Take a coin of the United States and somewhere on it will be printed “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” It is there because the coinage act of 1876 requires it to be. It had been there before 1876 because it was thought to express that which the United States wanted to exemplify by its actions and essentially by its very existence, “out of many, one.”
The original concept in 1776 was that the many were the thirteen colonies with their diverse religious and immigrant make-ups and the one would be the Union. The Puritans, Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists; Farmers, Artisans, Professionals, Laborers, small colonies and large colonies would put aside their differences and join not as a single entity but a conglomerate of equals each retaining whatever powers were not specified to the Federal Government. It required significant compromise on the part of each group and more from some than others. Several times the union very nearly didn’t happen and what they did achieve was never perfect but they made it work for a while. The reasoning behind the compromises was the proven concept that a united group could withstand external pressures much better than single colonies. That’s the “provide for the common defense” phrase in the preamble to the Constitution. Now, that we’re talking about the Constitution take a look at the very first words: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union…” A more perfect Union and the “united” states,” not we the people of America, in order to form a more perfect government. Today, however, we don’t think of ourselves as a union of constituent equal parts but as a single entity,
“America,” where one size fits all as far as laws are concerned, yet each of the fifty constituent states continues to have its own code of laws. To that end we are currently experiencing a reassertion of states’ rights. National drug laws, we are told by some state legislatures and judges, do not supersede those of the state and now you can cross from one state, where possession of certain controlled drugs is legal, to a state where you will be arrested and incarcerated for the same drugs. What has happened in 2020 is what happened in 1828-33 in South Carolina when the state legislature claimed federal law could not override the laws of the state. Andrew Jackson threatened South Carolina with martial law. This happened again in 1860 and was the real cause of the War between the States (there wasn’t anything civil about it.) Lincoln declared martial law, suspended habeas corpus and marched on the South with Federal troops.
Nullification is everywhere. If you don’t realize it we are neck deep in a States’ Rights crisis on a number of fronts including drugs, voting, censorship and the definition of liberty, right and privilege, then you aren’t paying attention. What is interesting about this go around on states’ rights is all the action is from the political left. It is the ultra left leading the movement to nullify national laws in favor of state laws on drugs, voting rights and censorship while it is the progressive left calling for national law changes to align all laws with those of the states engaged in the nullification process. This is being resisted in no small part by the populations of the Old South who, while still in favor of local government having the preponderance of responsibility for day to day governance, do not want federal troops camped on their state capitol grounds again.
The left sees themselves as the Borg of Star Trek fame. “Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.” Think about the Borg existence and ask yourself if that’s how you want your children and grandchildren’s future to be. Remember the Borg are all electric-note how they plug in at night for recharging. I wonder if they had a go green plan. But they are after all E Pluribus Unum. Or should it be E Pluribus Borg?