28th Amendment E-Mail

[OmahaBlueDog]

I don't know if you've seen this. It is the latest internet-meme-chainletter going around. I apologize in advance if you've seen this or it's been posted already.

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Subject: 28th Amendment

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.

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/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ..."

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Congress shall make no law favoring the uberwealthy. Period.

The country is owned by the people.

Hawkeye-X

[madinmaryland]

2. Huh??

Haven't there been congressman and senators that have been successfully for crimes they committed?? Dan Rostenkowski, Jim Trafficant, the thug from California....

What is the point of this email??

[ejpoeta]

3. the point is that they make laws that don't affect them. period. and they live in their own little

world where they don't have to live with the choices they make for the rest of us. i personally think we ought to cut their damned pay. they make way too much money in the first place. then there should be term limits. and they should not get a fucking pension because none of the rest of us does. and they should not be able to raise their own pay. and they shouldn't get COLA unless everyone else does. and they should have to live with the insurance the rest of us gets. their income should be no more than the median of everyone in their district. and campaign finance reform.... they should all get a set amount to spend so they have equal funds and it is about the issues and not who has more money. keep the lobbyists out of it. and then instead of fundraising they can do their fucking jobs!! and they can't go work for any enterprise that they have voted or written bills on either.

[OmahaBlueDog]

5. The e-mail itself is an anti-HCR meme

The e-mail itself is an anti-HCR meme. More on that here:

http://www.4yourcountry.org/2010/03/wethepeopleact.html

Bottom line, the writers feel that HCR shouldn't be applicable to anyone if it's not applicable to Congress. The other aspect would be to take many perqs away from Congresspersons that we don't get.

The main takeaway, though, was the call for this to be pushed through via Constitutional Convention. This is a talking point I think we'll soon be hearing as often as we're hearing "overreach" and "nanny state". The wingnuts want a CC. I think they see it as the most direct way to:

a) end the income tax
b) end direct election of Senators (which would likely put the Senate very much into Republican hands -- at least in the short term)
c) enact a balanced budget amendment
d) overturn Roe

[RegieRocker]

4. It's a good one.

[wo ooo]

6. and heres this:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/28thamendment.asp

[suston96]

7. Members of Congress are subject to the same laws as other citizens.

Please give an example of any laws that exempt Congress or that show citizens subject to laws that do not apply to members of Congress. And give appropriate quotes and cites.

Too many people haven't a clue as to the dangers of a second constitutional convention.

The first constitutional convention of 1787 was called to fix the problems with the Articles of Confederation and ended up trashing it altogether and writing an entirely new constitution. In other words, a constitutional convention can do whatever the conventioneers want.

And with Republican control of most state legislatures..........just imagine the horseplay that can go on.

[lunasun]

8. excuse me Mr Time has come...don't Con Cons cost $$$ ??? more waste imo