limiting the former to the powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.
  8. Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials overstep their bounds.
  9. Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a federal law or regulation.
The full plan can be found here.

The one who seems to not want to follow the Constitution is Gov. Abbott himself. If he did he wouldn’t want to amend the Constitution as it is written. 

He’s trying to overthrow the government by stripping federal authority away from every aspect of our government as it stands today. He wants to be able to throw out decisions made by all three branches of our federal government. If this isn’t treason, I don’t know what is.

What Abbott doesn’t seem to realize is that in a nation where everyone gets a vote to elect in who they want as lawmakers, THAT is how we can change federal laws. 

We don’t throw a hissy fit over certain laws that don’t fit with the criteria of what you want for your specific state. 

That’s what the South did before the Civil War when they wanted to own humans as property, and that what he seems to want now to overthrow any gun regulation or marriage equality. 

What he is proposing is going against the very fabric that makes us the United States of America. The South lost then, and he will lose now.

It looks as though Abbott is trying to be the next Jefferson Davis and lead a new brand of Confederate States.

Author Sarah is a liberal writer who's been writing and commenting on politics for over 5 years as the Opinionated Democrat on Facebook. She is also the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the online satirical publication Free Wood Post.