Change the US Constitution

[bhsup]

Secondly, one of the greatest aspects of American culture should be made constitutional; freedom of speech. IIRC, it isn't in the constitution.

It's the cornerstone of the 1st Amendment.
Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

 

[Lockesdonkey]

STV is also a rather complicated system. Does anybody besides Ireland actually use it?

Australians use it for the Senate; they use single-member STV (better known as instant-runoff) for the House of Representatives.

I'll grant you it's a bit complex to count, but everybody's used to making top-ten (or whatever number) lists of things, so why not politicians?

 

[ParkCungHee]

I support the "Arnold" ammendment, but I call it the "Kissinger" ammendment.

But in reality I'd like to see an entirely new constitution set up.

 

[QuoVadisNation]

I think enforcing the constitution first would be a good idea.

Secondly, one of the greatest aspects of American culture should be made constitutional; freedom of speech. IIRC, it isn't in the constitution.

Personal rights should be only given the persons, not to abstract corporate entities.

More democratic scrutiny, more restrictions of state power, etc.

I believe.. you're thinking about right to privacy. Freedom of speech is in amendment I. Right to privacy only came about around the 1970's.

 

[Princeps]

It's the cornerstone of the 1st Amendment.
Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I remembered wrong. Sorry -- i remembered that it was a law that was later made, not part of the constitution.

I believe.. you're thinking about right to privacy. Freedom of speech is in amendment I. Right to privacy only came about around the 1970's.

Maybe I misread something.

 

[JollyRoger]

I believe.. you're thinking about right to privacy. Freedom of speech is in amendment I. Right to privacy only came about around the 1970's.

Read the 4th Amendment. And the 3rd. And the Court case that brought the right to privacy out of the closet happened in the 1960's.

 

[.Shane.]

Interesting.

Judicial Reform: Federal Judges serve up to 15 years, not for life

Make it 25 and we're good.

No More Flag Burning: New Amendment banning the burning of the flag

How about an amendment to ban the discussion of flag burning amendments? Or, how about this trade-off?

Federal term limits: congressmen can only serve X amount of terms

I'm pretty torn on this. For now, I'm fine with how things are.

Repealing the 2nd amendment: hey, it worked for Europe??

I'd repeal it because it archaic and doesn't work with the reality of how and why people own guns today. I'd replace it with a new amendment authorizing gun ownership for personal defense and hunting.

Abolishing the income tax

lol... no.

Making Presidential Election day a national holiday

I had a great way to do just that an it was met w/ disinterest. I'll quote myself:

"... what better way to honor the service that veterans give their country than by merging Veterans day w/ the national election day?

In the US we have our national election the first Tuesday of November, every year. We also have Veteran's day on Nov. 11.

I think it would be awesome to merge them. Have the National election be the 2nd Tuesday of every Nov. (would be Nov. 8-14) and celebrate Veterans Day as well.

This would be a better way to honor the sacrifices of Veterans AND increase voter turnout!"

Creating a national set of standards for election procedures

Yes please!

And while we're at it, how about preference voting?

Creating a civil service test for ambassadors

meh

The Arnold Rule: Allowing non-americans to serve as president

Given we're a nation of immigrants, I agree, provided they have citizenship status.

Let me add some of my own:

Abolish the US Post Office

Get rid of pennies.

Legalize Prostitution

Enact the death penalty for white collar crime

Legalize marijuana

Remove protection for corporations as "citizens".

Legalize gay marriage or criminalize divorce.

 

[Stolen Rutters]

I don't like any of the options above. A civil service test for ambassadors is a good idea but should not be in the constitution. You should never put trivial or changeable things in the constitution unless you want to be stuck with it for awhile. The constitution is slow to change.

 

[JollyRoger]

I think we need a "Defense of Marriage Amendment" which I assume criminalizes divorce.

 

[GoodGame]

I'd still worry about 'moles', especially from some of the more spiteful or extremist nations. Forty years would satisfy my paranoia.

40 years is a bit onerous. Try 20 or 25. That's actually enough time to become American.