Huh. I really did not understand how big the influence the 14th was.Until 1967 interracial marriages were state by state, the Supreme Court then made it nationwide based on the 14th. What Article IV of the Constitution does is make it where one state must recognize something done in another state, it doesn't mean that all states must do the same thing; one state can say "I'm not having gay or interracial marriage" but under Article IV it must recognize a gay (or interracial) marriage done in another state; it is the 14th Amendment that requires (under Supreme Court interpretation) for all states and the federal govt to have the equal rights for gay or interracial marriage. (Article IV is in the main original Constitution, I'm not sure if you understand that I'm NOT talking about an amendment). Without the 14th Amendment you can't apply the ANY of the restrictions the Constitution puts on the Federal govt upon the states; for example- freedom of speech protects an individual from censorship by the Federal govt and prevents Congress from passing laws restricting speech. It does NOT prevent states from passing laws restricting your speech or right to protest. It is the 14th amendment that puts those restrictions on what Congress can do and now applies them equally to state legislatures; BUT it requires for the Supreme Court to apply the 14th amendment on these rights given by the Bill of Rights, which is why you see that applying the 2nd amendment to the individual states took 150 years even though the 14th amendment had already been used to apply all other rights onto the states much earlier.
It seems to mean you get a U.S. that could be a genuine crazy-quilt of state laws.
Good point. I'm not sure I understood, either.I'm not sure if you understand that I'm NOT talking about an amendment