State constitutions and U.S. Constitution are both subject to clarification. When the two are in conflict the U.S. Constitution is given priority over the State constitution, otherwise it is no good and concedes as an undefined document in society.
The Bill of Rights serves as an instrument to protect the rights of every individual. While our forefathers did not intend that we should have the right to own and use machine guns or long range sniper rifles, it was the intention that citizens should be able to bear arms in order to be able to defend themselves from home invasion or to assist in maintaining a free state. If a state constitution limits the rights of an individual, then U.S. Constitution should be given priority.
The abolition of slavery took several changes in U.S. Constitution at the end of the Civil War, and again during the later part the civil rights movement. Another reason that U.S. Constitution should take priority is that there might be a possibility that there are states that allow practices that are not allowed by the U.S. Constitution. What would it be like to live in a country where individual states allowed slavery or segregation? We would not be "United States" at that point. At this time there are several states who have legalized the use of recreational marijuana. This is being disputed as being unconstitutional due to Article VI of the constitution, which states, “This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land.” (Bomboy, 2016)
Bomboy, S. (2016). Interest picks up in legal marijuana as constitutional issue. Retrieved from http://blog.constitutioncenter.org