April 10, 2008
The worst Constitutional Amendment?
How about the 17th?
Yeah, I know, it's not the first one that comes to mind, but trust me, read Tam's explanation and I think you'll agree: Much that ails us as a nation can be tracked back to the progressive reforms of the early 20th Century (don't get me started on the '60s).
On April 8th in 1913, the 17th Amendment to the Constitution went into effect. To anybody concerned with checks and balances and separation of powers who had actually read the Constitution, it's hard to see how this could be considered a good idea. As a matter of fact, it's hard to see how it could not be seen as undermining the very concept of a federal republic.
I know some of you are clicking for Wikipedia right now, muttering to yourselves "Seventeenth? Is that income tax, or when they let y'all chicks vote? No, it's Prohibition, right?" No, the Seventeenth Amendment is the one that calls for direct election of Senators. What's so bad about that, you ask? (Go on, ask.) Well, let me tell you...
And she does, explaining in a clear, concise manner how changing the delicate interplay between the Executive and Legislative branches and the Judiciary, along with balance between the States and the Federal Government, carefully, brilliantly designed by the Founding Fathers, has resulted in this horrorshow, the modern U.S. Senate, starring such bilious bobos as Kennedy, Kerry, Leahy and Byrd.
We repealed the 18th Amendment, the one that inflicted Prohibition on us, when we realized what a terrible mistake it had been; it's not too late to consider doing the same to the 17th Amendment.
Posted by Mike Lief at April 10, 2008 06:51 AM
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Comments
If you read Tam's last paragraph closely, I think he called you a wingnut/moonbat.
Posted by: The Little Coach at April 10, 2008 07:31 AM
Jeez, at least I didn't call you "he", dude.
Posted by: Tam at April 10, 2008 08:26 AM
Sorry, Tam, that's what I get for taking Lief's word for ANYTHING.
Posted by: The Little Coach at April 10, 2008 02:56 PM
Tam --
Sorry 'bout that; I didn't even notice your picture the when I read your post -- it was that good!
Posted by: Mike Lief at April 10, 2008 08:32 PM