Tenth Amendment

[Powers Reserved to States or People]

"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."

The governmental powers not listed in the Constitution for the national government are powers that the states, or the people of the states, can have. States determine the rules for marriages, divorces, driving licenses, education requirements, and the like. Because these areas are not listed in the Constitution, they are therefore under the control of the states. 

I have mixed feelings for this amendment. On one hand, I think it is a good idea for different states to have different laws regarding these issues, because if one state doesn't allow, say gay marriage, than another state will, thereby giving that couple the opportunity to marry. On the other hand, it seems wrong that if a couple had to move because of work, or some other issue, or maybe would just rather live in a certain state, than their marriage would run the risk of not being recognized by that state.

As Mike Huckabee said, states' rights are not an outdated concept, they are incredibly important to our Constitution. I think that that is especially important with issues such as medical marijuana, as is presented in this video. Coming from California, I am used to seeing these medical marijuana places on what seems like almost every corner. I feel that this is a much better issue to be decided at the state level rather than federal, because it almost seems as though the majority of people's opinions depend on where they are from. The typical stereotype of the laid-back, liberal Californian, is fitting for promoting the legality of marijuana. But if someone were to take the issue of legalizing the drug into say, a more Southern and conservative state, the people would be much more opposed to it.