“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.”  –US Constitution, Amendment 10.
Those who know me well or who have been in my Government class know that I value Amendment 10 as highly as #1 or #2.  Unfortunately, most folks today seem content to let the national government take more and more power from the states and the people.  This erosion of local and state liberties has had and will continue to have increasingly more devastating effects as the economy grows more desperate.
This morning’s paper reports that the state of NY is not going to help rebuild damage from recent summer flooding in nearby counties.  The governor’s reasoning is telling:
“If we have additional emergencies, we have to handle them on a case-by-case basis,” he said. “This is not historically a state responsibility. It is a federal responsibility, so our main expenditures … when the state has to pay this, is an unusual circumstance and we have to work very hard to find the funding.”
When we give Uncle Sam the power to rule in state matters, it is only a matter of time until we view him as responsible in state matters.  As a result, we whine and complain when he doesn’t come through and we realize that we have not made the preparations to enable us to care for our own.
Believe me–I understand that this issue is far more complex than I have presented here.  My point this morning is that when we let someone else take over our own responsibilities, ultimately we run the risk of developing a victim mentality when Big Brother doesn’t come through.
Be responsible.  Be a victor, not a victim.