On July 18, I spoke at the Libertarian Party of Kentucky District 3 meeting in Louisville, Ky. and explained why I believe the Constitution is so important. In a word – decentralization. WATCH I stated with a quick overview of the ratification of the Constitution and explained that it undeniably established a very decentralized system…
I was recently a guest on the Robert Scott Bell show to talk about a big win for food sovereignty in Maine. During the interview, we discussed how local action can actually impede big federal agencies like the FDA. LISTEN: Last month, Maine Gov. Paul LePage signed a bill into law that gives local governments…
Anyone who has the audacity to bring up nullification in a debate with friends and foes alike has probably heard this before. “Nullification is lawlessness!” That is not what the founding generation thought. Not even close. In fact, their entire opposition to unconstitutional acts by the Parliament (and even colonial governments) rested on the very…
This past Fourth of July provided a perfect example of the power of nullification in effect. The city where I live has a very strict ordinance banning most fireworks. As the police here in Lexington, Ky., explain it, “If it goes up or blows up, it’s illegal.” Well, I’ll let you in on a little…
In 1850, President Millard Fillmore signed the “Fugitive Slave Act” into law, prompting abolitionist Northern States to attack this unjust law with nullification.
Mack talks about his support for 3 types of nullification at a Tenth Amendment Center event in Phoenix in Jan. 2011
Jefferson told us the goal is to prevent federal enforcement, but that each issue must be addressed in a manner that’s effective for the situation.
Taken together, the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 outlined the principles of nullification. But they didn’t actually nullify anything. In fact, they were intended as just a starting point.
To stop the feds, people generally try three things. “Vote the bums out,” sue in federal court, or demand Congress repeal the law they passed in the first place. But if you want to succeed, you should do something else.
Today’s nullification movement is revolutionary because it offers the hope of smashing the established political order. It gives us an alternative to “voting the bums out” which only results in new “bums” who violate the Constitution in more costly and dangerous ways each year. And it reminds us that we don’t need to rely on the federal government to limit its own power.