With the rise of the Tea Party and a new focus on Constitutional
limits to the size and power of the Federal government, the
liberal media is reaching back to middle-school history class
for clubs to beat the right with: States' rights are bad,
because the South fought for "states' rights" to own slaves, and
that's evil! Which, of course, is what we were all taught, more
or less. It's been the unquestioned narrative for a hundred
years; part of the background scenery against which our modern
political conflicts are played out, unquestioned by all. But it
should be questioned - because it's not true. The Civil War did
not come about because the North suddenly decided to violate the
rights of the South to own slaves. In reality, the fuse of the
Civil War was lit by the exact opposite: After centuries of
peaceful coexistence, the South suddenly decided to violate the
right of the North not to participate in slavery! The
abolitionist explosion, increasing tension, and eventual war
were the direct and inevitable r