Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 08/30/2010 9:38:02 AM PDT by yoe
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer demanded Friday that a reference to the state's controversial immigration law be removed from a State Department report to the United Nations' human rights commissioner.
The U.S. included its legal challenge to the law on a list of ways the federal government is protecting human rights.
In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Brewer says it is "downright offensive" that a state law would be included in the report, which was drafted as part of a UN review of human rights in all member nations every four years.
"The idea of our own American government submitting the duly enacted laws of a state of the United States to 'review' by the United Nations is internationalism run amok and unconstitutional," Brewer wrote.
Arizona's law generally requires police officer enforcing other laws to investigate the immigration status of people they suspect are illegal immigrants.
Critics say it would lead officers to target Hispanics. Supporters, including Brewer, say the law prohibits racial profiling and other human rights abuses.
The U.S. Justice Department sued to block the measure, arguing federal law trumps the state's authority to enforce immigration laws.
A federal judge in July sided with the Justice Department and blocked enforcement of the law's most controversial provisions a day before it was scheduled to take effect.
In its report, the State Department does not specifically allege that Arizona's law would lead to racial profiling.
"A recent Arizona law, S.B. 1070, has generated significant attention and debate at home and around the world," the report says. "The issue is being addressed in a court action that argues that the federal government has the authority to set and enforce immigration law. That action is ongoing; parts of the law are currently enjoined."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
FYI
I agree we need to fight back against an out-of-control Federal government, unfortunately the States gave up some powers that would have been very effective for such a battle, making the fight much more difficult today.
"Liberals" adamantly reject the idea that the federal government is a creature subservient to the states, but there is a way in which the states could assert ultimate control. All it takes is a simple majority in 3/4 (38) of the states to pass an amendment to the Constitution - and it only takes (a simple majority in) 2/3 (34) of the states to call a constitutional convention. The mere act of calling a convention would be a shot across the bow of "liberal" politics; actually passing an amendment could set "liberalism" back 100 years.The states could, for instance, constitutionally fix the number for the justices of SCOTUS (which is currently subject to a mere act of Congress). Fixing that number at its current value of 9 should be utterly unexceptionable, and therefore should be easy to pass.
Add to that a separate amendment which automatically added one justice every to SCOTUS every four years, provided that the winning POTUS had nominated said justice before winning election and provided that the states make room on the nine-member court by voting an existing member of SCOTUS "off the island." That would have to be done by a quadrennial convention of the states, but the key would be to do it by the state governments, rather than by the people of the states (as senators are now elected). That would be good in principle, because the Senate no longer represents the state governments, but the people of the states. By passing that amendment, the states would take upon themselves the oversight of SCOTUS - and thus, we can hope, enforce the Ninth and Tenth Amendments against Congress and the President.
If 38 states were really serious about it, they could pass an amendment naming names of the justices of SCOTUS - thereby directly asserting control over the composition of SCOTUS.
Thank you for your positive response. This is what I am talking about. FIND a means. Think, Think, Think about the facts, and manipulate them a thousand ways on paper until we have a road map. Make positive steps towards achieving our goals.
Most of what the Left is doing over the years has involved bluff. Now they have Bluffed their way, bought their way, into control, but it isn’t over yet.
As I said in another post to another poster on this thread we have to have a bigger, more powerful bulldozer than the one they have.
There’s been too much hand wringing, and “I/we can’ting” going on around here. Those changes that were made by Leftists since Wilson’s time primarily can be turned around, and shoved up...never mind.
Arizona can create a stand off too. Make the Left expose themselves so openly that even the bought and paid for Leftist MSM cannot cover for them anymore.
We must think of simple means as well as more difficult strategies, as well outrageous acts if necessary to get the attention to politics of the daily doers that tune out their responsibility not only to their country, but themselves as well. They will later thank those that yanked their leash.
end rant.
Thank you.I think the example of the constitutional convention bypass of the congressional supermajority requirement for constitutional amendments makes the point that it for Tea Party activism aimed at the state capitols could be very fruitful. We have to recognize that Soros has taken that approach, trying to lock in all the secretaries of state to help him keep the voters from interfering with his schemes.
IMHO the great problem has been that all the interest has been focused on the federal government. We have followed the lead of Associated Press journalism in that regard as in so much else. As long as the federal government insists on being our main problem, that is perhaps inevitable. But if we conceive that our main potential venue for addressing that problem is actually the state governments, perhaps we can make the connection and be able to mount political drives to get the states to stand on their hind legs and protect their citizenry even from Congress. Can we get effective at that level? I know myself, that I have never been especially interested in local politics. But in principle the Internet should be just the ticket for publishing local news.
On reflection, the problem is to mount Tea Party candidates at the state level. People who are able to "take out the garbage" locally as well as to understand, and sell, the big picture of true federalism.
See what is happening at the local level here in Louisiana at this very moment. I’ve inserted my little blog into the big fat middle of it and will be helping things along.
This can be done all across the nation.
http://lincolnparishnewsonline.wordpress.com/
great job getting into the middle of it!!
UN Watch has some great info too at www.unwatch.com
And www.tellittothejudge.us has a THANK YOU postcard to Jan Brewer too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.