Tenth Amendment Center: We the People vs We the States

 

We the People vs We the States Intentionally designed to BYPASS the states (article | podcast)

"This Constitution does not attempt to coerce sovereign bodies, states, in their political capacity." With that one sentence, future Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth revealed the single most radical change from the system under the Articles of Confederation - and what’s possibly the least understood feature of it today. Here's what they don't teach in the government-run “education” system: The Constitution wasn't merely a stronger version of the Articles. It was a completely different system. This was a fundamental re-engineering of power - not just in the new powers delegated, but in whom those powers acted upon. The framers replaced a government that legislated for states with one that legislated for individuals. It was intentionally designed, from its core, to bypass the states almost completely. The shift was right there in the opening words. "We the People" rather than "We the States." And that was no accident - it was the whole point. REQUISITIONS This shift was a direct answer to what leading federalists like James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Charles Pinckney, Rufus King, William Davie all considered the "great and radical vice" of the Articles of Confederation: the principle of making laws for states in their collective capacities. Under that "requisition" system, Congress could only request compliance from the states; it could not compel it. This fatal flaw resulted in a government that was, as James Madison argued, no government at all. Instead, it was a "mere nullity in practice." But not everyone agreed. Leading the Anti-Federalists, Patrick Henry saw the requisition system as a feature, not a flaw. A critical safeguard against centralized power. He argued that on this very system "depends our political prosperity," because it kept for the states the power to keep Congress in check if it asked for too much money. The debate raged on, not just about money, but about the fundamental nature of government power. The Federalists framed the choice in the starkest possible terms: Change the system or it will eventually devolve into a total tyranny. Alexander Hamilton, writing in Federalist 16, argued that any system relying on states would require "a large army continually on foot to execute the ordinary requisitions or decrees of the government." Was this a prediction or a thinly veiled threat? For Hamilton, there was no middle ground. He called it the "plain alternative." Denying government the power to act on individuals - by keeping the system under the Articles - was a "scheme," he claimed, that "if practicable at all, would instantly degenerate into a military despotism." To the Federalists, the choice was clear: a government of laws acting on people, or a government of force acting on states. Patrick Henry smelled a rat. To him, the very first three words proved the whole point was to create a consolidated government. “Who authorized them to speak the language of, We, the people, instead of, We, the states? States are the characteristics and the soul of a confederation. If the states be not the agents of this compact, it must be one great, consolidated, national government, of the people of all the states.” We the People vs We the States: The Constitution’s Real Purpose Article Here: 👉  https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/09/12/the-great-bypass-how-the-constitution-was-built-to-sideline-the-states/ Video podcast with reference links to read and share: 👉  https://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/09/we-the-states-vs-we-the-people-the-constitutions-real-design-to-sideline-the-states/ In this podcast and article you will learn: Federal vs National Government: The Founders’ Understanding of the Difference in how each system operates Alexander Hamilton’s big reveal in 1783: he wanted federal tax collectors not just for revenue, but to create a payroll of officials interested in supporting the power of Congress - essentially building central-government loyalty networks How the Requisition system played out in practice. It wasn’t just taxes. It was troops too - with a prominent example explained in a letter to Thomas Jefferson - by Elbridge Gerry. A Key Battle Was for Control of the Militia: The nationalist push to give the federal government primary control over the state militias was a major flashpoint. Two major amendment attempts failed: 1783 tariff and 1784 commerce regulation both passed through Congress, but failed approval in the states - because they required unanimous consent George Mason's three reasons for requisition failures: States refused not just from "wilful design of procrastinating" but also from "impossibility of complying" and "that great variety of circumstances which retards the collection of moneys" The “Fire or Sword” Dilemma: North Carolina’s William Davie articulated the core Federalist fear, diagnosing that any system that legislates for states instead of for individuals can ultimately only be enforced through military force, not by a civil magistrate. Patrick Henry’s Choice: Drawing on the spirit of the Revolution - he warned that the choice was liberty OR empire. Not both. Oliver Ellsworth Boils It All Down: He framed the entire debate into one unforgettable choice - coercion by law vs. coercion by war. As he put it, you can take a delinquent individual to court, but you can only take a delinquent state to war. The Big Takeaway: The Constitution was specifically designed so states are NOT agents of the federal government The framers didn't just tinker with the Articles - they demolished the entire foundation and built something completely different. They replaced a system where sovereign states could check federal power with one designed to bypass them almost entirely. The federal government would no longer ask states for compliance - it would compel individuals directly, through its own agents, with its own force. JOIN TAC, SUPPORT LIBERTY! Let’s keep building the foundation! For as little as $2/month, help us take a stand for the Constitution and liberty - whether the government likes it, or not. (they don’t!) 👉 details here Make a one-time donation here: 👉 https://donate.stripe.com/fZecNzggUaDG3LydR0 This is the Constitution's most foundational feature - and it's almost never taught today. Why? Because understanding this principle would fundamentally change how Americans view federal power. It would expose the constitutional fraud behind federal mandates that force states to implement and enforce federal programs. It would reveal that it's not just bad policy - it's the exact opposite of what the Constitution was designed to do. The framers built the Constitution to sideline the states. But they never intended to turn them into federal puppets. That distinction? It's the difference between the Constitution as written and the government we have today. 📖 Read the Article → HERE 🎙️ Watch or listen to the podcast → HERE It’s no surprise that the government-run and government-approved “education” system never teaches us any of this truth. This is a big part of the reason we work so hard - day in and day out, year in and year out - to reach and teach more people about this essential history - and these essential foundational principles behind the Constitution. But we can’t do it alone. Your membership support is crucial - and we use every penny of that manipulated, quickly-devaluing government fiat they call “money” to good use in support of the Constitution and Liberty. 👉 JOIN US TODAY! Here’s the link, you know what to do: 👉 https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/members/ Prefer to make a one-time donation? Go directly to our processor to pitch in here: 👉 https://donate.stripe.com/fZecNzggUaDG3LydR0 You can also mail a check to: Tenth Amendment Center 16755 Von Karman Avenue Suite 200 PMB 705 Irvine, CA 92606 Brick-by-brick. Person-by-person. Building a strong foundation for liberty – whether the government happens to like it, or not. (they definitely do not) Thank you so much for reading - and your support! Concordia res parvae crescunt (small things grow great by concord) Michael Boldin, TAC

How Florida turned Red

How Florida turned Red

So Many Ways to Use "Only"

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How to Buffalo Buffalo who Buffalo Buffalo from Buffalo

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Idaho GOP: Carrying on Charlie Kirk's Legacy

 

Op-Ed: Carrying on Charlie Kirk's Legacy by Dorothy Moon, IDGOP Chairwoman

Today is a heavy day. Every year on this date, September 11, we remember the horrific events of that Tuesday morning in 2001. Thousands of innocent Americans lost their lives—fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and children who never came home. First responders put their own lives on the line, with many paying the ultimate sacrifice as they struggled to save others. The repercussions of that awful morning remain with us to this day. It was a reminder that, despite the feeling at the time that we had reached the “end of history,” evil still exists in the world—and always will. That truth was driven home in tragic fashion yesterday afternoon, when I learned that Charlie Kirk had been shot on a college campus in Utah. Like millions of good people throughout America and the world, I prayed he would be all right, and felt sick when I heard he did not survive. My heart goes out to his family—his wife, Erika, and their two young children, who must now grow up without their father. Just like 9/11, this murder of a great young patriot was driven by hatred. The terrorists who hijacked four airplanes that morning had been taught to hate America, and they believed they were doing something noble by killing Americans.  Whoever pulled the trigger that killed Charlie Kirk also thought he was doing something good. His mind was probably warped by the endless indoctrination and incitement that have become routine in American schools, newsrooms, and even entertainment. This is the face of evil. Charlie Kirk was a statesman. He wasn’t on fringe podcasts calling for violence. He wasn’t organizing riots in the streets. He was doing what he was supposed to do: visiting college campuses and engaging in debate. His tools were not fists, guns, or Molotov cocktails, but words—just words. Charlie Kirk set an example of statesmanship for countless young Americans. He walked his talk, going into hostile environments to have civil discussions with people who disagreed with him. Charlie was always willing to hear people out and even to change his mind from time to time. Just like 9/11, I believe we will look back on this week as a turning point in American history. Just as 9/11 was a wake-up call to the threat of Islamic terrorism, September 10, 2025, should be a wake-up call to the threat of left-wing political violence. It’s time to enforce the law, hold accountable those who cheer on evil acts, and return our country to the path of goodness and civility. That is the cause to which Charlie dedicated his life, and it is up to us to carry on his legacy.

DO NOT TALK: Crackdown in Washington DC

CA MassResistance Helping Redlands Residents Push Back on Hateful Leftist Bigots

 

Leftists viciously attacking CA school board member for advancing pro-family policies.

Well-funded and organized radicals want obscenity and LGBT ideology pushed on city’s schoolchildren.

Local citizens asked MassResistance to come in and help them fight back!

September 3, 2025

 The local leftists conducted a vile campaign to force a bold conservative school committee member out of office. But MassResistance helped local citizens stop them!

Most people don’t realize how fiercely obsessed leftists are with pushing sexuality and LGBT ideology on other peoples’ children - especially using the public schools – and how it must be confronted directly.

Redlands, CA: A new conservative majority on the city’s school board takes action

Redlands, California is a city of 73,000 located 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Although it is largely conservative (Trump won over Harris), the five-member school board has been controlled by liberals. But in last November’s election, Candy Olson, a mother of five and a nurse, won a seat – giving conservatives a 3-2 majority.

Families have been leaving the Redlands school system, largely because of the radicalism. So Candy didn’t just quietly take her seat on the board. She first led the charge to keep “transgender” boys out of girls’ sports, which the new school board passed 3-2 in April.  

Next, Candy pushed for a sane school flag policy – only US and California flags allowed – that essentially banned the toxic “pride” flags from Redlands schools. That policy was passed in July.

 The Redlands school board during citizen testimony. Candy Olson is third from left.

Her next effort was for a policy to stop the obscene and pornographic sexual and LGBT books in the schools. That vote was coming up when MassResistance got involved.

These policies have all had general support throughout the city. Most parents just want their kids to be left alone. But the hardcore Left (and their allies in the liberal media) were infuriated.

A frantic call to MassResistance

In early August, we got a frantic call from a friend of MassResistance who lives in Redlands.

For months, he told us, an organized group of deranged local leftists (including the one that Candy defeated in the election) have been coming to school board meetings to curse, disrupt, and rant about how “terrible” and “hurtful” these policies are. And they harass and intimidate the handful of pro-family parents who come to defend the policies.

For example, at the meeting where the flag policy was passed, the Left brought in hundreds of angry, raucous people, so the room had to be cleared by police. The board also received nearly 1,000 emails against the policy from leftists around the country.

 Astro-turf: While the leftists gathered outside the building before the school committee meeting, they had a van pull up with pizzas and drinks. It certainly appeared that some of them were paid agitators.

 The Left's hostile and belligerent behavior in Redlands has gotten to a point where the police require people to go through a metal detector just to go into the school board meeting!

 This woman ranted at the board against the proposed policy of not allowing children to read the obscene and pornographic books.

 This man wearing a dress wanted all the city's schoolchildren to be able to read books about transgenderism (and other LGBT issues).

But worse, our contact described how the leftists have been brutally and viciously attacking Candy personally. This includes:

• Doxxing her personal information.
• Repeatedly calling Candy’s employer and attempting to get her fired.
• Filing complaints with the state Nursing Board to have her lose her nursing license.
• Creating phony social media accounts purportedly made by her, with obscene messages.
• Harassing her as she enters and leaves the meetings – so she needs a police escort to get to her car.
• Campaign to demand her resignation for “liking” a post. At one point Candy “liked” an Instagram message that was linked – eighteen levels away –to a somewhat offensive message which Candy had no idea about. They are absurdly using that to demand her resignation from the school board.

 One of many dishonest and misleading social media posts the leftists created to attack Candy Olson.

Other local citizens who vocally support the pro-family policies at meetings get similar treatment. They are hunted down on social media. Their employment gets targeted. Lies are spread about them. One father was publicly called a “pedophile” repeatedly by the leftist mob to shut him up.

Not surprisingly, the local media partnered with the leftists against Candy – attempting to give legitimacy to the attacks.

 This article was published by the national NBC news and was reprinted by NBC affiliates as far away as Philadelphia.

As a result, our friend told us, though some supporters are still coming to school board meetings, a lot of people are afraid. Candy Olson herself is standing tall, as are the other two conservatives on the school board. But who knows how long that will last under this constant barrage?

MassResistance, please come to Redlands!

Our friend pleaded with us: Will MassResistance come and help organize and inspire people to fight back? Would we show them how to do it? This is really needed, he said.

His call came just a few days before the school board’s Aug. 5 meeting when they were scheduled to take the first of two votes on the book policy. The leftists were going to be there in force to intimidate everyone and try to stop it.

Keep in mind: Bold, aggressive leftists are often just bullies and cowards. When fearlessly confronted (especially with the truth!), they tend to melt down. We’ve seen it over and over.

We decided that the best approach on such short notice was to have our National Field Director, Arthur Schaper, go there personally and lead the charge. (Arthur lives in Torrance, just down the highway from Redlands.) We would get as many Redlands pro-family people as we could to also show up.

That plan worked brilliantly. At the August 5 school board meeting, Arthur gave a “clinic” on how to deal with angry, deranged leftists.

We will report on that in our next post!

Final thoughts

In these local school battles, our side is up against huge forces but usually doesn’t realize it.

Unlike local conservative pro-family groups, the leftist groups are well-funded and well-organized. It’s mostly astro-turf activism, not organic. You can tell by their slick printed signs, shirts, and hats, their canned talking points, and food and transportation provided. It’s often clear that many of them are paid agitators and are not from the locale.

These people are not like us. They have no problem lying, breaking the law, engaging in violence, destroying people’s lives, and instilling fear to get their way. They have no conscience or moral compass. In particular, they are obsessed with pushing an agenda on other people’s children. They can’t be reasoned with. They must be stopped.

Unfortunately, the conservative movement doesn’t fund direct activism like the Left does. That’s why our people need an aggressive counter-force like MassResistance.

   

Our uncompromising work is made possible by people like you!

Please help us reach our $500K goal to keep it going!

Donate to MassResistance

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Letter to the Editor: Devolution: AI-Is-A-Straightjacket-On-Mind-And-A-Can-Of-Worms

 

Response to 

Another look at Trump’s flag-burning EO

A pittance of AI pestilence:

https://nancymroczek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Devolution-AI-Is-A-Straightjacket-On-Mind-And-A-Can-Of-Worms.pdf

It may come to pass that companies will revert back to humans b/c AI - chat, eg, will end in a 'crackup.'

--Nancy Mroczek

Liberty Counsel: Stand with Kim Davis

 

10-Year Anniversary of Imprisonment  And a new development in the case being followed around the world    Ten years ago, I was inside a Kentucky prison praying with a woman who was put behind bars for her faith.    She did nothing wrong. In fact, she followed the law. She refused to relinquish her lawful religious freedom rights — and a judge threw her in prison for six days. She spent Labor Day in prison.     But the two men who instigated this 10-year campaign to destroy Kim Davis just made a critical error, one that make this case even more compelling for the U.S. Supreme Court take up and decide.    We need your help to fight for Kim Davis. Because if Americans can be sued for using their religious freedom rights, then America has no religious freedom at all.    Every donation to our legal fund today will be DOUBLED in impact by a special Challenge Grant. Donate 50 dollars or more to receive a free hard copy of Kim’s biography, Under God’s Authority.

Defend Kim Davis and DOUBLE YOUR GIFT

Last week, David Ermold and David Moore began the process of collecting a 360,000-dollar judgment against Kim. This move could backfire.     Kim Davis wasn’t a stranger to prison when she was booked into the Carter County Prison on September 2, 2015. She had visited the women’s prison many times as part of her church’s prison ministry. In fact, long before Kim made worldwide headlines, she was known throughout the area — what some call the “buckle” of the Bible belt — as a redeemed woman overflowing with Christ’s kindness.    Throughout her ordeal, our Lord surrounded Kim with love and support.    The man who was assigned by the county to drive Kim to prison was a part-time minister. He prayed with Kim during the car ride.    The two women who booked Kim into the prison were Christians. They wept for Kim as they filled out the paperwork that would forever mark her as a prison inmate.     A prison official, a Christian himself, put his own personal funds into Kim’s prison “commissary” account so that she could buy basic necessities like a toothbrush, feminine supplies, and other personal care items not provided by the prison system during her incarceration.    Inmates — even criminals housed in the prison’s “violent” ward — heard of Kim’s plight and sent notes of prayer and encouragement through the prison mail system.    I myself was brought to tears when I visited Kim. I will never forget the day I met with Kim, who was dressed in orange prison garb, in the federal prison. As we hugged, emotions overcame me. I cried and couldn’t speak. Kim, however, was the picture of peace and grace. Her first words to me, I will never forget, were simply “All is well.”    Kim spent her days in prison reading the apostle Paul’s letters written during his imprisonment. As a prisoner herself, Kim continued the prison ministry she had participated in while a free woman, teaching other inmates about God’s redeeming love.    Kim’s peace and devotion to the Lord were unflappable throughout the entire time she was imprisoned for her faith and throughout the last 10 years of persecution wrought by two vindictive men.    10 Years of Constant Attack. . .    David Ermold and David Moore have spent the last 10 years viciously attacking Kim Davis. The two Davids told GQ magazine they had never even discussed getting married before rushing to join the melee outside Kim’s office as she waited for an answer to her religious accommodation request.    They traveled to Kim’s office day after day to record themselves harassing her and posting the videos to social media. They bragged to GQ about how their videos made them internet famous. And when their moment of initial fame ended, the men embarked on a targeted campaign to keep themselves in the spotlight by inventing new ways to try to destroy Kim Davis.    Kim had referred the two Davids to a county clerk who would sign their “marriage” certificate. But the two Davids refused. They tried to sue to force Kim to put her name on their marriage certificate.     When they didn’t win that legal fight, they tried to take Kim’s job, running against her for the Rowan County clerk position. They lost, and their “fame” faded again.    Ironically, even after trying to take Kim’s job, Ermold claimed in court that Kim had cost him his job. But when Liberty Counsel called his former employer to the stand, the whole world learned that Ermold’s claim was absolutely untrue.    So, the two Davids amended their lawsuit, this time suing for damages because Kim’s decision to use her lawful religious freedom rights had caused the men “hurt feelings.”    Despite the fact that the law forbids financial judgments over unquantifiable “hurt feelings,” Kim now has a 360,000-dollar judgment hanging over her head.     But in their haste to make headlines again, the two Davids may have made a massive mistake.    Help us END Obergefell’s 10-Year Assault on Christians! On July 24, Liberty Counsel petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Kim’s case. We are seeking to overturn this unjust judgment against Kim, and to reconsider the Obergefell “marriage” opinion, which for 10 years has been used as a weapon to bankrupt and destroy Christians.    Last week, in an attempt to take advantage of the media hype, Ermold and Moore filed a notice to collect their judgment, seeking to take everything Kim owns.    Ermold and Moore’s greedy petition to the Court created an urgency for this case and actually increases the likelihood the High Court will hear Kim’s case this fall. And that’s a good thing!    You see, three of the members of the current Court, including Chief Justice John Roberts, have made it abundantly clear over these last 10 years that Obergefell was decided in error. Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Alito and Thomas warned that Obergefell would be used as a weapon to silence and destroy people of good faith.     David Ermold and David Moore just proved the Justices right. We look forward to fighting for the religious freedom rights of every person of faith.     But we need your help to WIN! Kim’s case has been one of the longest and most expensive cases in Liberty Counsel history. But we have refused to give up on Kim, because giving up on Kim would mean losing EVERY faithful believer’s religious freedom rights.    If Ermold and Moore’s judgment is allowed to stand, then any LGBTQ adherent will be able to sue any Christian who refuses to endorse and promote homosexuality, transgenderism, and “queer” deviancy.    Kim and her family are not wealthy. The Davis family has never had the financial means to defend Kim in this 10-year-long season of attacks by two vindictive men. ONLY YOUR GENEROSITY allows us to provide top-notch legal defense to Christians under attack for their faith. DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT when you support our legal fund today. Kim’s future, and the future of all Americans, hangs in the balance. Help Us Defend Kim Davis!

Mat Staver Founder and Chairman Liberty Counsel

Major Fail: Torrance Principal Confuses Memorial Day and Labor Day

Tayo Balogun is the principal of Richardson Middle School in Torrance

And this is the latest newsletter she sent out to parents:

Welcome back, Richardson families! Happy Sunday! Caption 1: Detective Crofton and Mrs. Doty presenting during our Positive Behavior Assemblies. Caption 2: Sixth-grade students actively participating in a writing assignment. We hope you're enjoying this Memorial Day weekend, a time to honor and remember those who gave their lives serving the United States. As a reminder, there is no school on Monday. Last week ...

Anyone notice a problem?

How can an administrator in any American high school make so egregious a mistake?

She confused Labor Day with Memorial Day.

Her lack of attention to detail is bad enough.

What's worse, she defends some of the wokest, jokest teachers in the district.

Sara Pearlman is still pushing her SJW nonsense. It got so bad, that the teacher had a photo of a student in her classroom without the parents' permission.