Progressives/Liberals, Do You See Value of Strong State Governments Now?

[Damuri_Ajashi]

Not to turn this into another gun thread but…

@Llama_Llogophile

Uh huh.

Anectdotaly, I’ve asked my gun enthusiast friends about exactly that scenario - making gun laws completely federal. It would eliminate the state-to-state transport issues, get rid of the patchwork of varying state regs, and possibly ensure a uniform standard of training.

They invariably shoot down (heh) that idea with highly unprintable expletives. They all seem to prefer taking their chances with the states.

It sounds like you either proposed a comprehensive new set of federal regulations to preempt all state and local regulations or thats what they thought you were talking about. If we got rid of all state and local gun laws then there would be fewer gun restrictions in almost every state. I can’t think of a state where gun control would increase as a result fo the repeal of all state and local gun laws.

@Bone

This isn’t true. There are a few states who have passed or pushed nullification laws in an effort to not recognize federal gun laws in favor of state level gun laws.

And while there may be some states that are pushing states rights, it is political theater. None of those state laws actually nullify federal law, nor can it. The vast majority of serious state level legislative actvity is being pushed by gun control groups who cannot get anything passed at the federal level.

[septimus]

Speaking for myself, not “Progressives/Liberals”, I’ve always advocated empowering states – not as a matter of “rights” but because the flexibility of different directions or experiments should increase robustness.

Some federal rules are surely necessary. Commerce needs to be free, but I opposed Federally mandated traffic laws. Federal guarantee of civil rights was obviously necessary, but I’d be happy if the legality of abortion were left to the states. Sometimes it almost seems that U.S. states have more autonomy than EC countries! I recall having a bottle of expensive French liquor confiscated when I flew to California non-stop – New York would have admitted it.

The problem with the term “state’s rights” is that in American diction that’s just code for racism and “teh guvmint is teh eevul.” Pretending that progressives who reject racism, and other values of “states’-rights” advocates, don’t understand the value of distributed authority is just more right-wing mumbo-jumbo.

[Bone]

@Damuri_Ajashi

And while there may be some states that are pushing states rights, it is political theater. None of those state laws actually nullify federal law, nor can it. The vast majority of serious state level legislative actvity is being pushed by gun control groups who cannot get anything passed at the federal level.

First you said that the people pushing for state’s rights wrt guns were gun control advocates. Now you are saying it’s the majority. I know for a fact (as demonstrated and stipulated) that it’s not true for everyone, and I’m skeptical that there is a majority of state’s rights advocates wrt guns who are supporting increased gun control. Do you have a cite?