Are States rights making a comeback?

For many decades the sovereignty of the States has eroded away as the federal government encroached further and further on their right to govern themselves.
On issue after issue, from taxation to abortion the federal government has peeled away the rights of states to create their own laws – but now it seems some states are drawing a line in the sand

During his campaign Barack Obama made several references about his desire for changing the laws regarding firearms - limiting gun ownership and usage. One of the few legal rights guaranteed by the US constitution but still administered by the states.

But a nationwide review by The Associated Press uncovered a largely unnoticed trend: In much of the country, it is getting easier to carry guns. Over the last two years, 24 states, mostly in the South and West, have passed 47 new laws loosening gun restrictions.

In Tennessee handgun owners won the right to take their weapons onto sports fields and playgrounds.

Among other things, legislatures have allowed firearms to be carried in cars, made it illegal to ask job candidates whether they own a gun, and expanded agreements that make permits to carry handguns in one state valid in another.

The trend is attributed in large part to a push by the National Rifle Association. The NRA, which for years has blocked attempts in Washington to tighten firearms laws, has ramped up its efforts at the state level to chip away at gun restrictions.
According to Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist "This is all a coordinated approach to respect that human, God-given right of self defense by law-abiding Americans,"

"We'll rest when all 50 states allow and respect the right of law-abiding people to defend themselves from criminal attack."

Among the recent gun-friendly laws:
— Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Utah have made it illegal for businesses to bar their employees from storing guns in cars parked on company lots.

— Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Virginia have made some or all handgun permit information confidential.

— Montana, Arizona and Kansas have allowed handgun permits to be issued to people who have had their felony convictions expunged or their full civil rights restored.

The state motto of Alabama is “We dare defend our rights”

Sounds like much of the rest of the country does too