because you can

  It was on this day in 1861 when the first shots of the civil war were fired. A number of my ancestors were eventually involved in that conflict. Almost everyone would become involved with that before its' conclusion four years later. No one expected it to last that long. No one anticipated the carnage and death that would take place. What the fight was over is still debated among scholars to this day. The end result was a strengthening of the federal government. I believe that is universally agreed upon by everyone. Of course, the issue most discussed is the one of slavery. Slavery was the economic engine that drove the southern states, no doubt about that, although by 1861 that was changing. New inventions in farming equipment and labor saving techniques were slowly replacing the need for a large labor force. Just like today machines were taking jobs from people. It wasn't a bad thing then, for the same economic reasons as today. Machines can work 24/7, don't need rest, food or housing. A one time investment can make large returns. 

 The other big issue often cited for fighting is states rights. The southern states believing that the federal government was infringing upon their right to govern themselves. Remember we were only a few generations away from the Federalists. The Federalists were the first political party in America. They favored a strong central government in opposition to the anti-federalists that wanted the individual states to have greater power. Eventually Federalists became what we call Republicans today and Democrats anti-federalists. That's way over simplified but that's the gist of it. The Bill of Rights were added to the Constitution in response to the anti-federalists that felt the Constitution didn't do enough to protect individual rights.

 Abraham Lincoln summed it up best with his a house divided against itself cannot stand speech. He said that in a speech in 1858 while running for the Senate. That is actually a quote from the Bible. Jesus tells the people that divided they shall not stand. Lincoln is, of course, talking about the union. It wasn't the "union" at that time however, that isn't what it was called, it was simply the federal government. And the division Lincoln was talking about wasn't solely based in the practice of slavery or its' abolition. No, Lincoln was saying, we all need to be on the same page. Just as true today as it was then.

 One hundred and sixty one years after that first shot was fired, in some ways the war rages on. The house is still divided. It will always be divided. That is the nature of men. That's what Jesus was talking about and I'm certain he heard that from his parents and contemporaries as well. The struggle is still the same. Government vs individual rights. Here in the United States we have that sub-group of the national government, the states with their legislatures. We aren't alone in that as many other countries have "federalist" regions or states if you wish. The battle has always been, and remains, between those and the federal government. The strength of the federal government is the issue at hand. A very familiar one.

 For me, in my simplistic approach, I see it simply. The federal government is supposed to be the adult in the room, and the citizens its' children. The primary purpose of government is to establish standards of conduct. We call those "laws." What is the purpose of law? Establish minimum standards of conduct, maintain order and resolve disputes. Yup, just like your parents did. You didn't always like that, or agree with that, but it was always done in your best interest. You may have disagreed with as well, but as the saying goes, the buck has to stop somewhere. No one likes to be told, no. 

 When the south fired upon Fort Sumter the message to the federal government was, you can't tell me what to do! They rebelled. Damn rebels. And there you have it in a nutshell. The southern states felt the federal government didn't have the power to direct their ways, they got to decide that for themselves. Unionists seized upon the most morally reprehensible act they could find, slavery, to justify their response to this insolence. Never mind that slavery existed in the north, don't let that distract you, the objective is to throw that mud at the other fellow.

  The same thing is going on today. Individual states are now saying that "marijuana" is legal in their state. The fact is, it is still illegal on the federal level. The federal government agents can still arrest and prosecute anyone caught with that substance. In 1863 Lincoln famously signed the Emancipation Proclamation. That proclamation freed all the slaves in the southern states. It didn't free the ones being held by union states however. That didn't happen until 1865. Yes, slavery existed in the north under certain circumstances and provisions, basically loopholes. Also today abortion laws are different in each state, legalized by the federal government in Roe V Wade, it remains controversial. Many states are making it far more difficult to obtain that procedure. Depends upon which side of that issue you stand doesn't it? 

 Will there be another civil war? I'd suggest that it has never ended. I do think that at some point, if history is any guide at all, the United States as we know it today will dissolve. Just as Jesus said, a people divided cannot stand. When the people have drained the federal coffers, extracted everything they can from that entity, it will be abandoned. Our parents prepared us for the world as best they could. They tried to instill that sense of responsibility for the next generation in each of us. We were to elect our representatives based on that criteria. Which candidate will do the best for the "family?" It isn't supposed to be, what is best for me. I think that is being lost today. Ironic isn't it? True independence isn't being an individual. True independence is when you can operate within the framework of government, not in opposition to it. It was how, as a child I gained my independence. I had to show that I could operate within those constraints. When I did that, I was allowed to move freely about, unmonitored, unrestricted and unrestrained. Independence really means, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.