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States' rights?

Started by BarkAtTheMoon, March 20, 2013, 11:09:59 AM

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BarkAtTheMoon

Here's an instance where that argument really falls apart.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/opinion/s ... ?hpt=hp_c1
QuoteHow does it make sense that a couple's love for each other would be recognized by one state and mocked in another? For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, the United States has turned into a complicated mess of 50 Americas -- most of which discriminate against them.

For what other group -- with the possible exception of pregnant women seeking abortions -- are state borders so important? If you're Jewish or tall or Christian or black or fat or old or poor or sad ... your fundamental rights as a human don't change if you drive from the panhandle of Idaho, where same-sex marriage is banned, into Washington state, where it's legal, or from the yellow plains of West Texas, where employees can be fired because of their sexual orientation, to New Mexico, where LGBT workers are protected from institutionalized bigotry.
"When you landed on the moon, that was the point when God should have come up and said hello. Because if you invent some creatures and you put them on the blue one and they make it to the grey one, then you fucking turn up and say, 'Well done.' It's just a polite thing to do." - Eddie Izzard

the_antithesis

I would have thought that that little event known as the civil war would have shown that states don't have right to treat people like they aren't human beings.

SGOS

The states rights thing always seemed kind of odd to me.  I'm not necessarily opposed to it, but really, it never seemed like the end all - be all great idea many people think it is either.  Apparently, it made a lot more sense 250 years ago.  I dunno, maybe it's a good idea,  People can just move about the country until they find a place that suitably restricts the behavior of enough other people so they can finally feel comfortable with themselves.

BarkAtTheMoon

The thing with states' rights is that in a lot of cases the people in state legislatures are far dumber and more corrupt than Congress. The House is bad enough when some twit from a gerrymandered hick district gets elected, but Jim Bob from around the corner can get elected in podunk county, and it's rare to know much of anything about state level candidates other than seeing their signs around town unless you look up a voter guide. A great many people make those votes based on literally zero knowledge of any of the candidates, so I'm sure most just vote party lines.
"When you landed on the moon, that was the point when God should have come up and said hello. Because if you invent some creatures and you put them on the blue one and they make it to the grey one, then you fucking turn up and say, 'Well done.' It's just a polite thing to do." - Eddie Izzard

stromboli

So I can get a concealed carry permit in Utah and have it recognized in most other states, but Gay marriage isn't.
This is just homophobia, no common sense attached. We do have 50 Americas. My daughter lives in Colorado, and she tells me she would never move back to Utah. The differences just crossing a state line are amazing.

the_antithesis

Quote from: "SGOS"The states rights thing always seemed kind of odd to me.  I'm not necessarily opposed to it, but really, it never seemed like the end all - be all great idea many people think it is either.  Apparently, it made a lot more sense 250 years ago.  I dunno, maybe it's a good idea,  People can just move about the country until they find a place that suitably restricts the behavior of enough other people so they can finally feel comfortable with themselves.

I guess originally it was supposed to be not one country but thirteen countries that were loosely affiliated. This proved problematic, which is why we have a federal government.

BarkAtTheMoon

Quote from: "the_antithesis"
Quote from: "SGOS"The states rights thing always seemed kind of odd to me.  I'm not necessarily opposed to it, but really, it never seemed like the end all - be all great idea many people think it is either.  Apparently, it made a lot more sense 250 years ago.  I dunno, maybe it's a good idea,  People can just move about the country until they find a place that suitably restricts the behavior of enough other people so they can finally feel comfortable with themselves.

I guess originally it was supposed to be not one country but thirteen countries that were loosely affiliated. This proved problematic, which is why we have a federal government.

Something tells me if we were to scrap the Constitution and go back to the Articles of Confederation we'd have a bad time.
"When you landed on the moon, that was the point when God should have come up and said hello. Because if you invent some creatures and you put them on the blue one and they make it to the grey one, then you fucking turn up and say, 'Well done.' It's just a polite thing to do." - Eddie Izzard

Jason Harvestdancer

"States rights" is the wrong term to use, as it implies that states have rights when only people have rights.  It is a sloppy shorthand for "some powers belong to the federal government, some powers belong to the states."
White privilege is being a lifelong racist, then being sent to the White House twice because your running mate is a minority.<br /><br />No Biden, no KKK, no Fascist USA!

SGOS

Quote from: "Jason_Harvestdancer""States rights" is the wrong term to use, as it implies that states have rights when only people have rights.  It is a sloppy shorthand for "some powers belong to the federal government, some powers belong to the states."
If it is true that some powers belong to the states, then it seems to me that "states rights" is exactly correct.  It would be a right of the states to enact laws of their own choosing.  That's what state governments do.  It's what all governments do.  If that power were in the hands of people, which it is not, the term would be "people's rights."  

If the argument is that it's really in the hands of the people because people elect a state congress,  then the exact same thing applies at the Federal level, and I would see no need for states having any power at all.  The point of states rights was to give power to the states to create their own laws.  Those laws may result in more or less people freedom, and in fact, laws generally restrict freedoms, rather than expand them.  That's pretty much what laws do.

Well, it seems like that to me.