How or what would you change in the Bill of Rights?

Here are some of my opinions…

Amendment I
(Freedoms, Petitions, Assembly)
There shall be no governed laws enacted in respect to freedom of: religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly, or to petition the government for grievances.

Amendment II
(Right to bear arms)
Any public communities may establish a lawful militia, where it is necessary for the security thereof; there shall not be an infringement on people rights to have on their person or property; firearms or other forms of protection for defense against personal harm, warfare, or other lawless unrest or acts. Any person(s) convicted of a crime involving such defensive weapons will forgo their 2nd Amendment Rights.

Amendment III
(Quartering of soldiers)
Any person, soldier, or militia has the right to seek shelter and protection with any land owner who gives consent in time of war, or civil unrest as long as they forgo their 2nd Amendment Rights; to have on their person; firearms or other forms of protection.

Amendment IV
(Search and arrest)
All people have the right to secure on their persons, or property, any tangible items which belong to them, and to be protected against unreasonable searches and seizures, except upon probable cause, supported by affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Any person(s) who performs a search and seizure and finds no tangible evidence can be sued in civil court for no less than $500.00.

Amendment V
(Rights in criminal cases)
No person shall be held to answer more than once for a infamous crime; civil, criminal, or capital: indictments must be by a grand jury of peers; no person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor shall any person be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; In matters of private property to be taken for public use, it is considered unjustified without just compensation.

Amendment VI
(Right to a fair trial)
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial which must begin process within 30 days of indictment of charges. Trial must be held by an impartial jury of the state or district where the crime was committed; the district shall have been previously ascertained by law. The accused shall be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; the accused shall be allowed to be confronted with the witnesses against him in a court of law; the accused must be allowed compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VII
(Rights in civil cases)
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, a person has the right of trial by jury if warranted, No case will be reexamined in any court of the United States after judgment has been passed, other than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII
(Bail, fines, punishment, income taxes)
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. Excessive taxes shall not be imposed by communities, districts, townships, cities, counties, states, or others thereof, taxes for the support thereof shall not have a combined total of more than 15%. Any other funds must be supported by the people through public donations.

Amendment IX
(Rights retained by the People)
The enumeration in the Constitution, of rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X
(States' rights)
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, and to the people.

Amendment XI
(Governing laws, Office Terms)
All laws proposed to be enacted or retracted are to be brought forward to the people for scrutiny. Any representative or union leader who misleads their public is subject to 1 year imprisonment or other just punishment. A representative in not allowed to be in office for more than a 4 year term. The President is not allowed to hold office for more than an 8 years term.

Amendment XII
(Citizenship)
All US citizens or any person seeking to be a citizen of the United States must speak/write in the English language. All non-citizens who wish to reside within the United States must apply for temporary residential permit or hold a valid passport. All non-citizens are subject to the same laws as any US citizens.

Amendment XIII
(Economy & Employment)
All money is to be based on a monetary system. Interest rates are not allowed above 10% of value loaned, and resale markup cannot be greater than 33% of cost of a product. American Business Owners will be restricted form building products outside the United States for resale or use within the United States, when the American Unemployment rate is above a 5% average; this also includes congressional pay raises which are not allowed during high unemployment.

Amendment XIV
(Elections & Succession)
State and Local Representative will be elected by popular vote provided from within their district which they represent. The Presidential election will be determined by electoral votes from each State; with each state counted as 1 vote, along with popular vote from the people of the United States, a popular vote will supersede any electoral votes in the event of a tie.
(Presidential Succession)
In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President, whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress. In a case where both are removed from office Congress will have acting control until elections are held for a new Presidential leader.

Amendment XV
(Adulthood)
Any us citizen who is eighteen or older has the right to vote in all public elections or on any law reforms. They also have the right to participate in the US Military or Lawful Militia.

reply to post by Shdak


How a country that kills and tortures so many, has a thing called that is beyond hypocrisy.

Astounding.

reply to post by Shdak


I would enact FDRs second bill of rights.
www.democraticunderground.com...

If I could change anything about the bill or rights, it would be....

For it to be "upheld" and not stepped or treaded on!

reply to post by dreamseeker


Thank God that one was deep sixed.

I would probably amend the constitution to prohibit abortion.

reply to post by SirMike


We all should have the right to housing, a way to support ourselves. If we are forced to pay into this system then they should be forced to give us a basic right to live. Housing, education health care and ajob why is that not a right already. This is pretty simple.
In the Maslow's hiearchy of needs everyone need shelter, food and clothing. It is just common sense.

First, the Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution.

Second, I would have an Amendment requiring the Judiciary to only enforce the plain language of the sections of the Constitution dealing with Judicial, Legislative and Executive powers. None of this absolute Commerce Clause bull.

Originally posted by dreamseeker
reply to post by SirMike

 

We all should have the right to housing, a way to support ourselves. If we are forced to pay into this system then they should be forced to give us a basic right to live. Housing, education health care and ajob why is that not a right already. This is pretty simple.
In the Maslow's hiearchy of needs everyone need shelter, food and clothing. It is just common sense.

And you do have the rights to all of those things, with or without FDR's bill of rights, but do you have the right to force the taxpayer to provide them to you if you cannot, or will not, procure them on your own?

That’s the crux of the debate, is (or should) the public (meaning taxpayers like me) be obligated by law to provide these things to you if you cant pay for them?

People like me view Bill of Rights as a limit on what the government can and cannot do. For example, I have the right to free speech but that doesn’t mean the public must financially enable my exercising of this right.