# Let's have a Dopey Constitutional Convention **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 16, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637 "2009-08-16T17:41:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/21 "2009-08-23T09:54:18Z")
[SIZE=“2”][FONT=“Century Gothic”] **Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.** [/SIZE][/FONT] ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/22 "2009-08-23T10:13:53Z")
**Every citizen shall be guaranteed freedom from coercion.** ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/23 "2009-08-23T10:30:52Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > [SIZE=“2”][FONT=“Century Gothic”] **Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.** [/SIZE][/FONT] I think I recognize that as the old ERA from the 1970s. You might want to change “sex” to “gender”, given the change in the past 30 years from gender as an item of grammatical case to an item of human identity. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/24 "2009-08-23T10:36:43Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > **Every citizen shall be guaranteed freedom from coercion.** So no more draft and mandatory jury duty? Because if so, I’m totally behind that. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/25 "2009-08-23T11:56:30Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > So no more draft and mandatory jury duty? Because if so, I’m totally behind that. Woo hoo! Some support! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/26 "2009-08-23T19:51:59Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > And can we agree that the second amendment should be clarified? I SO agree with this. I don’t care which way you settle it but it should be clear and to the point. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/27 "2009-08-24T04:47:21Z")
It’s been settled. What’s to settle? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/28 "2009-08-24T05:22:39Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > It’s been settled. What’s to settle? 1. Whether the right to bear arms is individual or collective. 2. Whether it applies to weapons more formidable than those in existence when the Second Amendment was ratified. 3. Whether the Second Amendment implies any constitutional right or duty of insurrection (which would be unique in the history of political constitutions). ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/29 "2009-08-24T10:30:06Z")
But really, let’s not get into the bits of clarifying it, because that’ll just lead to another gun thread. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/30 "2009-08-24T10:59:29Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > **Every citizen shall be guaranteed freedom from coercion.** And every citizen shall be exempt from the law of gravity. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/31 "2009-08-24T12:21:54Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 1. Whether the right to bear arms is individual or collective. > > 2. Whether it applies to weapons more formidable than those in existence when the Second Amendment was ratified. > > 3. Whether the Second Amendment implies any constitutional right or duty of insurrection (which would be unique in the history of political constitutions). I think number (1) has been settled outright. ([One of many cites](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91911807).) Don’t know about (2), and never really heard of (3) before. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/32 "2009-08-24T13:40:10Z")
Let’s just say that enough people complain that it might be nice to hammer it out. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/33 "2009-08-24T14:02:44Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > **Every citizen shall be guaranteed freedom from coercion.** Taxes are coercive. No taxes, no government. For a brief time, that is, until your local bully starts demanding protection money and becomes a government for all intents and purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/34 "2009-08-24T14:46:36Z")
[ol][li]A balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, which can only be overruled by a two-thirds majority in the House and a three-quarters majority in the Senate.[/li][li]A line item veto for the President. [/li][li]Term limits - no more than two consecutive terms for a Senator and four for a Representative. Having served those terms, the candidate is ineligible to be re-elected for six years from the day they left office.[/ol][/li] Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/35 "2009-08-24T14:58:08Z")
An amendment clearly stating a right to privacy. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/36 "2009-08-24T15:38:33Z")
> [@davidw](#): > > An amendment clearly stating a right to privacy. Any suggested wording? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/37 "2009-08-24T15:54:41Z")
Neither the federal government nor any state shall make or enforce any law prohibiting consensual transactions among adult citizens. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/38 "2009-08-24T16:07:03Z")
1. No ballots shall list party affiliation, only the candidate name. 2. All political parties shall release financial information regarding all aspects of their operations. 3. Elected representatives shall release financial information. 4. Corporations have no right to privacy or to lobby the government. 5. Terms for a Representative are lengthened to three years with a five term max. 6. Terms for a Senator are reduced to five years with a three term max. 7. Physical presence on the chamber floor during all of the Senate’s meeting hours is required to filibuster. 8. The Federal budget must be balanced each fiscal year. 9. A right to individual privacy. 10. A tenth amendment with some teeth(although I don’t know how to craft one). 11. All votes on all issues are publicly recorded. 12. Every statute has a sunset date which is directly proportional to the margin with which it passed. It has a three year minimum, but after that add a month or so per percentage point it got over 50%. Sunset dates can not be refreshed _en masse_, but require individual re-passage of a bill. 13. No riders or Omnibus bills(this also eliminates the need for line item veto). 14. Each bill must be read, in full, with a quorum of representatives present, before final vote on passage.(1,000+ page bills I’m looking at you). Actually, most of this isn’t really Constitution level stuff. But put it in there anyway. Representatives have it too damn easy as it is. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/39 "2009-08-24T16:47:15Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Taxes are coercive. Taxes are coercive. Voluntary fees are not. No pay, no government service. > [@](#): > > No taxes, no government. False premise; therefore, false conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637/40 "2009-08-24T18:09:50Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Taxes are coercive. Voluntary fees are not. Taxes are possible. Voluntary fees are not. No government ever has been or will be adequately financed by voluntary fees alone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-a-dopey-constitutional-convention/506637.md?page=3)