The Facebook Federalist: Restoring the Structures of Limited Government Many of America’s leaders seem to have forgotten why we declared our independence from England in 1776. And many more don’t know the rich history of American self-government. Starting in the 1620s in Virginia, the American colonies had a 150-year tradition of self-government. The rule was that only the colonial legislatures could enact laws for each of the American colonies. And starting in 1688 with the English Bill of Rights, there was a specific acknowledgement that no taxes could be imposed on citizens without the vote of the legislators whom they had elected. Britain has never had a written constitution. But Britain treats its unwritten traditions as a constitution which cannot be violated. Thus, when the Parliament in London began to flex its muscles in the 1760s and 1770s, attempting to impose taxes upon the American colonies, it was clearly behaving in an unconstitutional manner. The worst of all were the Intolerable Acts, which asserted that Parliament had the power to legislate for the colonies in all cases. The desire for religious freedom drove many to leave Europe and come to America. And other personal rights have important roots in this same period. But the ultimate issue driving the American Revolution was the right of self-government. Americans wanted to make the law for America. Accordingly, the ultimate un-American action is when current officials seek to subject the United States to rule under international law. The Convention of States can propose a constitutional amendment that prohibits the use of international law to control the domestic policy of the United States. Sovereignty is not a mere abstraction. It is the rule that only Americans can make the law for America. Liking this post is good. Joining us for action is even better cosaction/?recruiter_id=4607
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 22:45:11 +0000