U.S. Blues

States Once Ruled Your Mind, Body, and Bedroom. They Want to Do It Again

Tomorrow is July 4th. Independence Day. Almost 250 years since America went to war to declare itself free from being ruled by a king and created government for the people, by the people.

But for the first time since the Civil War, the survival of American democracy is at stake.

Here’s what too few Americans understand:

100 years ago, Americans were not all that free, and certainly not free in the modern sense.

Most Americans had almost no protection from government overreach – not just from the federal government, but from their state governments.

States could ban birth control. States could segregate schools, buses, and lunch counters. States could make it illegal to publish certain books or possess certain films. States could search your home or tap your phone with few limits. States could shut down your speech. Your liberties were almost entirely at the mercy of state governments.

What changed?

Selective incorporation.

Case by case, amendment by amendment, decade by decade, the Supreme Court ruled that the rights in the Bill of Rights applied not just against the federal government, but also protected you from your state government.

Slowly, states lost the power to:

Ban Birth Control to Make You Pay Consequences for Pre-marital Sex

Maintain Jim Crow segregation

Keep pornography illegal

Ban Grand Theft Auto

Made Interracial Marriage Illegal

Had vast powers to search, investigate and prosecute you without warrants, warnings, or even lawyers!

Shut down your speech

That’s right. Big Federal Government gave you more liberty, NOT less.

The federal government forced your state governments to protect your fundamental civil rights and liberties FROM THE STATE by applying the Bill of Rights to the states through selective incorporation.

Ok, here’s a little poli sci 101:

Civil liberties protect you from government interference. Civil Rights require the government to act to ensure equal treatment under the law.

Civil Right: the right to vote

Civil Liberties: the right to free speech.

Over time, Americans became freer than they’ve ever been. At least until Donald Trump’s Supreme Court destroyed 50 years of precedent to find that women do not have control of their own bodies: their states do.

That’s the reality:

The version of American freedom we live under today is the freest in our history.

We’re so free, we do shit like this

And this

And whatever the hell THIS is!

And now, we’re about to piss it all away to turn an Orange Clown into the First American King.

When Republicans talk about their deep love of “limited government” what they really mean is they want state power to control you. Again.

That’s BIG government, not small.

“Limited government” allows Texas or Florida to decide if you can read a book, marry who you love, control your own body, speak your mind, or worship as you please.

Don’t let nostalgia for an America that never existed blind you to the freedoms you will lose!

Tomorrow, while fireworks burst over your head, ask yourself:

What will July 4th mean next year?

The answer depends on you.

Rachel

Editors Note: As part of this post and going forward I am taking it upon myself to push people to order and distribute pocket constitutions.

The link will take you to a FREE digital copy of the U.S. Constitution. You can also purchase hard copies. Use them to tell the people you know and love how they came to be the freest people on Earth- ever and that they stand to lose it all.

Ask them if they love America and when they say yes, give them a pocket Constitution and ask them to read it.

I am also excited to report that if you love my Fascism Sucks shirt you can get your very own right here. It was quite the rage at the No Kings Rally, which I wish we were doing on the 4th this year. Your purchases will help support The Cycle!