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The argument over the power of the federal government in relation to the power of the individual states is as old as the Republic itself and traces directly back to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. For most of American history, the crux of the argument has been a cover for issues involving race, and there are still a substantial number of people in the South who conceive of the Civil War not as a struggle over slavery but as a struggle over states’ rights. This contention falls apart upon closer examination, since the right of the states called into question was slave ownership. But, one might ask, who cares? Isn’t it all ancient history with little relevance to the present day? The answer to that is: welcome to the new era of states’ rights, and you better become current on this because it is going to shape your life—from healthcare, to energy, to global warming, to tire treads.
Publication History: Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing
July 2007 (Vol. 3, Issue 4, Pages 362-364)