If the Constitution were yours to change...

[ScienceRocks]

I'd define the wording of each amendment to a "lower reading level". People seem to be too stupid to get the meaning of the second amendment.

I'd throttle back the power of the supreme court and lower courts. Who are they to override the people? The power of the presidents executive powers would be looked at very closely, because I feel it has want to far. Let's make sure that the congress makes laws.

Strengthen the power of the states with strengthening the 10th amendment and giving back the senate to the states. I'd modernize a little on who can do what. States would of course be the ones to hand out the free shit, etc if that's what the people want.


Term limits would become a constitutional amendment.

 

[bigrebnc1775]

I would just throw the whole thing out and declare me, CrazedScotsman ruler of the world. Every time you address me, you would have to say, "King CrazedScotsman, most merciful and fair". If you don't, you are put to death immediately. The first law I would make is that everyone must wear their underware on the outside of their clothes.

You would be the first target in my crosshairs. And I never miss. Even at 700 meters
Thankfully for you you'll never be in that position.

 

[ScienceRocks]

I just believe that a state should have the choice to do stupid shit. This isn't the 1790's anymore and a large percentage of this country believes in some really stupid shit...

On the other hand the federal government shouldn't be able to force the "conservative" states to do it. This is my mindset.

 

[Wonky Pundit]

Index the size of government to the size of the general population and require a balanced budget. No deficits and no surpluses.

What happens when a natural disaster hits?

Ever hear of community spirit? Big government has robbed us of that with their taxation and debt. We never had a problem helping one another (especially during natural disasters) until government assumed the role of big brother.

You've helped others during natural disasters? Maybe so, but I'm skeptical.

Either way, you'll reap what you sow.

 

[S.J.]

In order to vote, you should have to prove your citizenship, plus name both of your U.S. Senators, your House Representative, your Governor, the VP, what each of their roles are, and accurately state what the role is of each of the three branches of government. Anyone who doesn't know these things should not be voting.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

What changes, if any, would you make to it?

I would end it as follows:

In sum, in case you somehow missed what was very very obvious and deliberate, every word in the above Constitution was designed to forever make big government liberalism illegal on these shores.

 

[nitroz]

I'd limit the term of congressional and house positions to 1 term and make each term last 1 year. Halve the pay. No benefits when your term is up.

Any lobbying on any sort would result in termination of position and prosecution of perjury for the person(s) doing the lobbying.

Re-write the second amendment to include regulation and exemptions (exemptions would be very minimal)

Make it clear and definitive that the church is to be, and will be separated from the state. Churches are to pay taxes. Churches would face an increased tax rate for endorsing/promoting politicians or any government official.

Clearly and difinitively outline the search warrant amendment. Harsh penalties including mandatory prosecution of perjury for anyone who violates the amendment. No exemptions to anyone from this amendment. Prosecution will be done by the DOJ.

Trials will have a maximum time of 14 days to be done. If the trial is not concluded within 14 days, then the defendant will only face a 3-6 month probation with no responsibility for the prosecution's legal fees. If the trial is not concluded within 21 days, then the defendant is pardoned from all accusations and the prosecution will be responsible for the defendant's legal fees. If a case is taken to the supreme court, then the case must be resolved within 2 days or it is thrown out.

No tax breaks for anyone.

 

[thereisnospoon]

What happens when a natural disaster hits?

Ever hear of community spirit? Big government has robbed us of that with their taxation and debt. We never had a problem helping one another (especially during natural disasters) until government assumed the role of big brother.

You've helped others during natural disasters? Maybe so, but I'm skeptical.

Either way, you'll reap what you sow.

Nice try. The federal government was absent during the most recent flooding along the Mississippi river. The people took care of themselves.
This infuriates the pro big government liberals.

 

[Billo_Really]

They do. It is up to the individual elected officials to remember who voted them into off and the oath they took when they were sworn in.
To remove business from the process is to abridge freedom of speech. Can't do that.
And we come back to the integrity of the politicians. There seems to be very little of that.
One other thing. There are a lot more of "we the people" than there are corporations.
It is OUR fault we sit idly by and either don't care what happens unless it crawls across our front lawn or for about 45% of us in every Presidential election year, do not even bother to vote.
This is why politicians get away with the bullshit. This is why lobbyists can roam the halls of the Capitol with brief cases full of stuff to steer a politician's vote.
Ultimately it is not the lobbyists or the people that pay them. It is the politicians themselves. It is THEY who cannot conduct themselves the correct way.

Freedom of speech should only apply to people, not corporations.

It is "we the people", not "we the people, inc."

 

[dblack]

I'd truncate the entire document after the fifth word of the 1st Amendment, replacing the remainder with a period.

 

[Wyatt earp]

Campaign Finance Amendment

This amendment would have language to accomplish the following:

No individual would be allowed to donate more than (approximately) the average amount that a middle income American donates to any presidential campaign. This upper limit would also apply to congressional campaigns.
No presidential or congressional campaign would be allowed to raise more than 150 times the amount above. Any excess goes to the treasury's debt reduction.
Advertising for or against any candidate for national office is forbidden.
All parties organized and registered with the Federal Elections Commission must have their candidates listed on the ballot.
Repeal the Electoral College in favor of popular votes for presidential races.

Naturally, this would not repeal the entire first amendment, but would be considered an exception to it.

No fucking way in hell would I want to repeal the electorial college. in favor of a popular vote. this is not the land of mob rules my friend.

 

[Dugdale_Jukes]

What changes, if any, would you make to it?

Personhood and the rights of individuals would be specifically limited to "natural born citizens".

Yes, that would exclude corporations and noncitizen resident aliens.

Shoot me.

Are you trying to tell me that people who aren't born here are not real?

No.

Why do you ask?

 

[aaronleland]

In order to vote, you should have to prove your citizenship, plus name both of your U.S. Senators, your House Representative, your Governor, the VP, what each of their roles are, and accurately state what the role is of each of the three branches of government. Anyone who doesn't know these things should not be voting.

And before going to war against a country you should be able to find it on a map.

 

[Wyatt earp]

In order to vote, you should have to prove your citizenship, plus name both of your U.S. Senators, your House Representative, your Governor, the VP, what each of their roles are, and accurately state what the role is of each of the three branches of government. Anyone who doesn't know these things should not be voting.

who cares, the only people in my book that should be allowed to vote in a national election is the ones who pay federal income tax. we are the ones supporting it were the ones that should be able put reps voting on how our money is spent.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

They do. It is up to the individual elected officials to remember who voted them into off and the oath they took when they were sworn in.
To remove business from the process is to abridge freedom of speech. Can't do that.
And we come back to the integrity of the politicians. There seems to be very little of that.
One other thing. There are a lot more of "we the people" than there are corporations.
It is OUR fault we sit idly by and either don't care what happens unless it crawls across our front lawn or for about 45% of us in every Presidential election year, do not even bother to vote.
This is why politicians get away with the bullshit. This is why lobbyists can roam the halls of the Capitol with brief cases full of stuff to steer a politician's vote.
Ultimately it is not the lobbyists or the people that pay them. It is the politicians themselves. It is THEY who cannot conduct themselves the correct way.

Freedom of speech should only apply to people, not corporations.

It is "we the people", not "we the people, inc."

You think that if more than one person agrees about something they lose their right to talk about it?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Personhood and the rights of individuals would be specifically limited to "natural born citizens".

Yes, that would exclude corporations and noncitizen resident aliens.

Shoot me.

Are you trying to tell me that people who aren't born here are not real?

No.

Why do you ask?

Because that is, essentially, what you just said.

 

[Dugdale_Jukes]

Personhood and the rights of individuals would be specifically limited to "natural born citizens".

Are you trying to tell me that people who aren't born here are not real?

No.

Why do you ask?

Because that is, essentially, what you just said.

No.

It isn't.

The essence of my post is

Personhood and the rights of individuals would be specifically limited to "natural born citizens".
​

A side bar comment was something like that excludes corporations and illegals from having the rights of natural born citizens. As most nations do. To take it to a more granular level, "natural born" excludes corporations from citizens' rights, while "citizen" would legally exclude illegals (see how that works?) from citizenship rights.

The concept "real" was not addressed.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Personhood and the rights of individuals would be specifically limited to "natural born citizens".

No.

Why do you ask?

Because that is, essentially, what you just said.

No.

It isn't.

The essence of my post is

Personhood and the rights of individuals would be specifically limited to "natural born citizens".
​

A side bar comment was something like that excludes corporations and illegals from having the rights of natural born citizens. As most nations do. To take it to a more granular level, "natural born" excludes corporations from citizens' rights, while "citizen" would legally exclude illegals (see how that works?) from citizenship rights.

The concept "real" was not addressed.

The rights of individuals include life, liberty, and all sorts of other things that you seem to think that no one not born here should have. The rights of citizenship are things like voting and collecting government benefits like Social Security. The last time I looked you can't vote or collect government benefits unless you are a citizen.

That means that either you don't know what you are talking about, or you want to be able to gun down anyone not born in the US because they are not real people.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Index the size of government to the size of the general population and require a balanced budget. No deficits and no surpluses.

What happens when a natural disaster hits?

Ever hear of community spirit? Big government has robbed us of that with their taxation and debt. We never had a problem helping one another (especially during natural disasters) until government assumed the role of big brother.

Reactionary nonsense.

Federal disaster relief merely represents all communities in America helping communities struck by disaster.

 

[Dugdale_Jukes]

A "natural born citizen" does NOT necessarily mean a citizen was born here. John McCain is a "natural born citizen" but he was born in some shit for brains country where his old man was stationed.

It means they breathe or have "natural" life and are citizens. Citizenship can be arrived at by birth or naturalization or as in Simp's case by custom or later law. As it stands illegals have the same basic rights in law as citizens. The header asked what we might want to change. Giving citizens more legal rights than illegals is a change I'd make.

Corporations don't breathe; there is no rational basis for bloodless "entities" to have the rights of living, breathing citizens. There was no intent by The Founders, people nutballs claim to honor and some freakshow fake liberals cite from time to time, to give corporations the rights of "natural born" citizens. The corporate scum who wrote the 14th amendment deliberately excised "natural born" from "persons" to allow for the myth of the "corporate person" to metastize into law as it did first in the 1880s Santa Clara case and more recently - and dangerously, under the filthy lowlife degenerate cocksucker John Roberts in Citizens United.

As to projecting what something one does not ken means, a good habit is to ask.