LETTER TO THE EDITOR
How the Constitution needs to change
Key West
Retired Supreme Court Justice, 93-year-old John Paul Stevens, is a bow tie wearing Chicagoan who has a new book coming out titled “Six Amendments.” Presumably a Republican nominated by Republican President Jerry Ford who claimed Stevens was “the finest legal mind I could find,” Stevens won approval by the 1975 US Senate, 98 to 0. Conservative Senators Barry Goldwater and Strom Thurman were among his enthusiastic supporters. Known for his common sense and plain spoken opinions, Justice Stevens became the second longest serving S.C. Justice in American history.
The new book hasn’t been reviewed or critiqued as of this date but (according to blogs) the short version of the 6 amendments to the US Constitution he advocates are:
- The Anti-Commandering Rule – which would make the Constitution and US laws the supreme law of the land.
- Political Gerrymandering would not be allowed for federal or state offices, nor would any interest in enhancing or preserving political power in this context be considered legitimate.
- Campaign Finance – The Constitution shall not prevent the Congress nor any state from imposing limits (and I would add, “including zero”) on the amount of money candidates or their supporters may spend on elections.
- Sovereign Immunity – The Constitution shall not provide any state or state officer immunity from having to obey the Constitution or any act of Congress.
- The Death Penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment and shall not be inflicted.
- Five words would clarify the Second Amendment – “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms WHEN SERVING IN THE MILITIA shall not be infringed.
This distinguished jurist hits the most compelling targets but, as he was cleaning up our most important national document, I wish he had further reinforced American democracy by correcting the non-sensical positions that money is speech, and state spawned entities called “corporations” are the same as natural persons
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In response to #5 – The death penalty is cruel but it’s not unusual so it doesn’t violate the Constitution.
#6 – Stop fighting the gun battle. The Constitution does not grant the right to have bullets, so ban those. Then, guns are useless. Plus, it would be easy to do.