First, it was the 20 year anniversary of George W. Bush signing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force.

This was the resolution—still on the books—that Congress passed giving the president unlimited authority to wage perpetual war in Iraq.

Twenty years later, and we still have 2,500 soldiers in Iraq. And there are neocons lobbying to use it as an excuse to go to war with Iran. (Try explaining how that makes sense).

We live in a country where a single person, the president, holds tyrannical authority over the critical decision of war and peace.

The Founding Fathers didn't intend for the American president to have the same authority as a foreign strongman like Vladimir Putin, but that's the system we live under.

Our government became like this because of a power hungry executive branch and a weak-willed legislative branch fearful of accountability.

Only state governments, acting in the protective interests of their residents, can fix this federal problem.