This is the text of a letter I send to our House Representative and Senator. I was asked to forward this to another Representative and HCR13 was born a few days later. I really hope that the State of Missouri will pass this 10th Amendment resolution this time. It's time for the federal government to be checked by the States.
"Sorry to be so persistent about this but it’s important to me.
HR294 is great and sends the right message to Washington about the ‘Freedom of Choice’ act; it even mentions the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, but it is not a statement addressing more than just the issue of abortion.
The part of HR 212 that made a clear statement about limited federal government and Missouri State sovereignty was not carried into HR294, and should be addressed separately. The Tenth Amendment is in my opinion a much larger issue than abortion, it states that powers not expressly granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the States. However, if the States continue to abdicate their powers and allow the federal government to assume those powers, as we have seen on an accelerated scale these last couple of months, there will come a time that the federal government supersedes the States authority in essence voiding that authority altogether.
We have seen this in the distribution of the ‘Stimulus’ funds as the federal government has made stipulations imposing it’s power on the States; we have seen this in the ‘Freedom of Choice’ act and the ‘Card Check’ act and in the recent issuance of (Executive orders) such as Presidential Determination No. 2009-15 of January 27, 2009 facilitating and paying for immigration from Gaza, the appointment of radical activists and lobbyists to executive cabinet positions—people who will do their best to push anti-gun, universal health care, pro-abortion, etc. laws through the House and Senate—that will dramatically reduce the right of the States to self govern and self regulate.
We have a Democrat and somewhat of a Republican (who in the last few months has seemed to have abandoned conservatism all together) in the US senate. They have, for whatever reason, not protected (nor have they promoted) the sovereignty of the State of Missouri at the federal level, they have instead participated in the quid pro quo compromise of principle and power to ‘get things done’, and by so doing have broken their oaths to uphold the Constitution and more especially the tenth amendment as for the last 17 years the executive and legislative branches of the federal government have chipped away at the rights reserved to the States.
I’m angry with federal (and some State) politicians who have been so caught up in getting things done that they don’t stop to hold up laws against the Constitution and ask, not if we should do it, but can we do it; does it stand up? Does it hold water? Does it meet the original intent? It’s time to stop laws from going out that don’t measure up to the principles meted out in the Constitution. The only way to do that is for the States to reassert their sovereignty and for representatives and senators at the federal level to represent that sovereignty and pull in the reigns. I believe that a House Resolution reminding the federal government of State sovereignty based on the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution is needed at this time.
Will you please work with others in the House and Senate to reintroduce a ‘Tenth Amendment’ resolution? I have attached a draft (based on Oklahoma HJR1003 and SJR10) that I hope will be useful to you. I am encouraging others to share their thoughts with you as well, hopefully you will hear from some of them.
Thank you for all you do and for your continuing efforts to make our State a better place."
There is a heavy burden of vigilance that rests on the shoulders of the people to guide their respective representatives by regular communication. If this guidance is not provided then the clamorous voices of special interests groups and lobbyists become their only gauge of the will of the people.
I am not content to let special interest groups and lobbyists, no matter how good their cause, represent me to my elected Representatives. I will make my own voice heard, and I will raise the call to good people everywhere: raise your own voice, make your self heard; e-mail, write, call, visit. When our elected officials listen to their inner voice, ours should be the voice that they hear above all others.
If we do not speak they will not hear. Be your own voice and be heard.
