What's so outdated about the Constitution?

Ooo, I hope this thread was for me!!

First of all, it's inflexible. 2/3rds majority means that the Constitution is amended maybe once a decade. The actually piece of legislature has to be more flexible to include necessary human rights.

 

We need to modify the constitution to make people actually follow it. You want the Patriot Act? Great, put in an amendment. As for the youth wanting to modify it, I hardly think there's many at all, but there are some changes I would like.

Lets get rid of the electoral college. Just because the other 51% of a state votes one way doesn't mean that all the other votes need to go that way, it's stupid. The original idea was to give the states a check against the federal government. That's not how it's used so lets just scrap it.

We also need to reform the electoral process in general. First, public funding or limits for campaign money is a must. You shouldn't have to be a millionaire or have significant financial backing to run for office. And donating money is not free speech. That's stupid, certain people do not have more free speech than others.

We should also try to change the majority plurality voting method. Our founding fathers did not anticipate political parties and didn't plan for them. Because of the plurality system we have gotten trapped into a rigid two party system where it is close to impossible for a third party to get into office, and it also discourages people from voting third party for fear of wasting a vote. Look at the 2000 election for a good example of the failure of the plurality system. With a preference chart, as seen in something like the Hare method, Gore would almost certainly have won. A preference system makes a more representative voting method.

So yeah, thats some stuff I would like to see changed about the constitution, not that it will happen because both parties seem content to just ignore it.

 

I agree Polecat. I thought after Bush's first election something would be done. But nada, not a word not an address before congress...nothing.

That is the main area I would like to see change, but that can be made through an amendment.

I'd also like to live long enough to see the Equal Rights Amendment ratified. It only needs 3 more states.

But that doesn't mean the Constitution is broken, only that the electorate seems disinterested.

 

There should be something in the Constitution that protects and upholds the status of First Nations persons, women, blacks, and immigrants. The right to bear arms should be eliminated.

The 14th amendment has been used to cover fat corporate asses far too many times. A corporation is not a fuckin' citizen and has no body to incarcerate, no soul to save.

Lift the 13th amendment. Just cut it out completely. Re-write it out of your Constitutional history.

Outline the way that Political Parties can run campaigns and re-structure the entire electoral process. 3 years is too god damned long to be running for President. I see no reason to prolong a race like that.

Create a centralized federal government, include rights to homosexuals to marry, of prostitution to be illegal, of clear abortion laws, and streamline taxation laws.

Ugh, the way the USA is set up, it's like a bunch of irregular states trying to operate and compete amongst themselves and it creates great disparities between one state for another. It reminds me of 13th century France.

 

You would like to lift the abolishment of slavery?

 

I might be wrong, but I think what Aristartle is saying is that the second sentence of our Declaration of Independence should hold true within our constitution. That there really isn't any need for reasonable people to have to grant the rights of freedom to all peoples since it's already been spelled out:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

But if that is the case it shouldn't be necessary to point out that aboriginal people, women, blacks, Asians, etc should have their rights upheld. Perhaps not all people were considered equal when it was written, but that was then and this is now. The beauty in our Constitution is not just the eloquence and brevity but its flexibility, or at least that is how it was intended. But it has been repeatedly interpreted to fit the needs of whatever specific group is in charge. That shit needs to stop.

I agree that the second amendment should be modified to read "To keep arms" but not to necessarily bear them at will. I enjoy hunting and some people rely on it for their survival. The old argument that nations who have outlawed firearms have lower rates of crime is not always true. Some nations which mandate gun ownership for the specific reasons of national defense have very little gun crime while others that simply allow it have more severe gun crime rates. But it is all based on interpretation of this amendment and the paranoid gun nuts will fight to the last bullet for their ownership rights. I see a dark cloud on the horizon where this is concerned with a new administration taking office in 3 weeks.

The rest of her post I agree with completely.

 

But the Declaration of Independence isn't the constitution. And amendment to the constitution was necessary to make it law.

 

The Constitution binds the threads of this country together. I have no intentions of giving up the rights that it allows as any of the amendments...especially the 2nd...without the 2nd there would be no 1st

 

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution!

 

Disgree

Agree

Agree, I don't think it's that big a deal though.

Agree, put in a measure limiting funding and it's perfect.

Call gay marriage domestic partnership and there would be no hard feelings. I feel it would be safer for prostitution to be , as in Holland. Clear abortion laws would be good. I would agree with streamlining the tax system, but I think putting in an Amendment would make it too difficult to change.

 

You keep your fagtastic pussy nazi anti-gun laws in Canada where they belong , fuck you very much

 

I will thanks.

Have a nice vacation.

 

Funny how those who call for the elimination of firearms from the people never call for the same from the police and military, which many of these people see as benevolent Gods that are there to "protect" them. The people cannot own guns, but the "loving government".... Oooo, let's all just worship them like good, obedient little slaves because they're our saviors.

These brainwashed types will complain about citizens owning guns, but will say nothing about the police state that WANTS to ban guns so they can completely dominate and control people.

Seriously, people. Why do you think there is such a push to ban guns? Do you think it's because they care about the safety of the children they poison with their toxic stimulant drugs and mercury-laden vaccinations?

Some of you need to wake up (though I know many of you are virtually incapable of this).

 

Hey this thread I hope isn't going to decline into a gun rights argument. That wasn't my intent when I started it.

 

Hmm, I seem to be only proponent to express eliminating the right to bears arms in this thread.

Are you saying that I need to wake up?

 

Aristartle I thought of you while I was cleaning my gun tonight.

No really, someone gave me an old basketcase .223 and I thought of you as I was buffing the bolt. Er... polishing the barrel. Uh... emptying the chamber.

Never mind.

 

That's a surefire kill. I've only fired rifles. Mostly at old television sets.

Don't really want to touch a handgun unless it squirts water. Good thing you've got a long barrel I guess.

 

If the shoe fits, wear it. That's all I am going to say.

But, if you're going to denounce civilian gun ownership, it would only be hypocritical of you to not denounce government gun ownership as well.

I would be much more likely to support a ban on guns if the same applied to the state as well, though that is unlikely to happen.

I am not a fan of guns, nor ever have been. It's just that, unlike some people, I see what's behind the push to make all gun ownership illegal in the hands of the average citizen.

 

I've never held a gun, rifle or otherwise, in my entire life. I guess you're more of a potential killer than I.

 

now ari please tell me you dont want long barrels elliminated also??