Book Review: A Patriot’s Call to Action

By: |Published on: Feb 7, 2014|Categories: Books|

Veteran, small businessman and author Jim Delaney is a big fan of the 10th Amendment and nullification. In fact, he dedicates an entire chapter of his book, A Patriot’s Call to Action: Resisting Progressive Tyranny & Restoring Constitutional Order, to nullification, civil disobedience and state sovereignty.

Mr. Delaney gives a brief history of nullification and also sites numerous modern day examples of states ignoring federal mandates, e.g. seatbelt and motorcycle helmet laws, Daylight Savings Time (AZ and Hawaii), participation in ‘No Child Left Behind’ (Utah) and also the REAL ID Act of 2005.

Mr. Delaney is clearly in agreement with Thomas Jefferson who referred to nullification as “the rightful remedy” to federal overreach.

“Of course, short of secession, nullification, a well-grounded and peaceful Constitutional remedy, is the states’ most efficacious and least disquieting defense against federal encroachment. We see this today in the number of states which have effectively nullified Obamacare, firearms regulation and other federal usurpations which have violated the people’s trust and exceeded constitutional restraints on the federal government”

This easy to read book also covers other key constitutional concepts including the “Supremacy Clause”, Executive Orders, Impeachment, Term Limits and Secession. Delaney draws on the wisdom of several of the Founders including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin and also acknowledges the research of several constitutional scholars (no, not Barack Obama) including Kevin Gutzman, Rob Natelson, Tom Woods, Brion McClanahan and others.

 A Patriot’s Call to Action puts nullification into a broader context of strategies to limit federal power and does a good job of accurately handling the history of the principle.

Scott Landreth
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