Texas Laws Eroding Separation of Church and State, and the Inevitable Civil War II
Posted: Sunday, March 14, 2010
by e
Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation
The Red States and the Blue states are again lining up for battle, and not just politically. This time there will be bloodshed. A warning shot across the bow has recently been fired by the State of Texas Board of Education - separation of church and state will no longer be tolerated in Texas. (Key in the article: "Texas and Textbooks") http://durangoherald.com/sections/Opinion/Editorial/2010/03/14/Texas_and_textbooks/
At the beginning of the Civil war, two southern, conservative, fundamentalist Christian doctrines reflecting bigotry and hatred stood out; 1. Wealth came before human rights - cotton profits were more important than black slavery. And 2. Nobody is going to tell us what to do, if you try, we will kill you. Unfortunately, I posit that these conservative values have remained unchanged through the decades, and although hidden in language such as "Trickle Down Economics" and "Death to Socialism," the bigotry and hatred remains unchanged.
A "confederation" of states is already lining up on the sides of right wing, conservative, fundamentalist Christian values such as deregulation of all civilian weapons laws and the establishment of unrestricted citizen militias (which have increased 500% in the last year), NON separation of church and state, state sovereignty, the ending of all federal social programs and entitlements, unrestricted business practices, world military domination, illegal immigrant eradication, and the dissolution of the federal government - all rooted in bigotry and hatred.
Just as these states couldn't accept the ending of slavery, and to this day more than likely believe in their hearts that there was nothing wrong with slavery because white people making money off the backs and minds of black people makes sense to them, they remain immersed in ignorance and couched bigotry and hatred, unable to accept the fact that they are more than likely wrong once more on almost every front. And this means that since they cannot see how misguided they are in resenting a peaceful, coexistent, fair and just society, their greed, hatred and delusion will blind them into violence once more. But this time, their ignorance will bring down the country.
The weakening American economy, which will only get worse as emerging nations dominate the world stage, will be the underlying justification to force right wing conservative values on the rest of the country. When this doesn't work, then violence will be the only alternative to get their way. Look at the present reaction to a black president. One would think that Obama is worse than Hitler. This reaction is an indication of the mentality we are dealing with here, which would be sad if it weren't for the fact that a majority of Americans seem to be headed this way, the way of dumbing down. And this way is always the way of violence.
The Civil war has never been resolved in the minds of many Red States and has stuck in their craws for 145 years now. The lambasting of "Big Government" is no more than an indication of the simmering hatred against federal control.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis said that the central cause of the war was not the issue of slavery, arguing after the war that states' rights was its principal cause, and this is what the cause will be now.
The election of Lincoln (Obama?) was the final trigger for secession. The slave states, which had already become a minority in the House of Representatives, were now facing a future as a perpetual minority in the Senate and Electoral College against an increasingly powerful North. The US Supreme Court decision of 1857 in Dred Scott v. Sandford added to the controversy. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney's decision said that slaves were "so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect."
South Carolina planter and state Senator John Townsend said that, "our enemies are about to take possession of the Government, that they intend to rule us according to the caprices of their fanatical theories, and according to the declared purposes of abolishing slavery." Similar opinions were expressed throughout the South in editorials, political speeches and declarations of reasons for secession. Even though Lincoln had no plans to outlaw slavery where it existed, whites throughout the South expressed fears for the future of slavery. (Does this fear mongering sound familiar?)
The Texas Declaration of Causes for Secession said that the African race "were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race." (And Texas was wrong again.)
Meanwhile, "Northerners came to view slavery as the very antithesis of the good society, as well as a threat to their own fundamental values and interests." (And the Blue States were right again!)
First step:
South Carolina did more to advance nullification and secession than any other Southern state. South Carolina adopted the "Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union" on December 24, 1860.
And this is how it happens:
Before Lincoln took office, seven states had declared their secession from the Union. They established a Southern government, the Confederate States of America on February 4, 1861. They took control of federal forts and other properties within their boundaries with little resistance from outgoing President James Buchanan, whose term ended on March 4, 1861. Buchanan said that the Dred Scott decision was proof that the South had no reason for secession, and that the Union "was intended to be perpetual", but that "the power by force of arms to compel a State to remain in the Union" was not among the "enumerated powers granted to Congress". One quarter of the U.S. Army-the entire garrison in Texas-was surrendered to state forces by its commanding general, David E. Twiggs, who then joined the Confederacy.
As Southerners resigned their seats in the Senate and the House, secession later enabled Republicans to pass bills for projects that had been blocked by Southern Senators before the war, including the Morrill Tariff, land grant colleges (the Morill Act), a Homestead Act, a trans-continental railroad (the Pacific Railway Acts), the National Banking Act and the authorization of United States Notes by the Legal Tender Act of 1862. The Revenue Act of 1861 introduced the income tax to help finance the war. (Congressional roadblocks - sound familiar?)
And how it will be fought:
James McPherson has argued that the North's advantage in population and resources made Northern victory likely, but not inevitable. Confederates did not need to invade and hold enemy territory to win, but only needed to fight a defensive war to convince the North that the cost of winning was too high. The North needed to conquer and hold vast stretches of enemy territory and defeat Confederate armies to win. (Al Qaeda, Taliban?)
Potential international problems:
The Confederate government failed in its attempt to get Europe involved in the war militarily, particularly England and France. Southern leaders needed to get European powers to help break up the blockade the Union had created around the Southern ports and cities. Lincoln's naval blockade was 95% effective at stopping trade goods, as a result, imports and exports to the South declined significantly. The abundance of European cotton and England's hostility to the institution of slavery, along with Lincoln's Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico naval blockades, severely decreased any chance that either England or France would enter the war. (This time, maybe China and Russia will be "Invited" in.
The war produced about 1,030,000 casualties (3% of the population), including about 620,000 soldier deaths-two-thirds by disease. The war accounted for roughly as many American deaths as all American deaths in other U.S. wars combined.
Summary: As the rhetoric spins out of control, and Americans arm themselves at a frantic pace, one can only speculate that something is coming and Americans intuitively sense it. It can't continue this way without some kind of confrontation. Politics isn't working as usual, with disdain for the opposing party becoming so extreme and hateful that we are on the verge of civil disobedience. And once this surfaces, it's all over, probably around 2012.
(Some general background information compliments of Wikipedia)
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)E. Ray, I can hardly believe my eyes that I am reading such a biased and harsh article from you. First of all, the Texas current effort is to teach Bible in their classes. There should never be a problem with that, for any one. You, or no one else seem to worry about courses concering Buddha or Buddhism, Islam or Muhammad, or any other religion, except the one accepted by more of the population, not only of the U.S. but the world. Yet, suddenly seperation of church and state is ended?There is nothing whatsoever in our constitution to infer "seperation of church and state" but rather that the government will make no law prohibiting the free exercise of anyone's religion.Then, suddenly race becomes the reason for the strong reaction against Obama, which is the poorest excuse the liberals have ever come up with. I would chooseAlan Keyes (I voted for Alan over John McCain, in the primary) over Obama any day and so would all the Tea Partiers and conservatives that I know.Slavery may have been the reason the North started the war but it was not slavery which the South fought for. They fought for the exact thing that is occurring now, the federal government usurping the rights of the individual states and trying to shove things down their throats.Constitutionally, the states have the right to rule their schools, their approach to abortion, the rights of marriage, and so on. Certainly they have the right to have their own choice of health care, and other such things which are presently being pursued by the administration.Wikipedia is a great and hepful site but they are as liberal as Nancy Pelosi. They have scholars write their descriptive artircles, but if one adds something conservative into one, it won't be in there long.Come on, I've always considered you to be one who thought things out better.Sorry I offended you Joel. I calls 'em like I sees 'em!Well done, Joel! I'm going to collect my thoughts and wait until Monday to post my own rebuttal.
Yep, you can feel it coming. I've sensed it for a long time. It's not just politics though, we're imploding totally. Look at the economy (as if everyone isn't), it all has to end at some point, IT HAS TO!! If anyone saw 60 Minutes on 3/14/10, there was a good segment on Michael Lewis' new book, "The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine." It's about how $1.75 trillion (that's TRILLION with a TEE) of wealth was destroyed by Wall Street's "greatest minds" in the subprime mortgage markets. 'Greatest Minds' ? - hehe. Glad they didn't put their idiots in charge!! One of Morgan Stanley's financial 'gurus,' Howie Hubler lost between 7 and 12 BILLION dollars in less than 8 months - all by his lonesome - a new record loss by a single investor in the history of Wall Street. Then he was paid TENS of MILLIONS of DOLLARS to go away!! This is a guy that no one even knows about!! Wonder if they're hiring ?Oh, Goldman Sachs, in case anyone doesn't remember, is the firm that got AIG to insure $20 billion worth of subprime mortgage securities. AIG had no idea what they were getting into, but GS knew exactly what they we're doing, and whom they were doing it to.Those that cause the problems, are obviously the ones that benefit, and at the expense of the rest of us. Then they are paid huge sums of money to start the 'recovery' from the financial collapse that they caused. Then they do it all over again - it's already started. This 'recovery' is just another house of cards being constructed and waiting to fall, except this time they've already got a blank check from Washington to pay the bonuses with. Maybe it'll last until we're all actually starving to death this timeThey're back in the comfort zone of greed, bonuses and stupidity. Wouldn't responsible, concerned individuals, wanting the best for the economy and country, go back into it from a different perspective ? The Lobbyists are already spending an unbelievable amount of time and money to fight off any government oversight and/or regulation.Good thing the brilliant minds in Washington are taking charge. Go get 'em guys.Our lives are being governed by a band of idiots!!Unfortunately, when things become as screwed-up as they are now, financially, and in the government, I don't see them being resolved without major conflict. Unfortunately, that's the human way. That's really sad too, this country had really good potential.We 'almost' had it right.Kind of past the point of no return? I hope not. Thanks for the great comment, and thanks for reading.
Best.......e
E...Take a deep breath my friend. There has been, and probably, unfortunately, always will be racists. But don't become one to attack one. There are many more people that aren't racists. Yes, even in Texas! That small but destructive group exists in Boston just as it does in Houston. Be well! Steve
I choose to expose racism, bigotry and hatefulness when in my opinion they are underlying certain philosophies. This article surely does not apply to you, but does apply to many.Thanks for commenting, and thanks for reading.Best.........e
E., you seem to have an overly negative attitude toward people from the "red states". I hope that's an incorrect perception on my part.I doubt that this whole textbook issue has anything to do with bigotry. I don’t think it’s a matter Texas wanting to teach creationism or any other Christian precept as fact in the schools. If that were the case, I would completely agree that they shouldn’t be changing school textbooks for that purpose. Instead, I think the changes are being made more along the lines of emphasizing the fact that many of the Founding Fathers held Judeo-Christian values and beliefs. That’s a fact, not just somebody’s opinion.Unfortunately, modern textbook writers have opted to suppress that kind of information out of deference to political correctness. Some writers have gone even further and are now using textbooks as vehicles to indoctrinate school children with their own liberal, elitist views of the world. Schools are supposed to be places for learning, not laboratories for social engineering. I don’t blame the citizens of Texas for becoming sick and tired of such stuff.You are right in your assumption that the federal government will try to intervene in this case and prevent Texas from adopting these new textbooks. However, why do you assume that Texas and other “red states” will attempt to secede as a result? That’s completely unfounded and it ain’t gonna happen. As I stated in a previous article, it’s not practical from a economic standpoint. I'm so sure of this that I'm willing put my money where my mouth is. If any state makes a serious attempt at secession during our lifetime, just email me your address and I’ll send you a check for $10,000.Now, with that being said, why shouldn’t states have a right to secede? Why should one state or group of states have a right to force its/their values on another state or group of states? In my opinion, New England has no more right to boss Texas around anymore than “old” England had a right to boss the 13 colonies around. The latter seceded from England because they desired self-rule. Was the U.S. formed as an outlaw nation? Why shouldn’t any state be allowed to secede from the others in order to gain self-rule? Should it be forced to remain joined to an entity it has irreconcilable differences with?However, like I said, secession not going to happen anyway. What might happen is a constitutional convention. The states can force Congress to call a constitutional convention if two-thirds of them petition for such. Several things happening right now – including the aforementioned textbook showdown and the recently-passed healthcare legislation – could provide impetus for such a call.If that’s not enough, then there’s something else currently in the pipeline that could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Well-known lawyers Ted Olson and David Boies have taken the case of those who wish to overturn California’s state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. They vow to take the case all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary. That could result in a ruling that makes gay marriage legal throughout the nation.If that happens, look out! We’ll have a constitutional convention that amplifies the 10th Amendment and establishes states’ rights once and for all. They would finally be able to tell the federal government to kiss their collective backside and bug out of stuff like health care and textbooks. It would underscore a state’s authority over – among other things – commerce within that state and what types of marriages it will perform and recognize. And it would probably even establish – yes – their right to secede. Glory, glory, hallelujah!
I think the founding fathers were deists, and God was only mentioned twice in the context of an exclamation, i.e. " My God, how stupid!" Anyhow, nothing against the red states, just attitudes that are unenlightened, like a 6,000 year old earth! :) I support gay marriage, strict gun control, strict separation of church and state, universal health care, and just about everything that conservatives don't. But that's just me, but I vote!BTW, what do you think about immigration reform? Maybe we can agree there. Maybe not, I like open borders, not police states.Best.......e
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