The Right Way to Amend the Constitution, part 13

This is part thirteen of an ongoing series of articles containing proposals for amendments to the Constitution. For someone who claims so fervently to be a “Constitutionalist”, how is it that I can be so eager to change the Constitution? Well, there are several reasons. For one thing, I believe that after the Bill of Rights, much damage was done by some of the amendments that were added and the legitimacy of some of their ratifications are questionable. Secondly, the Constitution has been violated so much that the necessity of further amendments is needed to resolve the resulting problems. But this should be done extremely cautiously. These amendments are extremely unlikely to ever be introduced, much less ratified, but hey, I can dream, can’t I?

The title for this week’s proposed article of amendment (subject to revision) is The Peace and Tranquility Amendment, the text of which follows:

Section 1: The United States shall not invade, station standing armies in, or establish forts in another nation without a Congressional declaration of war.

Section 2: Any Congressional declaration of war must contain clear instructions as to the objectives of the war and an exit strategy.

Section 3: Any Congressional declaration of war must be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the whole number of members of each House of Congress.

Section 4: Congress shall make no law appropriating funds for war except funds obtained by the voluntary purchase of war bonds. This section shall not be construed to apply to the peacetime maintenance of the Navy and of the Militia.

Section 5: The Marines and the Coast Guard shall be reintegrated into the Navy for all purposes. All power over the National Guard shall be given to the States, except in times of war, and it shall serve as the Militia. All other branches of the armed services shall be abolished and none shall be established except in times of war. The Posse Comitatus Act shall not be violated.

Section 6: This article shall not be construed as modifying, limiting or abolishing the Power of Congress to grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, to define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations, or to make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.

Section 7: Henceforth, no citizen of the United States shall be liable for the payment of taxes, fees, or other moneys to be received by the United States and no such moneys shall be collected or withheld from a citizen whenever the United States is in violation of the terms of this article of amendment and for one year following any such violation.

Commentary on this proposed amendment:

The third and fourth sections are the meat of the amendment. The rest are really redundant, given the 10^th amendment and the fact that no authority to do these things exists in the Constitution. Over and over again, the United States has unnecessarily plunged itself into war at the cost of our own lives and well as the lives of law-abiding citizens of other nations. The demagoguery of our leadership has suckered our populace into the belief that it is necessary for the freedom our nation to kill innocent civilians who committed no crime against the United States, its allies, or its citizens. If we don’t establish a better check on war making powers we are doomed to become a nation permanently at war.

Section 7 is necessary to put some teeth into it. Without it, if the amendment were violated, then any case brought by the People against the government would be dismissed on some basis like “lack of standing”. Section 7 would force the courts to either make things right or do a lot more mental gymnastics than usual.

Click here to go on to my next proposed amendment.

Our Navy Bans "Intolerant" T-Shirts

Friend of A Good Choice . . ., TD, once again forwards another outstandingly frank and funny email that has been floating out there in cyberspace.

Warning: The following article is crude, crass, insensitive, politically incorrect, offensive to liberals and non-Christians, Communists, Socialists, domestic and foreign Jihadists , so beware and go immediately to the Daily Kos, CNN, ABC, CBS, the New York Times or other liberal safe haven. Above all do not read this article . . .

First the political correct bureaucrats in blue expelled Chaplain James Gordon Klingenschmidtt from the Navy because he had the audacity to pray in public, at a sailor’s funeral, in the name of Jesus Christ. How awful! How shocking. How un-American!

Now comes this gem from the bureaucrats in blue. You've got to love the Navy. This has been apparently circulating in cyberspace for some time. I googled the directive below and got over 740 responses. I am not sure if this is legit or not. Either way it is humorous.

U.S. Navy Directive 16134 (Inappropriate T-Shirts)

The following directive was issued by the commanding officer of all
naval installations in the Middle East. (It was obviously directed at the
Marines.)

To: All Commands

Subject: Inappropriate T-Shirts

Ref: ComMidEast For Inst 16134//24 K

All commanders promulgate upon receipt.

The following T-shirts are no longer to be worn on or off base by any military or civilian personnel serving in the Middle East:

A. "Eat Pork or Die" [both English and Arabic versions]

B. "Shrine Busters" [Various. Show burning minarets or bomb/artillery shells impacting Islamic shrines. Some with unit logos.]

C. "Napalm, Sticks Like Crazy" [Both English and Arabic versions]

D. "Goat - it isn't just for breakfast any more." [Both English and Arabic versions]

E. "The road to Paradise begins with me." [Mostly Arabic versions, but some in English. Some show sniper scope cross-hairs.]

F. "Guns don't kill people. I kill people." [Both Arabic and English versions]

G. "Pork. The other white meat." [Arabic version]

H. "Infidel" [English, Arabic and other coalition force languages.]

The above T-shirts are to be removed from Post Exchanges upon receipt of this directive. In addition, the following signs are to be removed upon receipt of this message:

A.. "Islamic Religious Services Will Be Held at the Firing Range at 0800 Daily."

B.. "Do we really need 'smart bombs' to drop on these dumb b*st*rds?"

All commands are instructed to implement sensitivity training upon receipt.

The radical liberal secular humanistic mindset has even invaded, infiltrated the mightiest military in the world. We don’t want to “offend” Islamists who can’t take a joke or the slightest sarcasm? Yet, apparently the name of Jesus is too offensive to be openly declared by America’s Navy chaplains in our once God-honoring and Christian nation. Something ain’t right.