A call to action with a special emphasis for libertarians Want to stop the sociopaths in Washington DC? Ron Paul told you how. Judge Napolitano is on board. Tom Woods provides intellectual firepower to back it up. And today, I’ll share six steps to get you started. Obviously, it will take some work. But what should a liberty lover actually do? Marc…

I get it. I really do. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore it. It seems obvious to me that in order to hold a place of prominence at MSNBC you either need to be a partisan hack, or totally clueless of history. Probably both. So when MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show producer Steve Benen shares his opinion, it’s usually just best to turn a blind …

Me. With pie. I like pie. Strike that. I absolutely love pie. I consider “bad pie” to be an oxymoron. But, anytime I’ve ever tried to eat an entire pie in one sitting (yes, this has happened more than once), I’ve had some negative results. Because of this, I’ll generally just eat a single slice. Ok, two. Maybe three. But that’s pushing it. Sometime…

Rosa Parks demonstrated the power of, “No.” Most Americans know her story. Parks was riding the Cleveland Avenue bus home from work in Montgomery, Alabama on Dec. 1, 1955, when the white only seats in the front filled with passengers. Bus driver James Blake moved the “colored” section sign behind the row Parks was sitting in and demanded that she a…

Last week, a Maryland House committee voted to support federal kidnapping within the borders of the Old Line State. OK – Maryland lawmakers didn’t exactly grant direct support for indefinite detention without due process, but they did refuse to pass a bill that would have blocked the state of Maryland from assisting or providing material support to…

There are currently more than two dozen states considering bills to nullify various federal gun laws around the country. Some address restrictions on semi-automatic weapons and large capacity magazines, and others address any and all federal rules, regulations, acts, or orders on firearms, ammunition and accessories. Some of them seek nullification…

Some opponents of nullification measures – both politicians and people in the grassroots – would have you believe that such efforts in state legislatures are only symbolic and have no real effect. One has to wonder if these folks think that the personal liberty laws passed by northern states to block enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 we…

Before the Tennessee State Senate Judiciary Committee in support of SB0250 on February 27, 2013 Hello, my name is Michael Maharrey. I’m the national communications director for the Tenth Amendment Center. I’m honored to be here. As you know, in the opinion of Attorney Gen. Robert Cooper, SB 250 violates the supremacy clause of the Constitution. I’v…

Imagine this nightmare scenario. In the not-too-distant future, Congress passes a draconian, UK-style ban on all weapons. Or, maybe the Senate does it through an international treaty. Or, instead of Congress, maybe the president follows in the footsteps of FDR, who whipped up an executive order requiring people to turn in their gold. The method wou…

Representative Brett Hildabrand of Kansas’ 17th district has introduced a bill, HB2161, to nullify the so-called “indefinite detention” powers of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). HB2161 has many co-sponsors including Representatives: Bradford, Claeys, Garber, Grosserode, Hedke, Houser, Howell, Montgomery, O’Brien, Peck, Petty, Read an…

There is a lot of chest thumping going on across America and people are demanding that one particular federal “law” or regulation or another be stopped by physical force. Is that the right course of action in every situation? Is that the only path? Or, is there another way, a less confrontational answer to the constant barrage of new and more expan…

Cross-posted from the Pennsylvania Tenth Amendment Center. “In a room sit three great men, a king, a priest, and a rich man with his gold. Between them stands a sellsword, a little man of common birth and no great mind. Each of the great ones bids him slay the other two. ‘Do it’ says the king, ‘for I am your lawful ruler.’ ‘Do it’ says the priest, …

Have you ever tried to play a board game with a bunch of people who don’t really know the rules? Things usually start out OK, until somebody makes a questionable move. Then the arguments start, and things go downhill from there. Each player begins throwing out opinions and rule interpretations – all based on their best interests, of course. Everybo…

When Department of Justice attorney John Walsh recently referred to marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington State as attempts to nullify federal law – yes, he used the word nullify – I thought something amazing had just happened. After 17 years of states resisting federal laws on weed, the DOJ is now recognizing these efforts for what the…

by Harry Browne Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in December, 2002. A previous version of it was published on December 25, 1966, dedicated to Harry’s then 9-year-old daughter.) It’s Christmas, and I have the usual problem of deciding what to give you. I know you might enjoy many things – books, games, clothes. But I’m very selfi…

“In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” – Thomas Jefferson The Constitution was written for times such as these. The debate over gun control raging in the wake of the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school vividly illustrates the need for consti…

Obamacare can still be stopped. And no, it’s not going to be stopped by Pelosi and Boehner – or Roberts and Scalia. It’s going to be stopped by people like you – pressing your state to resist. In fact, Obamacare’s ability to become reality in the long term is like a house of cards. The act is not viable economically and unstable politically. The on…

When talking with people about executing a state-based strategy to devolve power away from the federal government, I often run into immediate and vigorous protests. “Our state legislators are spineless. They will never pass any of your legislation.” “The state will never risk its federal funding. We can’t stand up to the feds.” “The party establish…

Sometimes people lash out at us Tenthers because they’re scared. They have some preconceived notion of the kinds of things we support, or oppose. Others are just ignorant. They feel that devolving power outside of DC means that the things they love cannot be done. It’s the feds or bust! That’s their view. And still others who attack people as being…

Thank you. I could easily be done with those two simple words. They’re worth repeating, though. Thank you. I know there’s a lot of people out there who say it, but I think I’m the luckiest man on earth. And not just for the standard reasons, but because I’ve been given a great gift in my life. Yes, the standard things. No, they’re not really “stand…

“There’s not much attention paid to the Constitution in Washington. There’s not much attention paid to it by our executive branch of government. And we don’t get much protection from our courts. So one thing that might finally happen from this if the people finally feel so frustrated that they can’t get the results out of Washington — They’re going…

“Wait till the next one is done.” I’ve heard that from so-called conservative activists for years now. Some of you said you were supporting the Tea Party candidates in 2010. And, if that didn’t work, then you’d use your time, money and energy locally to nullify. But, that Tea Party class sure didn’t stop the big government train wreck. Instead of m…

ten·ther \ten-ther\ noun 1. A person who supports the Constitution: every issue, every time, no exceptions and no excuses. 2. Those who actively utilize the principles of decentralization to advance the cause of liberty. see also: Tenther Movement Ron Paul is out. Gary Johnson and Jill Stein are not going to win. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney repres…

Get the new book today! Jose owns a little market on a big-city street corner. Business is pretty good, but he has a problem with neighborhood thugs coming in – shoplifting, harassing customers and basically making a nuisance of themselves. Jose deals with them as best he can, shooing off troublemakers with a little intimidation of his own manufact…

Get the New Documentary Today! the following is based off a speech given at LibertyFest NYC on 10-13-12 Federal campaigns have been a failure. And I’m not talking about elections alone. For over a 100 years – and probably longer – people have been suing and marching and voting bums out. And the result? It doesn’t matter which political party is in …

“Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher. Society in every state is a blessing, but government even…

When talking about the Constitution as the Founders and Ratifiers gave us, there tends to be two primary viewpoints – those that are in favor of strict limitations on federal power, and those who want those limits obliterated. Stereotypes in our society generally separate those views by political party support – or even voting habits. People who vo…

As if on cue, various members of the left are getting themselves all worked up over the GOP’s new platform. ThinkProgress published a short piece, written by Ian Millhiser, warning that the “GOP platform declares that the social security benefit ‘Medicaid’ is unconstitutional.” But this really need not concern progressives, since the party platform…

Bully. (bul-ly) Noun. A person who uses strength or power to harm, intimidate or manipulate those who are weaker. In society, people run across all kinds of bullies. There’s the traditional bully in grade school who pushes around the smaller kids. There’s the punk in high school who picks on other people to get his way. There’s the neighborhood thu…

Even though millions of people want to keep Barack Obama’s Health Care “Reform” law, millions more want it gone. With the June Supreme Court ruling allowing the mandate to continue – and most everything else too – people are trying to focus on just that. “What should I do to spend my time and resources most effectively?” Over 50% of the country wan…

In September 1796, George Washington shared some words of wisdom that ring true today… “The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissention, which in different ages & countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a m…

For many Ron Paul supporters, the first major shock this year was Rand’s endorsement of Mitt Romney. Others felt the blow from Jesse Benton and John Tate. Still, others looked at the Campaign for Liberty’s obvious shift from liberty only to a republican advocacy group as reason for dismay. And just this last weekend at the Paul Festival, many suppo…

Is the US Government the worst rights violator on earth? Well they sure don’t think so! According to mainstream media reports, one of Barack Obama’s White House spokesmen said this in response to the recent “free speech” trial in Russia: “While we understand that the group’s behavior was offensive to some, we have serious concerns about the way the…

Some people seem to have the crazy idea that violations of the Constitution started just recently. And that things were pretty hunky dory up until January 2009. Charles in Texas had this to say: “If Barack Obama is elected for another term, the 10th Amendment will be obliterated.” We recently posed this question to a number of supporters – “On a sc…

On August 2nd, Robert Gray, the executive director of the American Open Currency Standard – that’s the company that mints our official Tenth Amendment Center 1 ounce silver medallions – gave testimony before Ron Paul’s Congressional Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy. We thought he made some extremely powerful statements – and wanted to share…

Get the New Documentary Today! Today, Paul Krugman decided to give us his wisdom on the subject of nullification – by saying almost nothing at all. In a short blog post, linking to a “report” by ThinkProgress, he notes – laughingly – that a Senate Candidate in Texas supports the idea of states nullifying acts of Congress. He doesn’t say a thing abo…

Since its inception, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policies have led to a decline of over 95% in the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar. As a result, there have been several attempts to reduce or even eliminate the Federal Reserve’s powers. Louis T. McFadden led efforts in the 1930s. Wright Patman pressed again in the 1970s. Henry Gonzalez got th…

During a recent radio appearance, a caller challenged my assertion that state legislatures should nullify the federal health care act, along with a slew of other unconstitutional measures. His reasoning? The federal government might be mean to us. He came up with a litany of actions the feds might take. They could yank all of the state’s funding. T…

by Harry Browne, Originally written July 2003 Unfortunately, July 4th has become a day of deceit. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress formally declared its independence from Great Britain. Thirteen years later, after a difficult war to secure that independence, the new country was open for business. It was truly unique – the first nation in a…

I see an interesting trend. This week, two state laws were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court – Montana and Arizona – while the Affordable Care Act ruling due tomorrow could do the same. Or, maybe it won’t. But does it really matter in the long run? We’ll get back to that question in a bit. THE SUPREMES LOVE THE FEDS But first, the so-c…

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson found himself in a position to nearly double the size of U.S. territory. He also sought to avoid future conflicts with France over Mississippi River navigation rights. But, the Louisiana Purchase gave the staunch advocate for a strict reading of federal power a pretty hefty dilemma. He was well aware that the Con…

Agents from the DEA raid marijuana dispensaries around Southern California more and more these days. And the Obama administration shows no indication that it plans on letting up, either. But people in California – and around the country too – are saying, “enough is enough!” The issue is medical. It’s moral. And it’s constitutional too. On the latte…

One late Saturday night, a pragmatist and an idealist walk into a bar. Both order pints of Guinness. Two fruit flies simultaneously plunge into the frothy heads of each beer. The idealist glowers, curses and empties the contents of his glass on a nearby potted plant. The pragmatist, surveying his friend’s unhappiness, flicks the fruit fly out of th…

In America, we no longer have the rule of law. It has been replaced by the “rule of five politically-connected lawyers who hold lifetime appointments.” This is just what Thomas Jefferson feared when he wrote this: “the germ of dissolution of our federal government is in the constitution of the federal judiciary: an irresponsible body, working like …

Last week the Heritage Foundation hosted a speech delivered by Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, entitled “Why Conservatives Should Fund and Support a Strong National Defense.” The event was the annual Jesse Helms Lecture, designed “to highlight America’s founding principles.” It was given as part of the Heritage Foundation’s Protect America Month. The inte…

Recently, as state and local governments have been passing legislation requiring non-compliance with the kidnapping provisions of the 2012 NDAA, a number of people who oppose NDAA have begun to attack these efforts to resist it – as little more than a sham. Vince Brown, for example, gets the ball rolling with this: “I don’t find the appeal here, is…

In 1850, when President Millard Fillmore signed the second “Fugitive Slave Act,” due process was under serious attack by the federal government. The law compelled people of all states to “assist” federal marshals and their deputies with the apprehension of suspected runaway slaves. It brought all trials involving alleged fugitive slaves under feder…

“Mongering fear…” That’s what establishment hawks Charles Stimson and David Rivkin say the Tenth Amendment Center and other organizations are doing by pushing back against the new “indefinite detention” powers in Sections 1021 and 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012. But, even in the face of yet another unconstitutional fe…

I’ve got a message for Jan Brewer – and it’s pretty simple. So here goes. Pointing fingers and talking tough about some issues is one thing. ACTING tough – that’s another thing altogether. This week, as you travelled to Washington DC, you made this statement – “I have a duty and obligation to defend the people of Arizona – especially when the feder…

In this special edition of Tenther Radio, Michael Boldin and Jason Rink are joined by Rob Natelson for a lesson on Habeas Corpus. Natelson is a constitutional scholar whose meticulous studies of the Constitution’s original meaning have been published or cited by many top law journals. Most recently, he co-authored The Origins of the Necessary and P…