Can we just get a new Constitution? A do-ovet?
I have 100% confidence that once again Dems will win the popular vote. But because of the EC only the votes in "battleground states" matter. And that's up in the air.
I lost my reverence for an outdated 18th century document about a decade ago. Flaws and oversights both enabled the existence of this lopsided SCOTUS we have and give cover for them to interpret in it a reversion to 18th century principles.
@S_r_stone I’m going to respectfully disagree. Amendments are certainly in order, but the Constitution itself is genius. It’s an excellent roadmap. I’ve been amazed at how often it provides solutions to unique problems. The trouble is and always will be with the people who use it. As excellent a document as it is, it requires seriousness, integrity, and patience in its use. At least one political party’s leadership has been lacking in all 3 for quite some time. Just my opinion though.
@LKNWoman Senate is anti-majoritarian. EC is built as a compromise to keep slave states support. Ambiguity everywhere to be exploited. Lack of protections against those people exploiting it you reference.
Amendment process requires states who would lose power to go along with any modernization efforts. Language written for 18th century reality only works in 21st century with liberal interpretation. 2nd amendment locks us into worst gun violence of the developed world.
@LKNWoman
Even the founders expected it to be rewritten eventually. Both Jefferson and Washington thought it would need a rewrite every 20 years or so at the time of writing.
Amendments were good for tweaks back when the states were not so far apart in size. Reliance on them is like using duct tape to keep your car functioning.
Lincoln had to finesse (possibly violating some laws himself) just getting slavery abolished even AFTER a civil war.
I was taught reverence as well.
@LKNWoman We all learned that reverence. But life experience and better understanding of the actual history has taught me it is almost as anachronistic an anchor to progress as a vestigial monarchy like our UK cousins.
@S_r_stone The “rewriting” is done in the courts. I wasn’t just taught reverence — I’ve seen the brilliance of the Constitution. The 2A as written hasn’t made us hostages to gun violence, but the judiciary’s refusal to deal with it as written; while it’s necessary to jettison now irrelevant language, the judiciary’s decision to completely ignore the reasons for including the qualifier of a well- regulated citizen militia is how we got here on that score. Still, I’d read your proposed revision.
Textualists and originalists selectively interpret what they want to do anyway into its reading.