Rewrite The Constitution Here, Your Way

I live here in the UK but i still see the USA constituoin as an amazing piece of legislation. In fairness it was based on UK law and you can see that if you study it, but it had many important differences which don't really need listing.

Anyway i wondered how people here would rewrite the constitution or bill of rights if they had the chance of starting a new country. I believe the current constitution is brilliant but there is always room for improvement.

Any suggestions should further secure privacy, free speech and all human rights. It should be made so that the president cannot set up systems like Abu Ghraib. It should be set up so that the people have a right to vote on things like the partior act which seek to circumvent the constitution.

So what do you guys suggest? I like to think that the members of ATS are caring and thoughtful people who understand the importance of freedom. So give it a go and rewrite the constitution

[edit on 11-2-2009 by ImaginaryReality1984]

If I was to rewrite the Constitution, I think that I would change would be the whole 3/5s of a person thing. I would also maybe include a clause for states that wanted to leave the Union since, at least the way that I see it, the states and people are more important than the federal government. And if they want to leave the Union, they should be allowed. So, I guess basically, I'd emphasize the state's rights more.

I might also include more rules about Congressional districting [at the federal level] so that Gerry-mandering could be prevented. I'd have to put more thought into it though as to how exactly I'd go about that.

A final thing I'd change would be the process of Amending the Constitution. I think that the people, instead of the states, should vote on whether or not the constitution should be amended. My fear would be that people, who's interests aren't so pure, would introduce an amendment to the federal constitution and wait [since proposed amendments don't expire] and "finagel" the state constitutional conventions until they get it to pass. [Along those lines, I would make a provision saying that once the Constitution is established, it couldn't be significantly altered (at one time) unless the people wanted to start from scratch.]

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Add these sentences: Powers attempted to be wrested, by legislation, executive order, or unclear judicial reckoning carry immediate removal of office and public execution by reason of treason. The process of adaption for changing and expanding powers is clearly explained in the Amendment process and can only be granted by the will of the People.

And some other stuff like the 3/5 of a person part and that direct tax of income is right out too. Which was changed and unconstitutionally added respectively with the deferment of the power to tax and coin from the Congress to private agencies.

[edit on 11-2-2009 by Ahabstar]

A free, uncontrolled Internet.

The unalienable right to one's perspective as one might record.

A clarification of the non-dogmatic ties - in other words, no religion is the base, but merely ethics.

Neutral stance in the world - no "preemptive" creppola.

Strip corporations of the rights of individuals.

Individual sovreignty.

Removal and ban of all prohibitions - "punish" bad outcomes as opposed to choices made.

There is so much more, but I am distracted, and so will leave with these for now.

Originally posted by Amaterasu


Strip corporations of the rights of individuals.

So far can i say that this is one of my most favorite points.

I would also like to see a ban on private political funding or political gifts. Along with some kinf of control on mepitism that exists so prevalently in the current governments, especially in the USA.

[edit on 11-2-2009 by ImaginaryReality1984]

I would add a limit of eight years served in any branch of government. Divide up the terms however you want, but we need to get the career politicians OUT. After eight years in the House, if you run for Senate and don't make it, you're done. No reclaiming of the House seat. If you're in Congress and run for the CIC office, you leave if you fail. Do not pass Go, do not continue your political career. Want to run again in four years? Cool - but you're selling real estate or acting as a lawyer 'til then.

I would also add a line that those serving in public office be paid the exact median American Worker salary for each pay year. No more, no less.

My final Amendment would be to limit the size and function of Government, severely. Protect my borders, serve as intermediary to the world, and serve as a moderator for states in dispute. That's it.

Originally posted by ImaginaryReality1984

Originally posted by Amaterasu
Strip corporations of the rights of individuals.

So far can i say that this is one of my most favorite points.

I would also like to see a ban on private political funding or political gifts. Along with some kinf of control on mepitism that exists so prevalently in the current governments, especially in the USA.

Well, I wrote a book that describes some steps we can take to eliminate money altogether... So "contributions" to political causes and politicians would become statements made by individuals.

The link to the discussion thread is in my sig, and the link to the PDF is in the initial post.

Thanks to all who read my book, and especially to those who then comment.

Originally posted by pernox

I would also add a line that those serving in public office be paid the exact median American Worker salary for each pay year. No more, no less.

I would argue this point. Government salaries need to be limited but not to the median of the average american. If this is done then politicians will not exist and will instead go into other areas of service like the legal system. Also this would encourage illegal activities and back hand deals. There needs to be a careful balance here.

Originally posted by ImaginaryReality1984

Originally posted by pernox

I would also add a line that those serving in public office be paid the exact median American Worker salary for each pay year. No more, no less.

I would argue this point. Government salaries need to be limited but not to the median of the average american. If this is done then politicians will not exist and will instead go into other areas of service like the legal system. Also this would encourage illegal activities and back hand deals. There needs to be a careful balance here.

I can see the fear of "asking for" back handed deals with a salary cap, but the intent (imho) is to get people involved in the process for love rather than money. Much as Washington declined his salary, I want politicians who serve because they feel as though they can do good for their country.

I do see the flip side of the argument, though - you don't want to promote shady goings-on, nor do you want only those who are independently wealthy serving in public office.

I agree, the balance would be hard to find.

I have been working on this for some time. I have some GREAT ideas for this. I welcome anyone to U2U me for information, including any and all government officials watching over this website. I wish it was safe to tell you all my true identity, because I would elicit a much greater response.

I have the following documents to share:

1) How to select members to the Constitutional Reform Committee, including oaths and contracts members must agree to ensuring non-interest (no profit at all).
2) How to form and direct this committee, with powerful Founding Fathers' liberty oversight.
3) A revision of the Declaration of Independence, which has been formed into the Declaration of Human Rights and State Sovereignty.
4) An outline for a new Constitution and federal governmental system, retaining much of the old, yet fixing the necessary weaknesses and flaws, and then grant much more control to the citizens.

What we need is a group of political scientists and philosophers who can engineer a new system from this outline, giving due credit to the States' Constitutions as experimental systems, and then take the best, freest, and most protecting of the People's rights.

I look forward to hearing from anyone, as this is an unselfish open process.

The only problem I have is how to keep out the politicians who have selfish interests, interest in political gain, or interests against Liberty. So, the director of this committee MUST be someone like Ron Paul, Bob Barr, Charles O. Baldwin, or myself.

I am looking for people to have trust in me, regardless of who I am, because I am the only person, I've ever met, that I could trust to do this correctly, without corruption.

//spoge

The Winter Soldiers deserve justice!!!


**edited for spelling**

[edit on 11-2-2009 by spoge]

[edit on 11-2-2009 by spoge]

All issues of money could become moot. IF we move towards an abundance paradigm.

I offer a way to get there in my book...

Originally posted by Amaterasu
All issues of money could become moot. IF we move towards an abundance paradigm.

I offer a way to get there in my book...

Whilst i value the input of your book if you could post the ideas here instead of just promoting your book that would be great. Don't get me wrong i'm considering buying your book myself but i would be grateful if you could provide the ideas here or forgo the promotions

Sorry to be harsh i'm just looking for suggestions rather than promotions.

"It's just a goddamn piece of paper!"



sorry, I couldn't resist!

Originally posted by ImaginaryReality1984
Whilst i value the input of your book if you could post the ideas here instead of just promoting your book that would be great.

Well, thing is that I wrote the book to present the ideas. The discussion thread linked in my sig has a few of the points I cover...

Don't get me wrong i'm considering buying your book myself but i would be grateful if you could provide the ideas here or forgo the promotions

Um... Heh. My book is free. It is on the ATS media site as a PDF. The link to the PDF is in the initial post of the discussion thread.

Sorry to be harsh i'm just looking for suggestions rather than promotions.

Understood, but given that I have a thread with a breakdown, plus that the book is free... I thought it would be better to point the way than to reiterate...

I could copy and paste my initial post in the discussion thread here, I suppose, but that seems a less than optimal approach.

Originally posted by Amaterasu
Um... Heh. My book is free. It is on the ATS media site as a PDF. The link to the PDF is in the initial post of the discussion thread.

If it's free then link away and my sincere apologies.

I had to wet your palette:

(revision: [date finalized])
Declaration of Human Rights and State Sovereignty of the United States of America
In CONGRESS, [date ratified]
The unanimous Declaration of the Peoples’ Human Rights and the States’ Sovereignty of the United States of America and its Territories,
When, in due course, it becomes necessary for united states of peoples to declare and enforce political rule over any democratic federal government, that shall declare and enforce existence among the Nations of the World to observe the sovereign and equal status to which it is entitled on their behalf,
We, the Free People of Sovereign States, hold these Truths as self-evident,
I. That all humans are created equal, from the moment of conception by their unique human spark and pattern,
A. Yet, by careful logical human analysis, this does not protect the life of an unborn fetus only in such cases when conception was by non-consenting force or by unhealthy familial-proximal partnership, or in such cases when carriage proves life-threatening to the mother;
II. That we are, so, endowed with certain unalienable Rights, which are,
A. To Live Life;
1. Via owning, commanding, and protecting via armaments our own healthy, educated, productive, ecologically sound human life in our own vision,
2. Via natural conception of human life, thus preventing others from engineering human lives in direct opposition to the balance of nature.
3. Via conception, caring for, teaching, and raising descendants to adulthood in our own vision,
a. So long as it does not impose on the Rights of the descendant lain in this declaration,
4. Via formation of a family in our own vision,
5. And, via existence and expression of our lives within an unpolluted balanced living ecological environment without any engineering or creation of any genetically-engineered or artificial life-forms or the genetic or chemical enhancement of current life-forms, without any pollution, and without any secrecy about the contents of food stuff;
B. To Exhibit Liberty;
1. Via births free from guilt and inherited duty or servitude,
2. Via lives free from servitude and duty, except as we deem right,
3. Via expressions through speech, press, and all creative means,
4. Via privacies to exist protected beyond the secret or public reach of invaders into our unique life information, of measurement by study, or of behavioral scrutiny or investigation,
5. Via each a single vote by which to decide on Laws, Representation, or logical direction of policy,
6. Via choices of property, goods, and services,
7. Via movement to travel and decide domicile,
8. Via study and worship to learn and decide belief and truths for the self;
C. To Find Justice;
1. Via Judicial authority to discovery evidence to ensure Justice,
2. Via Justice to face our accusers and trespassers in a Court of Law and to have our Legal Trials decided by an unbiased Jury of our Peers,
3. Via Status to live free from any inequality attributed via ancestry, religious belief, age, sex, disability, or served justice;
D. And, to Pursue Success;
1. Via personal intellectual development and educational learning and training,
2. Via personal healthiness and living within ecological balance,
3. Via personal business and employment,
4. Via personally buying and selling property, services, and goods,
5. Via personally owning; via patents, copyrights, and trademarks; and so profiting from our ingenuity and invention;
III. That whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right and Duty of the People or the Peoples’ States to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new and more Democratic Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its Powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely or surely to affect their Liberty, Safety, and Happiness;
IV. That to secure these Rights, an elected body of equal state representation shall by unanimity, establish and enact a Constitution for[cont...]

the sole purpose of designing a Federal Government that’s sole purpose is justly enforcing the Rights of the People and Sovereignty of the States which will develop for, by, and of the People of the States;
V. That to further secure these Rights, a Lawful Order of an executive Governor of any of the fifty States of the United States of America may bring criminal or impeachment hearings upon any such federal executives, representatives, judges, or employees by showing credible evidence, having derived their Just Power from the consent of the governed People to use all forces at their disposal to defend these rights and defend their sovereignty.
Prevailing Scientific thought shall be considered most logical; therefore, a wholly Philosophical Democracy shall be considered the primary effort.

A decent respect to the valid logical opinions of People and Nations requires declaration of the causes which impel them to such effect.

Forethought dictates that Governments should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience shows, that people are more disposed to suffer, while wrongs are sufferable, than to right them by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
But, when a long train of abuses, corruptions, and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them to service or life under absolute Injustice or Tyranny, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future liberty, security, and happiness.
Such has been the patient sufferance of the People of these United States of America; and such is now the necessity, which constrains them, to alter their former systems of Government. The history of the present Constitutional System and Human Rights, while a history of great triumphs, is also a history of repeated injuries, corruptions, and usurpations of law and logic, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Injustice and Tyranny over the People of these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
Congressional Legislators and the Executive Officers have refused to apply selfless logic to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. They have, instead, imposed selfish rule and selfish means to injure the People’s Law outside of their States and Offices by continually “pork-barreling” legislation.
Furthermore, legislators, judges, and executive officers allow themselves to be influenced by special-interests’ and lobbyists’ money of all irks and ills, not primarily those with valid reasons yet a small voice by less money. We wish to see the purest logic by thought as the currency of Democracy.
The Judicial Branch has been corrupted by politicking and interests outside of the Just Law and has been rendered silent by partisan Legislators, who control judicial salaries so as to not be checked by lawful review.
The positioning of Federal Judges has been further tarnished by partisan politicking by the presidential appointment of judges for their partisan decision-making.
The Executive Offices have usurped Law by imposing policies outside of their logical realm, acting independently from Congress and the Judiciary, namely starting armed conflicts which inevitably lead to war. Reason dictates that the bodies which execute Law do not act independently from the logical permission of Congress, Judiciary, or People. The Executive Office is the most subservient branch of government, lest we risk Martial Law and over-empowerment of the Industrial-Military complex warned by president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Our current Constitution is cumbersome, vague, and outdated. It remains the highest law of the land, unless our executive powers or unjust legislators succeed in their plan to usurp our primacy by joining a North American Union. To prevent this, safeguards against such actions must be created, as there is no earthly authority higher than the Constitution [...

Constitution of the People of these States.
The illegal immigration of people into our Nation was overlooked by the administrators of this Government in the hope of cheap labor. This Government failed, therefore, to protect its citizens against diseases or any kind of National Security issues illegal immigrants pose, while hiding any sort of deceptions from the public under the guise of National Security.
Repeatedly, minorities and people of lesser economic status have been subject to injustices and no valid Governmental support for their security and happiness. Minorities are citizens the same as any member of a majority, and their voice is as valid. We are to secure their rights.
This Government has repeatedly usurped the Rights of the States to decide their own laws under the Constitution, demanding compliance to Laws that have no Constitutional backing. Beyond this tyranny, the Privacy and Human Rights of citizens have suffered an endless barrage of injustices in the name of National Security, while the actual security of the nation has been largely ignored, factually, by not securing borders, deploying National Guards overseas, and even executive pardoning of convicted felons who happen to be cronies of an executive president or the president’s interested partners’ cronies.
This is only emphasized by the appointment of partisan officers, judges, and executives with no control over the cronyism of the President, and the repeatedly successful efforts of such protected persons to act outside of the Law, without criminal charges or proper prosecution.
We have endured through the illegal activities of an executive President, only because the House of Representatives was controlled by a majority of his party, and therefore unwilling to bring about impeachment proceedings, as they also seek political advancement.
Still, we suffer the injustice of ignorance of Governmental activity, because no effective body of government oversees the legitimate release of Governmental document, bodies of Government are allowed to free destroy documentation, and the most critical information is declared “confidential”, whether or not there is a valid reason to believe it is a true risk to our security.

(needs rework)
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare.
That these United States are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they Absolved from and are reforming the Constitution of the United States of America,
And that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce,
And to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Signers who validate the Authority of this Declaration representative of the States’ People:

[I'll sign]

//spoge

Here in The United States Of America our Constitution has been rewritten already with out changing one word. Our forefathers intent was to have a very limited decentralized governmnent for We The People. The U.S. Republic has been based on capitalism and free enterprise and instead our government has circumvented the written living document called The Constitution Of The United States Of America, and I state again without changing one word. We The People have now been thrust into total Socialism with an over whelming strong centralized government, and the next step mark my words will be Communism and total control of your lives. Many in The U.S. wanted Change well folks you have got change.

This new stimulus package is 500 pages of goupliglok pork barrel spending that has been thrown out to us with a take it or leave it mentality and with a scare tactic deadline. I will bet that the majority of the Congress that voted for the bill only know 10% of what is actually in the stimulus bill. Congress and their staff have not truley had time to digest what has been written and hidden in this stimulus package.

My question is this, what sweetheart deals were cut for the 3 token Republicans that voted for the measure in the Senate?


[edit on 11-2-2009 by amari]

This is my Constitutional outline, so far:

Outline:
The Natural Order of a Body of Governance and the Scientific Law-Making System it Defines.
Scientifically logical knowledge is the Currency of Power, where Power is the Currency of Action, and where Action is the Currency of the People.
The body is controlled by the mind. The mind is dependent on the body’s systems for survival. The organ systems are all necessary for the proper and total functionality for the growth and reproduction of each cell and the organism as a whole. In order for healthy reproduction, more than one organism has to join for the cause.

The Natural Order of Law
• International Community – The ecology, within, the body survives

I. People – Living human body system (spirit of truth and reproduction) (for, by, and of its Citizen cells)
As all born or naturalized Citizens embodying the Constitution of United States of America, over the age of 18, who so choose,
With the powers to govern; ratify, enforce, and live within and by Law; and protect their Human Rights may, by,
a. Personal choice,
i. Volunteer money as tax to the Federal Treasury.
ii. Voice any opinion to a representative without recourse.
iii. Bring into existence a multi-member militia for the purpose of protecting Human Rights against tyranny, foreign or domestic.
b. Clear minority vote – 1/3 or greater,
i. Bring any Act into review for revote in corresponding legislative house, once per Congressional session.
ii. Bring any official to Investigative Review Board.
iii. Bring any Act into popular review and call for vote to rescind.
c. Majority Vote – one vote over ½ or greater,
i. Elect legislators by popular Vote.
ii. Voice Policy Opinions to Legislators to design Bills.
iii. Ratify legislative Bills into Acts, when requested by a Clear Minority of legislators, or Veto Bills and return Bills to legislators for reformation.
iv. Call for Impeachment Vote in appropriate legislature of any legislator, judge, or executive.
d. Greater Majority Vote – 2/3 or greater,
i. Nominate the executive President by popular vote,
ii. Elect a Chief Justice, who shall serve without term limit.
iii. Overturn any Act, and thereby return a Bill to the given legislature.
iv. Power to Declare War against any enemy, foreign or domestic, only with a Greater Majority Vote in all of the Houses of Congress.

 
II. States
As independent geographically separated nations, under the Constitution of the United States of America remain sovereign, to establish their own Constitution and Laws to best secure the lives and happiness of their citizens, and to enforce regulation, through sovereignty, upon the Federal Government, which serves them.

III. Houses of Congress – Brain (Logical Thought, Body Control, Data Coordination)
As member-bodies of a given authority and jurisdiction, by the Constitution of the United States of America,
• Each member, under forfeiture of campaign or post, shall,
o Be prevented from raising moneys and gifts for their election campaign in excess of forty times the official salary of the post for which they are running, and openly report all such accounting.
o Make an Oath of Servitude outlining political views, all business interests, and policy positions, to which they shall be held accountable by Official Review Board.
o Shall have a salary equivalent to the executives of equal rank.

Without filibustering or pork-barreling,
Without secrecy (except in extremely rare cases of National Security agreed by Greater Majority Vote),
Without any financial influence, gain, or interest, for the currency of Law is information, interpreted by sound reasoning, thorough knowledge, and objective wisdom,
In open hearings within the walls of a congressional chamber,
During a yearly session,
By Majority Vote, unless otherwise specified,
From the Authority of the People receives the Power to conceive, debate, document, and ratify philosophically logical scientific Laws under the Constitution of the United States of