Where to go from here…

Hopefully people have taken some time to breathe and are now ready to calmly consider the best way forward. There are different paths laid out before us and many thoughts on how to proceed. Let’s try to figure this one out by looking at ObamaCare and what has been done thus far.

Barack Hussein Obama swept into office on a campaign of platitudes: “hope and change.” Immediately, he began his quest to implement a national healthcare program, and Congress eventually was jammed through the Affordable Care Act. The people grew restless and the Tea Party was born. Small, then large groups began organizing protests against higher taxes, out of control spending and a central government that long ago grew out of control.

As people organized, the Secretary of Homeland Security released a report warning against certain groups, calling them possible threats to U.S. security and advising law enforcement organizations should to beware of them. These groups included veterans, liberty groups and so called “right wing bloggers,”  among others.

The Tea Party grew and became a force prior to the 2010 midterm elections. A couple of national groups coalesced and endorsed certain candidates, and local groups worked tirelessly organizing tax day protests and vetting local candidates.

Sounds good so far, right?

The candidates vowed a return to smaller government, responsible spending limits, and above all, to do everything in their power to rid the country of the monstrosity that was jammed through with middle of the night votes and every procedural trick in the book. Michelle Bachmann proclaimed herself a leader of the Tea Party Coalition, and in her words, led tens of thousands to D.C. to protest the passing of ObamaCare. She and others loudly promised that they would take back control of the House of Representatives and do everything in their power to stop the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. They would bring forth repeal legislation and when that failed, they would completely starve the law by defunding it.

So, that was the plan, and while believing patriots went about organizing more protests and attending town hall meetings to voice their displeasure, a new political power began to flex its muscles. The 2010 elections resulted in landslide wins for the new class or “Constitutional Conservative Republicans”. The problem is, they surfed into D.C. on a wave of Tea Party support and quickly ditched their boards on the beach.

Quickly, the Patriot Act was not only extended, it was expanded with overwhelming support. ObamaCare was not defunded as promised. Instead, a debt ceiling increase was passed to avoid a government shutdown and jeopardize the political future of those who refused to budge until some financial responsibility was exercised. The NDAA was passed with a new executive power that enables the President to issue an order and have an American citizen swooped up into custody and detained indefinitely at an undisclosed location, without charg , evidence or warrant. CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, was passed. I guess it was more palatable a name than SOPA. Or maybe they figured we wouldn’t notice.

An American citizen had a drone tasked to dump a hellfire missile on his head in Yemen, killing him instead of arresting him and getting useful intelligence. His 16-year-old son, who was born in Denver, was killed in a second drone attack two weeks later. Obama sent fighter jets to bomb Libya without consenting anyone but the U.N., appointed people to the fill positions on the NLRB while congress was not in recess and instructed his DOJ to stop enforcing immigration laws. High Crimes and Misdemeanors? I would say so, but there was not a peep from those who so proudly took part in reading the Constitution on the floor of the House during the opening of their session of congress.

Now, the Chief Justice, from upon high has declared that the penalty under the ACA is not a penalty but is in fact a tax. The mental gymnastics performed, either trying to make sense of this nonsensical ruling or attempting to identify some kind of silver lining in it would be better served at the end of the month in London. Surely, the pundits on both sides would garner a gold medal for the monumental twisting of logic that accompanied this ruling.

Some banked on the election, and with few exceptions, not much has changed. They waited on the nine oracles to issue their edict and were disappointed when the ACA was declared constitutional, unwrapping a whole new taxing power and setting it in precedent. You may now be directly, and punitively taxed for failure to engage in commerce. This Pandora’s Box boggles the mind. I’m sorry, but you failed to buy energy efficient windows so there is a tax you owe us, and what kind of car was that you drive again? How far do you live from your job? This could give way to a plethora of green energy taxes that will make passage of the Green Energy Bill a waste of time.

So, what is the best way forward now? Thomas Jefferson gave us the answers in 1798 when he penned the Kentucky Resolutions:

“Resolved, That the several States composing the United States of America, are not united on the principle of unlimited submission to their General Government . . . . and that whensoever the General Government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force. . . . that the government created by this compact [the Constitution for the United States] was not made the exclusive or final judge of the extent of the powers delegated to itself; since that would have made its discretion, and not the Constitution, the measure of its powers; . . . . that this would be to surrender the form of government we have chosen, and live under one deriving its powers from its own will, and not from our authority; . . . and that the co-States, recurring to their natural right in cases not made federal, will concur in declaring these acts void, and of no force, and will each take measures of its own for providing that neither these acts, nor any others of the General Government not plainly and intentionally authorised by the Constitution, shall be exercised within their respective territories.”

As Jefferson wrote in the Kentucky Resolutions and James Madison in the Virginia Resolutions, as well as his Report of 1800, the States must now act in the manner which they are duly elected by the sovereign citizens to act.

I choose not to wait on a new wave of Republicans to surf into D.C. on another wave of anti-Obama sentiment with promises to repeal anything. Nor do I wish to fall in behind their rallying cry of “Repeal and Replace.” Replace? How about repeal and butt the hell out? No sir, I choose the way of our founders. I choose to lead efforts in my State to Nullify the ACA.

Resolved, that this State finds no authority under Article I Sect. 8 any enumerated power for the central government to establish a national health care program, demand participation in, purchase of or rendering taxes to any of it.

Also Resolved, that this sovereign citizen will not rest, surrender or stop fighting until this new brand of tyranny is removed from the backs of my children.
Nullification is the “rightful remedy” and our best, most proactive course of action. We cannot afford to bank our futures on the federal government surrendering power that they have granted themselves.

Contact your state chapter of the Tenth Amendment Center and find out how you can help.

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.”

LEARN MORE

01

Featured Articles

On the Constitution, history, the founders, and analysis of current events.

featured articles

02

Tenther Blog and News

Nullification news, quick takes, history, interviews, podcasts and much more.

tenther blog

03

State of the Nullification Movement

232 pages. History, constitutionality, and application today.

get the report

01

Path to Liberty

Our flagship podcast. Michael Boldin on the constitution, history, and strategy for liberty today

path to liberty

02

Maharrey Minute

The title says it all. Mike Maharrey with a 1 minute take on issues under a 10th Amendment lens. maharrey minute

Tenther Essentials

2-4 minute videos on key Constitutional issues - history, and application today

TENTHER ESSENTIALS

Join TAC, Support Liberty!

Nothing helps us get the job done more than the financial support of our members, from just $2/month!

JOIN TAC

01

The 10th Amendment

History, meaning, and purpose - the "Foundation of the Constitution."

10th Amendment

03

Nullification

Get an overview of the principles, background, and application in history - and today.

nullification