Tonya Hudson is the Libertarian Party nominee for IN Lt Gov and will participate in a debate, on Aug 13, of parties’ candidates for Lt Gov. [FN1] On her campaign website she notes her respect for the U.S. Constitution, including “the 10th Amendment (State’s rights).” [FN2] 1/9

It’s nifty when candidates refer to our constitutions, but in our political system, States do not have “rights.” People have “certain unalienable Rights” and to secure these rights governments are instituted “deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” [FN3] 2/9

The notion that governments have rights would be antithetical to the concept of government by consent of the governed. Moreover, the Tenth Amendment, cited by Ms Hudson as “State’s rights,” makes no such mention. [FN4] Civil rights, right to abortion & voting rights 3/9

have been advanced & protected by Fed gov’t. Southern States’ insurrection in 1861 was not an action for “States rights,” as some say, but States that cited reasons for secession only mention preservation of slavery. [FN5] [FN6] And those Southern States lost. 4/9

Footnotes:
FN1. Scheduled for Aug 13 at 3 pm, in the Purdue Extension Building at the Indiana State Fair grounds, the debate will focus on issues related to agriculture. Terry Goodin, the Democratic Party nominee will participate, as will [ ], nominee of this iteration of the GOP. 5/9

Footnotes:
FN2. “I revere and respect the U.S. Constitution, including Article IV & the 10th Amendment (State’s rights). The Indiana State Constitution is very strong on the People’s right to bear Arms and self defense.” Tonya Hudson 6/9

Footnotes:
FN3. The Declaration of Independence.
FN4. “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.” U.S. Const. Amend X. 7/9

Footnotes:
FN5. South Carolina (12/24/1860), Mississippi (1/9/1861), Georgia (1/29/1861), and Texas (2/2/1861) issued statements that cited preservation of slavery as the primary reason for secession. 8/9

Footnotes:
FN6. Virginia (4/17/1861) asserts that powers granted under The Constitution, derived from the people of the United States were perverted “not only to the injury of the people of Virginia, but to the oppression of the Southern Slaveholding States.” 9/9