nullification

Have I got your attention, yet? I'm sure if you have read many of my posts, you know by now what my position is on nullification. However, many Americans and news outlets (both left and right) are quick to call you un-American if you even hint at the slightest idea of the states not being in lockstep with the Federal government. In fact, many will even call you racist, citing this passage from Dr. Martin Luther King's August 28, 1963 speech:

“I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”

From Mimi Hall of USA Today:

In a backlash against President Obama's health care legislation that stretches from Virginia to California, lawmakers in more than two-thirds of the states are scrambling to undercut the bill before it even passes Congress.

Earlier this month, Virginia became the first state to pass a law allowing its residents to opt out of the proposed federal requirement that everyone have health insurance, a key element of Obama's plan. Legislatures in Utah and Idaho this month also approved measures limiting the scope of the proposed $950 billion health care bill pending in Congress.

Around the country, many states have introduced nullification legislation. These measures have usually been titled “Firearms Freedom Act” because they usually deal with the issue of federal firearm registration. Typically, these measures include provisions that guns, accessories, and ammunition manufactured within a state, sold within that state, and never leaves that state is not subject to the Interstate Commerce Clause.