State power, repeal the 17th Amendment?

We're starting to hear a lot of talk about secession these days especially from the western states. I think a very important and large issue is states are becoming less and less important, while the Federal Government increases in size everyday. It seems instead of looking to our own state we are looking at the Feds to fix our problems. Wouldn't it be easier to vote and organize things like socialized health care and what not just in your state? So you don't have to leave your entire country because they're doing things you don't approve of or because they offer poor services.

Today in my history class my teacher asked the class who thought the Federal Government was too powerful in comparison to state governments, nearly everyone raised their hands. Then he said he believes the 17th Amendment contributes to it.

The amendment supersedes Article I, § 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, transferring Senator selection from each state's legislature to popular election by the people of each state.

en.wikipedia.org...

What the 17th Amendment did was allowed the people to elect the senators instead of the State Legislatures. Now I know it may seem like that's a good thing and it might be, but the founding fathers had a reason for the states electing the senators. It gave the state legislatures the ability to elect representatives whom they thought could best represent the states needs in Washington. Now it may seem like this is dangerous giving the politicians even more power, but you have the power to elect your state senators whom elect these representatives, and besides changes are easier made on a state to state level (the woman's rights movement realized this).

I think if Obama was smart he would do something to improve states power and that would calm these sovereignty movements we see and talks about secession. What causes states to consider secession is being ignored, that's how the Civil War started. What's happening now? States are being ignored and have lost great amounts of power.


[edit on 1-5-2009 by asmall89]