Essay:Needed Constitutional Amendments (RoninMacbeth)
Might as well throw my hat into the ring. This is a really, really rough draft, so feel free to rip it a new one on the talkpage.
Rights of Prisoners[edit]
Section 1[edit]
Prisoners either of the federal government or of the several states shall, when pressed into the service of the government, be compensated for their work at the same wage as a free worker would receive for the same task.
Section 2[edit]
The practice of solitary confinement shall be considered cruel and unusual punishment according to Amendment VIII of this Constitution, the practice of solitary confinement to be defined as a period of 10 days in separation from other human beings for 22 hours per day.
Section 3[edit]
The right to vote shall not be abridged on account of past imprisonment for a felony.
Section 4[edit]
The Congress shall enforce this amendment with appropriate legislation.
Replacing the Second Amendment[edit]
Section 1[edit]
The right of the several states to maintain militias pursuant to the security of the individual states, the United States and the liberties granted by their constitutions shall not be infringed.
Section 2[edit]
The right of private citizens to keep and bear arms may be regulated by the several states, but each state cannot discriminate in the granting of this right based off race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, political identity, or against any person not deprived of this right by a jury of their peers.
Section 3[edit]
The transport of firearms across state boundaries by private citizens shall, pursuant to the Interstate Commerce Clause, be regulated by the Congress.
Section 4[edit]
The Congress shall enforce this amendment with appropriate legislation.
Corporate Personhood[edit]
Section 1[edit]
No corporation, company, or assembly of any kind shall be considered a person protected by the Constitution of the United States, or be entitled to any of the rights a Citizen of the United States or of any state.
Section 2[edit]
The Congress shall enforce this amendment with appropriate legislation.
Deployment of Soldiers[edit]
Section 1[edit]
The power to deploy the United States military for combat operations both domestically and abroad shall reside solely with the Congress. Exceptions to this rule may be determined solely by the Congress.
Section 2[edit]
Violation of this amendment by any officer of the United States military, including its Commander-in-Chief, shall result in their immediate deposition. Refusal to accept deposition within 24 hours shall result in the officer being considered in a state of rebellion against the United States.
Executive Power[edit]
Section 1[edit]
The President may not use his or her power to issue executive orders to deprive any United States citizen of their constitutional rights in peace or in wartime without a warrant issued by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Section 2[edit]
The violation of this Amendment by the President is a high crime against the United States. Any elected or appointed official of the federal government, or the government of any of the several states, who complies with this order shall be removed from office.
Definition of government[edit]
(Copied from the German Basic Law)
Section 1[edit]
The United States of America is a democratic and social federal state.
Section 2[edit]
All federal and state authority is derived from the people. It shall be exercised by the people through elections and other votes and through specific legislative, executive, and judicial bodies.
Section 3[edit]
The Congress and the legislatures of the several states shall be bound by the Constitutional order, the executive and the judiciary by law and justice.
Section 4[edit]
All Americans shall have the right and civic duty to resist any person seeking to abolish this constitutional order, if no other remedy is available.
Elections[edit]
Section 1[edit]
The voting period for federal elections shall be from the first Monday of November and last until the first Friday of November.
Section 2[edit]
The attempted suppression of any citizen's right to vote through force, intimidation, or sabotage of the public records, and without the judgment of a jury of their peers, is a federal crime, to be punished no less than five years in prison.
Section 3[edit]
The Congress shall have the power to enforce this amendment with appropriate legislation.