March 31, 2008

::Updated::
It was April 12, 1861 when South Carolinians fired the first shots on Union Troops at Fort Sumter in the Charleston Harbor, initiating the civil war that for all intents and purpose was Jeffersonian States Rights versus Hamiltonian Federalism the main "state right" of course being the right of a slave owners to maintain a peculiar system of slavery. Four years later Federalism won out, both literally as the South was defeated and ideologically.

Fast forward 147 years and South Carolina's Low Country Governor is attempting to resurrect the notion that one of our state's has the right to stand up against the Federal Government - this time it's not about African Slaves, but about the Federal Real ID program. From Wikipedia:

Driver's licenses issued by states which do not file a waiver indicating intent to comply with the new standards will not be valid for air travel or to enter federal buildings starting May 11, 2008.

So what will be required of South Carolina's Citizens if when the extension request period lapses? Well we'll have to carry around our passports, even if we want to fly from Columbia to Charlotte NC and back. It could mean that we'd need our passports when driving through other states as well to validate our SC Drivers license. Essentially we'd be (once again) our own little country. What joy, it failed the first time I doubt we'll succeed the 2nd time around.

I suppose one could wonder - back when I was Strom's page in DC, folks in my page class referred to SC as Thurmondia. So what's to stop us from establishing yet another fiefdom in the deep south, especially as Governor Sanford drives us towards abismal failure - Mattheus Mei for emperor!

Two new articles from The State newspaper, one illustrating that the states that are challenging the government may be winning out in the stalemate and a second illustrating how our Governor is seeking advice from the AG on suing the Federal Government over Real ID.

Sphere: Related Content