Posted on 07/06/2022 9:55:53 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
This Fourth of July, watching people fight over what the Constitution means, I ask people, if you could change the Constitution, what would you change?
"The forefathers knew what they were doing," said one woman.
But the Constitution originally accepted slavery. It's good that we can amend it.
So what should we change?
"Add a balanced budget amendment," suggests Glenn Beck.
David Boaz of the Cato Institute recommends 18-year terms for the Supreme Court. "Maybe confirmation fights would be less bitter and partisan."
Others suggest term limits for Congress. Stossel TV's Mike Ricci takes the idea further. "If your father, mother, siblings, uncle, cousins were elected to federal office, you can't be." That would curb Kennedy/Bush-like dynasties.
Several people said they want to eliminate the Commerce Clause. It gives government virtually unlimited power over the economy, complains tech journalist Naomi Brockwell, "forcing people to participate in federal pension programs ... enabling the War on Drugs."
Some want an amendment to stop the growth of Washington regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Federal Communications Commission. Economist Don Boudreaux calls them "a grave threat to Americans' liberties and prosperity."
The Supreme Court took a small step in restraining their power last week when it ruled that EPA bureaucrats can't set emission rules all by themselves. Congress has to vote on that.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif, proposes overturning Citizens United. He says that would stop those who "spend millions of dollars corrupting elections (and) would return our democracy to the town halls and citizen involvement that our founders envisioned."
I doubt that. Limits on political speech increase insiders' power.
Christina Martin of the Pacific Legal Institute wishes the Constitution did more to protect the rights of the individual. "How about a right to earn a living? How about a right to not have the government steal from you?"
But some young people told us they want to eliminate rights already in the Constitution, like free speech.
"Being able to speak your mind is important," said one, "as long as it's not in a way that is going to be long-term harmful to people."
Ouch. Who decides what is harmful? Will he get to censor my videos?
The Bill of Rights also includes the right to bear arms. Babylon Bee's Kyle Mann would add some lines to clarify that "you can't pass laws restricting ownership of firearms."
Others want to get rid of the Second Amendment. "We have police officers. We have a military," said one woman in Times Square. "So do we really need them? No."
I'm glad another person corrected her. "The only reason we stand on freedom is because we got the right to bear arms!" he says. "(Because of the Second Amendment) We're all a micro government in our own way."
We’re putting the cart before the horse.
We need to restore our republic first.
The Founders made it difficult to do so for a reason..................and this is it................
Let the Constitution be. It’s already been tinkered with with too much.
Opening it up for change would have beaucoup unintended and intended consequences.
Just getting people to understand the reason the founders put the natural born citizen clause in the Constitution was to prevent those with foreign citizenship from being President would be hugh and series.
No one born with more than ONE nationality is NATURALLY an American because they are also born something else.
No - impeach, remove and imprison those in power who refuse to honor and obey the Constitution we now have.
Zactly
Hi.
Fwiw, Kehoe wants to eliminate the 16th and 17th amendments.
Term limits for all in the three branches of government.
I still want the unicorn pooping Skittles that 0bama promised me.
5.56mm
What’s the point of an amendment when the government just ignores or circumvents parts of the Constitution that it doesn’t like?
Term limits and balance budget amendments are good. I’d also go for an amendment to limit government employment to 12 years. That’s 12 years total of local, state and federal government employment. Government should not be a career or a wealth maker.
I cannot imagine a single issue from the left or the right that would get the necessary number of states to ratify.
The next amendment HAS to be the elimination of communism and all its forms.
Repeal the amendment that allows for the popular election of US Senators.
While this is not exactly an Article V ping, it’s useful to see what each side is thinking.
The left would love to amend the part of the Constitution that makes it hard to amend the Constitution. But that would be hard to do.
The only person who made any sense was Boudreaux. And I don’t think any Amendment would fix government agency overreach.
Anyway, that is is why DON’T want an Article V convention of states. Turn these idiots loose on the Constitution and they’ll butcher it. “Right to make a living?” What the heck does that mean?
I am of the opinion that one way to reign in spending is changing how taxes are apportioned. There should not be an apportionment directly to the citizens. Rather last years spending, should be apportioned to the states. 50% of the spend should be apportioned by the number of Senators and 50% should be apportioned by the number of representatives.
I call this method “Representative apportionment”.
States then decide how best to tax their citizens in order to meet their federal tax obligation. Citizens only have to file a state tax return. States that are behind on their tax obligations first lose committee memberships and once past a certain point (90 days?), loose the right to vote on the floor.
This works best if the Senators representing the state are appointed by the legislature and not elected. Would also work best if the Income Tax was repealed.
The fact folks want it changed because it’s to restraining is proof it works.
Repeal the 17th amendment.
Senators should be appointed
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