The Living Constitution

INTRODUCTION

• The U.S. Constitution is a relatively concise document that has been amended only 27 times. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.
• The 17^th Amendment unconstitutionally altered the way U.S. Senators are elected.
• The 18^th Amendment prohibited intoxicating liquor in all forms nationwide and presented an opportunity for an enormous criminal enterprise. The 18^th Amendment was repealed by the 21^st Amendment.
• The 19^th Amendment extended the right to vote to women.
• The 20^th Amendment (a) modified the scheduling of Congress, and (b) improved the Electoral College process for electing a President and a Vice-President.
• The 21^st Amendment repealed the 18^th Amendment while also prohibiting the interstate transportation of alcoholic beverages when the recipient state’s laws prohibited such importation. In brief, this amendment removed the nationwide prohibition of alcoholic beverages from federal authority and relinquished this authority to the states, as per the 10^th Amendment.
  • Explanation: The 18^th Amendment was unconstitutional, as per the enumerated powers of Congress prescribed by Article I, Section 8, and Article VI, the second clause, defining the Supreme Law of the Land.
  • The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly prohibit the states from regulating the manufacture, sale, and intrastate transportation of alcoholic beverages; however, the federal government exercises broad powers over interstate commerce, as outlined in Article I, Section 8.

LOCAL IMPACT/WHY IT MATTERS

Our U.S. Constitution was birthed in prayer, not from man’s wisdom.

At the time of crafting the Declaration of Independence, the delegates held prayer meetings daily, seeking wisdom from God. After achieving independence from Britain, the Congress convened to improve the Articles of Confederation. Delegates proposed innumerable changes. None was acceptable to the whole body of delegates.

After several weeks of fruitless propositions and debates, elder statesman Benjamin Franklin rose with a proposition. Franklin reminded the delegates of their crafting of the Declaration of Independence from Britain. He reminded them how God guided them through that convention. Read: Franklin’s Appeal for Prayer at the Constitutional Convention. An excerpt from the document, Franklin’s appeal for prayer:

“ I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without his concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and byword down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments be Human Wisdom and leave it to chance, wa,r and conquest.?

When legislation and constitutional amendments are consistent with the definition of the Supreme Law of the Land in Article VI, such legislation and amendments will serve us well in the preservation of our Republican Form of Government.

REPUBLICAN PERSPECTIVE

For several state convention cycles, the Republican Party Platform has included a call to repeal the 17^th Amendment. Why? This amendment violates Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, which requires every state in the Union to have a representative Republican Form of Government. Instead of the U.S. Senate being accountable to the States, it has become a democratic institution.

Our first constitution was the Articles of Confederation, configured to prevent a strong central government. From the beginning of the United States of America, the states each had ONE vote in Congress, as stipulated in Article IV of the Articles of Confederation; only one congressional delegate represented each of the states.

The confederation was ineffective at unifying the 13 states, due, in part, to disparate state populations. A new constitution, the present constitution, replaced the Articles of Confederation. The respective state legislatures selected two senators to represent the state in Congress. The House of Representatives was created to afford proportional representation of the citizens of each state in Congress.

There arose a demand for direct, popular elections of U.S. senators, moving the country a step closer to becoming a democracy. The U.S. Senate of today does not represent the states, and this has naturally led to all manner of corruption to arise in our federal government.

The Texas State Republican Party Platform, Constitutional Issues, topic no. 7, Amendments to the United States Constitution: We Support restoring state sovereignty with the repeal of the 17^th Amendment of the US Constitution and the appointment of US Senators by the state legislatures.

ACTION & CLOSING

Read and study the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Sign up for updates from your federal and state Legislators. Your county Republican Party is your closest connection to legislative actions. In Rockwall County, you can offer your opinions and propositions through the CONTACT US page of the website. Sign up for emails from the local Republican Party through this link: Stay up to date & subscribe below at the bottom of the home page.

Learn the name of your Precinct Chair and get his/her contact information.

Participate in local Republican events. Select ATTEND: Upcoming Events on the Home Page.

Keep in mind this important fact: The Republican form of Government prescribed in Article IV, Section 4 only works when We, the people, participate.

Knowledge is Power.