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Friday, April 16, 2010

Howie Petition Shows Ignorance of Civil War, U.S. History

At best, Gordon Howie's failed petition drive to nullify health insurance reform was futile political grandstanding. At worst, it was the kind of Calhoun conservatism that led to the Civil War.

I'm not the only one who smells secession—or at least ignorance of history—in Howie's political posturing. Here's what Madison business leader Mike McDowell says about Howie's nullification drive:

Whatever your opinion of the new federal law, you should be amazed that a candidate for our state’s highest office seems to have no knowledge that the Civil War which ended in April 1865 settled that issue – nullification of federal laws by the states lost. Send Mr. Howie back to 6th grade history class and keep him there until he knows American history much better than he seem[s] to know it now [Mike McDowell, "Election Silly Season Continues," Forward Thinking, 2010.04.07].


Jerry Prostrollo visits with R. Blake Curd and Gordon Howie at a Madison 9-12 Project meeting April 2, 2010. Perhaps JP is setting the candidates straight on the meaning of the Constitution and dangers of nullification?
I had a nifty screenshot here of the 9-12 Project meeting showing what I'm talking about, but the photographer who snapped the image included in the screenshot has claimed copyright restriction. Above is my recollection of what I saw in on the 9-12 website before the photo in question disappeared from the 9-12 website and from the photographer's Facebook photo album. The green rectangle represents the portion of the screen shot that is my graphic work, superimposed to prevent the dissemination of copyrighted photographic imagery that could make a Madison businessperson unhappy. (And a big welcome to all my new friends at the Canon Digital Photography Forum!)
I would love to hear what another well-heeled member of Madison's economic development leadership thinks of Howie's tom-dick-and-harry-foolery (tomfoolery seems inadequate when describing Howie's politics). State Board of Economic Development chairman Jerry Prostrollo attended Gordon Howie's campaign stop in Madison a couple Fridays ago. He heard Howie preach his gospel of nullification. Did Prostrollo sign that petition? Or did he explain to his aspiring fellow Republicans that Howie's petition drive was actually decided 145 years ago when Lee surrendered to Grant?

13 comments:

  1. How pathetic that you continue to rail against the U.S. Constitution and the freedom of your fellow Americans--and with silly notions such as this.

    Those who dream up idiotic pronouncements like this are clueless about the Civil War and U.S. history--not to mention frighteningly ignorant of our Constitution.

    We are under no obligation to cave in to an illegal law. There is no authority for this unconstitutional socialist scheme in Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, and the Tenth Amendment further prohibits such un-American activity.

    It is ironic that you would bring this up as an argument in favor of the un-American, un-Constitutional government health care scheme. When the South seceded from the North, they did so for the most prominent reason of keeping fellow human beings in forced servitude to other human beings. This unconstitutional government health care plan forces some human beings to be in forced servitude to supply health care coverage to other human beings. You are in the position of supporting the same thing, though in a less egregious manifestation, the slavers of the South supported. Nice, huh?

    Also, when the Southern states seceded from the Union, the division between North and South was based on natural geographic lines. Agriculture was much bigger in the South, with the people of those states much more dependent on it than those in the north; in addition to the legal status of slavery in these states, the warmer climate of the South made agriculture a greater commodity. But the unconstitutional government health care bill threatens the freedom of Americans in all 50 states. There is no natural geographical division to support secession.

    Finally, I haven't heard anyone--beyond the faint and worst-case "what if" floated by TX Governor Perry a year or so ago--talk of seccession. Rather, we are going to take back our government from you socialist usurpers. We are going to re-institute our Constitution and see it obeyed rather than used for toilet paper as you socialists have been doing.

    In short, we're not going anywhere. If you don't like the United States as the fortress of freedom and self-determination that it always was and should remain, you can go somewhere else. And no, we're not allowing you to take a state with you. You can just pack your bags and move to Cuba or some other Marxist country which is obviously more suited to your authoritarian tastes.

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  2. But go have this conversation with Mike McDowell, Bob. He's the one who referred to your candidate's politics as silly and uninformed.

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  3. I want Sibby back. Bob is boring again.

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  4. I have always questioned the premise that the civil war was necessary to end slavery The old argument that it was over states rights has validity and should be viewed as an issue separate from the question of abolition. The idea that the ability to secede or to nullify federal law was decided by that war fails to address both the federal usurpation of power and the practical result of secession in the modern context. All people like Cory are saying is Might made Right. Precedence does not bind the supreme court.

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  5. Bob Ellis writes "This unconstitutional government health care plan forces some human beings to be in forced servitude to supply health care coverage to other human beings."
    This occurs already in our society.When the injured pregnant illegal immigrant is treated at the hospital and the bill is waived for inability to pay. The patients who pay their bills are forced to cover the illegals bill, by the overcharges on their bill. The only other option the hospital has is to let the illegal and her unborn child go untreated and/or perish.

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  6. Barry, precisely. We already have universal health care. It's just the most expensive and least intentional form of universal health care imaginable.

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  7. "The only other option the hospital has is to let the illegal and her unborn child go untreated and/or perish."

    False choice. Abuse of the system by those who should not be here in the first place is hardly a good justification for abusing the people who actually do have a right to be here. Your scenario is just more support to deal with illegal immigration, not support for universal socialism. There is nothing saying that the expense should be just written off. Whatever happened to indentured servitude? Debtor's prison was counter-productive but the idea of releasing people from their obligations so easily should have been rejected long ago. It is also a false choice as it disregards all forms of voluntary programs that could be utilized to help pay their expenses. My neighbor is under no legal obligation to help others. You want to make him regardless of his opinion. You advocate tyranny to benefit the collective.

    Progressive=Borg

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  8. So Roger are you saying China should put us all in jail until we work off the debt we owe them? Great idea. Let's not actually BE commies, just slaves to them.

    Get out your sandals, Cory. Roger's fixin' to send us to the rice paddies!

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  9. Roger . I wasn't supporting anything in my post , I was merely stating a fact. Please reread. unless you can tell me what other realistic option the hospital has other than treatment, your statement is no more than ideological blither blather.
    Your neighbor is under obligation to pay his bill, unless it is waived by the hospital, and by paying his bill he helps whoever the hospital decides he is going to help.

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  10. Yep, Cory, still telling it like it is, because the truth never changes. Always have, always will. And will continue to do so as long as you keep working against my freedom and that of my fellow Americans. :-)

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  11. Bob, why is it all about you? Why do you keep dropping by to turn every post into a declaration of what a great, brave American you are? Why aren't you focusing on what a great American Gordon Howie is? Your self-absorption knows no bounds.

    I am one of Gordon Howie's fellow Americans. I appreicate his concern for the Constitution. Unfortunately, he's woefully misguided and ignorant of history. So says Mike McDowell, another fellow American.

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  12. Surely you're smarter than that, Cory. You must simply be engaged in your usual attempt to avoid the truth that indicts you so harshly.

    None of this is about me, and none of this is even about Gordon Howie: it is about the health of our great nation, and about restoring respect for the U.S. Constitution. Some of us refuse to be silent while you and your Marxist comrades attempt to destroy our republic.

    I don't know anything about this Mike McDowell person other than the text you've clipped, but if he honestly believes the same thing you do, he's either as ignorant of the Constitution and our history as you are, or as dedicated to spreading misinformation, deception and lies as you are.

    Come on, Cory: get on the American team. The American way is fantastic. You really should give it a try!

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  13. How wonderful America remains: We have the freedom to get on blogs like this and express our diverse views without fear.

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