States' RIghts Not Just a Southern Thing

Or should we say, especially not a Southern thing, not any more. Mike Tuggle reports on several encouraging developments. Among them is HomeFromIraqNow.org which intends to use "binding statewide ballot initiatives around the country to pressure the administration to bring our troops home now," specifically state national guard troops. As Tuggle points out,

This is squarely in the New England tradition. New England States saw the War of 1812 as an attempt to annex Canada, and invoked State sovereignty to resist it. Massachusetts refused a presidential order to send its militia, and declared that the power to send a state’s militia is “reserved to the states.” Connecticut also refused to commit its militia for what it ruled to be "an offensive war," and resolved it would not release its militia unless the State was threatened "by an actual invasion of any portion of our territory." The Iraq invasion and occupation is certainly "an offensive war," as opposed to a defensive war. Connecticut was quite right to withhold its militia in 1812, and any State that proposes the same today would also be right – morally and constitutionally.