I'm a Tenther, She's a Tenther, He's a Tenther...

...wouldn't you like to be a Tenther too?

Once again the left is down to name calling. Those of us who question the origin of the B-HO are derisively called Birthers. If we don't like higher taxes and bigger government, "luminaries" like Anderson Cooper call us Tea-baggers - interestingly enough a derisive term for homosexuals (I notice the radical 'gay' groups haven't squeaked a protest about the use of that term like they do if someone on the right uses a homosexual slur).

The latest attempt to demonize the right is to call those of us who oppose Obamacare 'Tenthers'. Naturally the left would find the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution and those who uphold it as a defense against big government offensive to their centralizing, corrupt power-grabbing goals. But this is doomed to fail as a marginalizing tool before it ever starts. Like the early Americans who co-opted the term and tune Yankee Doodle as a badge of honor, we Tenthers will do the same. Like the commercial where young men and women proclaim that they will not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we should not be ashamed of our belief in the Tenth Amendment which simply states:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

That's pretty straightforward!

Were we to fall to the level of the left, I suppose we could called Empress Pelosi and crew "Commerce Clausers" since they continually beat the American taxpayer over the head with their intentional misinterpretation of that little line on a daily basis. But unlike them, we understand where the Commerce Clause fits into the original intent just like the 10th Amendment. The Commerce Clause states: [The Congress shall have power] To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian tribes. The word among means between. It was included to keep the States from charging tolls and taxes when products crossed their borders as they had done under the Articles of Confederation and that's about it.

Before the days of blogging the state of Washington raised their cigarette taxes outrageously and then threw a tantrum when people living near the borders - especially with low tobacco taxing Idaho - were crossing over to buy cigarettes. The state sent troopers to spy on people buying cigarettes just across the line and issue tickets to them on returning to Washington. This is a CLEAR violation of the Commerce Clause because the product is legal in both states as long as the buyer is 18 and a state cannot penalize its citizens for buying elsewhere no matter their motivation; especially tax avoidance.

The state of Idaho long ago tried to violate the Commerce Clause in a less onerous manner by adding a line on their income tax form where you were supposed to calculate the amount of money you spent out of Idaho and pay the state sales tax for that spending. I don't recall anyone ever admitting to spending money out of state and believe it has since been removed. But it was an innovative try on their part!

The Tenth Amendment is becoming one of the last barriers to complete government control over our lives and it is currently at odds with the expansive abuse of the Commerce Clause as used by the Left. Stand up and proudly broadcast that you are indeed a 'Tenther'! I know I am.