https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:52:11 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-895015 Sat, 29 Jun 2013 08:38:07 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 895015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMamaBear: yeah, I know what it was originally supposed to mean, but my whole point was to tell Sunny what it means when you hear the term on Fox News or in other media outlets. These days there is a general viewpoint that goes along with the term and when I hear it, I tend to analyze the speaker's words carefully and skeptically. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-894987 Sat, 29 Jun 2013 07:57:12 +0000 loveisstrange 894987@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Yep! Well said!</p> <p>It's all part of the system of checks and balances in our government. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-894985 Sat, 29 Jun 2013 07:56:18 +0000 MsMamaBear 894985@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: Maybe I need to read more, but when I hear people going on about states rights, that's exactly what I think of, but then, I live in the south. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-894930 Sat, 29 Jun 2013 06:04:45 +0000 Dandelion 894930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>People are good at deciding what is good for themselves, which is why states are even divided up into counties. We don't need some guy far away telling us what would work best for us. </p> <p>I live in a small town in South Carolina. It's very conservative here, but there's plenty of liberals and independents. But, in my town/county, we know what's working for us. We don't need the same laws and education system as New York City, because our needs are different. </p> <p>You can't do blanket laws over everyone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-894877 Sat, 29 Jun 2013 00:22:32 +0000 LaineysMom 894877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sunny: I think the other bees explained federalism well, but on your marijuana example.. States really should not be allowed to legalize marijuana use bc the federal government has explicitly said that it is illegal. The Supremacy clause states that federal law trumps state law. Unfortunately for the Feds, it's difficult to police illegal marijuana use throughout the country without state officers on their side. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-894852 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 23:55:57 +0000 sunny 894852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you for the thoughtful responses... I have some reading to do! :-)</p> <p>I did not know that the constitution only provides a limited set of responsibilities to the Federal government and then allows states the rest of the powers.</p> <p>Now if only there were a West Wing episode to teach me more about the constitution... :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-893052 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 09:55:11 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 893052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: it is an interesting and complicated dance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-893034 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 09:51:12 +0000 littlek 893034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Weagle: Same! I believe in states rights. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-893033 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 09:51:04 +0000 mrbee 893033@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: Totally agreed that "state rights" can be code as you described! But just pointing out that over the longer term, the Constitution's design has been surprisingly effective at playing the state and federal governments off of each other... the rulings may favor one side or another at times but overall, I think that federalism has been a positive feature of our constitutional design! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-893020 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 09:46:08 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 893020@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: true, but when you hear people going on and on about states rights, it's not because they are progressive. The liberals will use state's rights to their advantage, but in general would prefer federal oversight of their preferred issues. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892756 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 08:32:04 +0000 mrbee 892756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Great point!</p> <p>@Mrs. Jacks: It's definitely true that state rights has been used historically to justify oppression of underrepresented groups! But it can go both ways... the Prop 8 law wouldn't even have come up for judicial review if California hadn't allowed same sex marriages. And 13 states in total have legalized same sex marriage! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892473 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 06:37:24 +0000 looch 892473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Don't forget though, that the early colonies weren't all necessarily united to fight against the King. They were also fighting to protect their regional cultures, both from each other and the King. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892456 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 06:18:35 +0000 honeybear 892456@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Excellent question. I will find you some good articles later on (possibly tomorrow, I have a lot going on today!). In the scheme of the Constitution, the states are sovereign and ALL power lies with them except for specifically enumerated, and limited, powers bestowed to the federal government. States have the 'police power', which is the power to regulate the way people live their lives. The national government does not have the police power. </p> <p>Federalism is meant to preserve individual communities' ability to determine the rules under which they want to live. The states are supposed to be little crucibles of democracy. As an example, look at Maryland. The Founders didn't think much of Catholics, and didnt want to live under their rules, but were happy to let them set up shop by themselves there. The decentralized structure of federalism is the only way to secure genuine freedom for communities. The power to govern is left in the hands of the people. </p> <p>The whole point of federalism is to avoid oppression, not to enable it. I reject the suggestion above that support for federalism implies any level of support for oppression of minorities. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892411 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 05:40:33 +0000 MrsSCB 892411@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: Agreed, and I think a current example of this is having gay marriage determined by states rather than across the board. It allows more socially conservative states to avoid permitting gay couples to marry, even though the majority of Americans support it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892398 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 04:15:01 +0000 nana87 892398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: +10000</p> <p>I could say a lot more...but then I'll be even later for work than I already am, haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892333 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 01:12:34 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 892333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Keep in mind that states rights has also been code in the struggle for civil right for allowing the south to maintain their stance on slavery, then later on integration. I always get a little uneasy when a faction is so hung-Ho on states rights because it has been used to discriminate against underrepresented minority groups. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892280 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 23:52:07 +0000 Dandelion 892280@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Because what works and is good for the people of New York is not what the people of Kansas need...and Alaska, and Idaho, etc... Every state is a different culture, with different needs and values. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892198 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 22:53:42 +0000 Grace 892198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sunny: We have similar things in Canada too, though. Healthcare and education come to mind. It's run by the provinces and is often different in each one. If Ottawa tried to butt in and take over, the provinces would have a fit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892134 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 22:26:58 +0000 mrbee 892134@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I forgot to mention that federalism can work both ways!</p> <p>The original fear was that the big bad federal government would oppress its citizens, and that state governments would be better behaved. But during the civil rights movement of the 60s, it was often the federal government who protected citizens from their oppressive state governments!</p> <p>During the fight for marriage equality, the roles originally played out as expected: it was the federal judiciary that originally upheld the constitutionality of a ban on gay sex acts, and the federal legislature that passed DOMA (and the executive that signed it). Meanwhile, a number of state governments legalized same sex marriage.</p> <p>But more recently, things have looked more liked the 60s: the federal executive refused to defend DOMA, and the federal judiciary ruled DOMA unconstitutional. Meanwhile, something like 35 states have banned same sex marriage through laws or amendments.</p> <p>So in general, federalism has provided some healthy competition... sometimes it's the states that protect their citizens from the federal government, and sometimes it's the federal government that protects citizens from the state. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892082 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 22:14:44 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 892082@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Weagle: I'm not uber-republican in that I think states rights trump all, but I feel very uneasy thinking about getting rid of states' rights. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892070 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 22:11:00 +0000 Mrs. Pen 892070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: this! Perfectly said.</p> <p>@Weagle: Haha I did too!</p> <p>@sunny: in Canada though, each province governs itself, yes? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892050 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 22:05:29 +0000 Weagle 892050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Yes.</p> <p>When reading this question and thinking of states' rights being taken away, I have a mini panic attack. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-892033 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 22:01:43 +0000 Bookish 892033@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: &lt;--- what he said ;) It stems from how our country developed, and the fact that each state developed differently with different needs/wants. States' rights are meant to ensure that the things that are important to each individual state can remain important, and is meant to recognize that the federal government's umbrella is not one size fits all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-891971 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 21:42:57 +0000 mrbee 891971@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The Founders had been burned by the tyranny of a distant king, so they wanted to limit the power of the government. One way to achieve this was separation of powers: not only would the federal government be broken up into three pieces (executive, legislative and judicial), but there would be multiple seats of government. </p> <p>One set of governments (the states) would be much closer to the people they governed, unlike the English king. And the other government would be given the remaining powers (the federal government). This concept of breaking up federal and state powers is a key element of federalism:<br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism#Constitutional_structure" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism#Constitutional_structure</a></p> <p>If there were just a single federal government, Americans would be more exposed to the potential oppression and tyranny of that government (as they were to the English monarch). This way though, the various American states are forced to compete with each other to (hopefully) offer less oppression and more rights to their citizens. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-891950 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 21:37:08 +0000 Mrs. Pen 891950@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like that each state governs itself. It has definitely impacted our decision of where we might live! </p> <p>For example- my parents homeschooled us and it was a great experience. There are many states though that make it nearly impossible for families to homeschool and I know my parents chose to live here because of the lenient homeschooling laws.</p> <p>That's just one example :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/why-are-states-rights-important#post-891940 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 21:34:26 +0000 sunny 891940@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I keep hearing in the news about how preserving "states rights" are really important and that the federal government shouldn't overreach. I don't quite understand why states rights are important though -- why shouldn't we have a uniform set of laws in the country mandated by 1 government (e.g. the federal one)? For instance -- its very confusing how certain states have legalized things (e.g. marijuana) but the federal government hasn't, so a state trooper wouldn't be able to charge you with possession but the DEA could.</p> <p>Can someone explain or point me to some good articles explaining this? I feel like this isn't something that is emphasized in Canada so I don't really have any context for it. </p>