Many libertarians are giddy about the men in black magnanimously giving temporary, limited, and conditional recognition of one tiny aspect of one of our rights--and seizing more federal power over the states in the process. Me, I don't trust anything the feds do. Anyway, all this reminded me of a great article by John Hasnas, about which I plan to write more later. Here's a choice quote therefrom:

"The reason why the myth of the rule of law has survived for 100 years despite the knowledge of its falsity is that it is too valuable a tool to relinquish. The myth of impersonal government is simply the most effective means of social control available to the state."

In this context, I also commend The Squalid 14th Amendment and The 14th Amendment and the Perils of Libertarian Centralism by the great Gene Healy, now at Cato.

More later.