Finally, a proposed law (Constitutional Amendment, actually) that I can support...

[kathylove]

I received this email, and felt it worth passing along to everyone. I am so sick of our "esteemed" Congress Critters' elitist attitude towards the rest of us that I would vote for this in a heartbeat - if it was something I COULD vote on!

I have no idea if the other facts in the email are true. Regardless of that, I think the amendment would be helpful to curtail the exploits of our self-anointed, career politician / aristocrats looking down upon us mere citizens from their lofty positions. They feel justified in deciding our fates while voting themselves raises and exemptions from their own ill informed and illogical laws, usually passed solely in hopes of getting votes from those who can be manipulated by emotional, "feel good" political messages. It has worked for them so far - they keep getting re-elected! So let's make them live in the same world we live in!

Here is the email I received:

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."

The Time Has Indeed Come!
Governors of 35 states have already filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.

This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, please pass it on.

An idea whose time has come!
For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest was to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform ... in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law.

I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop.

A Constitutional Convention - this is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come. And, with the advent of modern communication, the process can be moved along with incredible speed.

There is talk out there that the "government" doesn't care what the people think. That is irrelevant. It is incumbent on the population to address elected officials to the wrongs afflicted against the populace...you and me. Think about this...
The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

I'm asking each addressee to forward this Email to a minimum of twenty people on their Address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.


I like it!

 

[Chip]

I love it! I only wish our founding fathers could see the state of their republic.

 

[DeadMouse]

Unfortunately Kathy, it looks like you've been duped: http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/28thamendment.asp

I hate it when people construct these false emails and then send them just to fool people. :twoguns:

 

[vetusvates]

It sounds wonderful. Almost too good to be true. Boy,...I am so cynical...I think raising the dead would be more likely than politicians ceasing to exempt themselves from decisions they make in Washington.

So if I could get myself elected to congress just one time....hmmm.....

Unfortunately Kathy, it looks like you've been duped: http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/28thamendment.asp

I hate it when people construct these false emails and then send them just to fool people. :twoguns:

Note, if you follow DeadMouse's link,...then follow the link at the bottom of that page to Louisiana congressman John Fleming, you will find a man who seems to be a pretty good guy, IMHO. Minden is the parish seat of Webster Parish, where all of my maternal grandfather's people live. Very no-nonsense people. When I go "home", to north Louisiana, for weekends or vacation, it is usually there. Mostly rural,...people raise cattle, have gardens, and hunt. Kathy, many of them probably don't know exactly what 'Libertarian' is, but they would probably fairly easily fall into that category.

EDIT : What my ultimate point was, that I failed to make, was this....just about the time I totally give up hope, here or there, near or far, pops up a legislator that seems willing, at least in principle, to question or oppose the status quo. Too bad these guys pop up so rarely and so far apart.

 

[kathylove]

Thanks for looking it up!

But like I said in my introduction, I didn't bother to verify the info myself only because I think it is such a great idea that I don't really care whether it is all true or false - I think it just needs to happen! Anyone can propose the idea - but lots of discussion and grass roots support would have to happen to get "the important people" (haha!) to consider officially proposing it. Of course, it would have been nice to add some REAL documentation to support it, but it is still an idea whose time has come.

I have long read about cases in which Congress has exempted themselves from legislation, and provided for themselves in different (and better) ways than they have decided for us. Difficult to remember particular cases and details off the top of my head, but I think Social Security may be one of them. And I definitely remember them voting themselves pay raises when they haven't earned it (although that is not exactly what this amendment is about). So whether those particular cases are true or not is immaterial to me - it is a good starting point for discussion of what COULD happen if enough citizens think it is really important. I think maybe enough people in general may be getting tired of an elite ruling class that it is time to think about something - anything - to turn them back into real citizens again, as the founding fathers originally planned. That could be term limits, voting out incumbents, or some sort of amendment like this. Maybe all of the above, and more.

Now that elections will soon be here, I want to stir up enough discussion that people will really think before they vote. I think it would be REALLY difficult to get the Congress Critters to propose and vote for an amendment like this, or term limits, or anything else that clips their wings (and hungry, outstretched little beaks!). But if enough incumbents kept losing elections, and this was seen as a major reason, it COULD happen.

 

[Outcast]

I posted that on my facebook a few months ago. I wish it were true. But it would never get voted in, because the men and women in power want to keep that power and keep us all in the dark.

 

[kathylove]

...the men and women in power want to keep that power and keep us all in the dark.

EXACTLY! But you can vote those little suckers right out of there! Do it! And keep doing it until they realize they are not "rulers for life" like they think they are. Then maybe they will do the job they are supposed to - represent US for a few years, and then go back to being teachers, merchants, doctors, and mostly - lawyers - for the rest of their lives.

 

[Outcast]

I personally believe that the average working man/woman should get a chance to rule a little, instead of the president of the club picking who he wants to run so he can control them.

 

[Fatman608]

I am not a praying man but I am PRAYING BIG TIME FOR THIS TO COME TRUE.

 

[wstphal]

I have long read about cases in which Congress has exempted themselves from legislation, and provided for themselves in different (and better) ways than they have decided for us. Difficult to remember particular cases and details off the top of my head, but I think Social Security may be one of them.

Yep. They have their own pensions and don't pay into SS. Or Medicare.

 

[Tavia]

Don't know how true this is or if its still that way but I remember reading an It's Outrageous article in Reader's Digest about how congress critters still get paid their pensions even while they are in jail, often enough for crimes committed that involved the abuse of their office. It gave the figures of some of them & if I'm remembering right, they were collecting more that my dad, mom, brother & I make combined in a year. All paid for by taxes. Might have to try & find that issue again, think its a few years old.

 

[Michael823]

I love it! I only wish our founding fathers could see the state of their republic.

I kind of battle with this question a lot, though. I mean, I understand the premise, but I'm sure that our founding fathers wouldn't look at the diversity of our nation and possibly flip out of control with even more controlling laws than we have today... who knows?