Virginia's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is one of several politicians spearheading a proposal for re-balancing state and federal power, through what's being called the "repeal amendment." The amendment to the Constitution would, with a vote of 33 states' legislatures, give states the ability to repeal any federal law passed in Congress. Virginia has a long history of states' rights activism — in response to the federally-mandated desegregation of schools in the 1950s, state leaders responded with "massive resistance," choosing to privatize some school districts to prevent integration. As the South commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Confederacy, is this new emphasis on states' rights a step towards secessionism?
We speak with Kate Zernike, reporter for our partner The New York Times, and Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Justice Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Professor of Law and Professor of History at University of Virginia.
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The show is a co-production of WNYC Radio and Public Radio International, in collaboration with New York Times Radio and WGBH Boston.
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Comments [2]
In regards to "Don't ask don't tell" I wonder why no one seems to be asking about the difference between public and private. We need to get back to the moral code that differentiates between what is public fodder, such as someone’s face or facial expression, and private, such as someone’s thoughts or feelings. It is a testament to how far down the slope we have slipped that we don’t see a problem with this law.
There is nothing wrong with individuals serving in our countries military who are gay or lesbian, however, it should be kept private. The same way those heterosexual members of the military should keep these things private.
States rights in a 21st Century conservative context simply questions why should we send so much money to Washington DC so they can dictate how local towns, cities and states can financially manage their own schools, hospitals, ect.
To scurrilously demonize this kind of common sense, some are evoking slavery and segregation which were 19th century DEMOCRATIC PARTY arguments for states rights.
Therefore, if a fiscal conservative today believes it is a huge waste of money for a bureaucrat in DC to dictate to her community how to run a school, hospital ect and waste billions of dollars needlessly so every government crony can take his financial cut, that fiscal conservative is compared to a segregationist and silenced.
This is dishonest, repulsive and a lie.
There would be no US Constitution if the states did not sign on to it and therefore no free nation as we know it today.
What does the initials in USA stand for again?
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