Newspaper columnist speaks on 10th Amendment

The federal government is taking too much power away from the states, according to Joseph Sobran, syndicated newspaper columnist, author and publisher of a monthly newsletter. An audience of more than 15 students and faculty listened attentively to Sobran's lecture about the contemporary implications of the 10th Amendment in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall Thursday. "No health care, welfare, subsidizing of the arts or those sorts of things," Sobran said. He added that he feels federal government is exercising power not accorded by the constitution. Sobran stressed his belief that social programs such as welfare, Medicare and public television are unconstitutional because they are powers not specifically granted to the federal government. "Those programs, in my opinion, should not exist," he said. "But they should be state programs." Sobran added that the federal government is too big and is not truly serving the people. He explained that constitutional law has degenerated and that the justice system is not upholding the checks and balances of the federal government. Sobran also said that the fears of the Anti-Federalists -- those once opposed to a centralized government -- have come true. The role of the President of the United States provided Sobran with more explosive fuel. In his opinion, the first five presidents of the county's history were the best. "Presidents in those days were not Czars," Sobran said. "[Their positions were] based on rhetoric -- [they succeeded] by saying something memorable." In general, the audience seemed to agree with most of Sobran's points. "As a student?studying American intellectual history and constitutional theory, it is very interesting hearing people from the outside academia's perspective," College junior Ryan Hanley said. "But not one that I necessarily agree with across the board."