Talk:Uniting Amendment

Suggest and discuss proposed changes to the Amendment here. Changes which have gained consensus will be applied to the periodic revisions of the document. You may want to review the Guideline for changes prior to posting your comments.

Language in Citizenship section

It says, "The term of the Office of Citizen shall be for life and no Citizen may be removed from office until demise or abdication."

I think it should say, "The term of the Office of Citizen shall be for life and no Citizen may be removed from that office until demise or abdication."

The change is necessary because the phrase "removal from office" may refer to any office that the Citizen may hold, not just the office of Citizen. Darin (talk) 10:39, 10 January 2014 (EST)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Grammar in Taxes section

It says, "No other tax, shall be imposed or collected by the government of the United States except those specified in this Amendment..."

Better is "No other tax, may be imposed or collected by the government of the United States except those specified in this Amendment..."

The latter is more grammatically correct. Darin (talk) 11:51, 10 January 2014 (EST)

Throughout the document, the words "shall", "may", and "can" might be used inappropriately. The entire document should be checked (by someone who completely understands the legal difference between these three words) and the proper word substituted, or the sentence rephrased, where appropriate. Ronald Smith (talk) 15:09, 11 May 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Judicial person creating a natural person

I think the following should be added to "Section 4 - Rights":

A judicial person may not create a natural person."

Add it towards the end of the section, about 7-8 paragraphs from the end of the section. Ronald Smith (talk) 06:45, 16 January 2014 (EST)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Typos:

In Section 6, Equity: it says, "All expenditures from the Treasury that are not from the Basis Assistance Fund..."; The word "Basis" should be "Basic".

Also, in Section 19, Basic Assistance Fund: it says, "The care of those in need being a concern of a civil society, Congress shall establish a Basis Assistance Fund."; The word "Basis" should be "Basic".

Tanya (talk) 16:14, 24 January 2014 (EST)

In Section 4, Rights: it says, "The right to a speedy and fair trail for those accused..."; "trail" should be "trial"

Ronald Smith (talk) 12:40, 5 May 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Congressional power to remove President and VP

In Section 10, Powers, it says, "Congress has no power to impeach, however, the President, Vice President, or any civil officer of the United States may be removed from office upon a vote of three-fourths of both houses of Congress. A simple majority in each House shall be required to call a proceeding of the removal of a civil Officer."

I don't think Congress should have the power to remove both the President and VP of a single administration. Because of the the order of succession, if a party or other cohesive group gained significant power in the House and Senate, they could select a Speaker of the House and then remove the President and Vice President, which makes the Speaker the new President. They'd effectively have the power to select a new president and have control over the Senate, House and Presidency. Perhaps if Congress only had the power to remove the President and not the VP, and could only exercise that power once per Presidential term, that would prevent a power grab of that type. Also, with the power to remove the President, there is no need for Congress to have the ability to directly remove civil officers as they could effectively compel the President to fire anybody under threat of his own removal. (Note that in this case the power to compel action from the President is limited – they could likely get her to remove a cabinet member but perhaps not make her change a firmly held policy position shared by both her and the VP.) Ronald Smith (talk) 01:07, 22 February 2014 (EST)

Grammatical error in Section 13

Mismatched number: people and her

"The right of self-defense shall not be infringed; the right of the people to lawfully possess, use, transport, transfer, sell, buy, or otherwise own or control any weapon or defensive device for the purpose of the defense of her life, liberty, family, community and property from criminals, aggressors, usurpers or tyrants shall not be abridged, infringed, licensed, or regulated."

Change to:

The right of self-defense shall not be infringed; the right of the people to lawfully possess, use, transport, transfer, sell, buy, or otherwise own or control any weapon or defensive device for the purpose of the defense of life, liberty, family, community and property from criminals, aggressors, usurpers or tyrants shall not be abridged, infringed, licensed, or regulated.

Ronald Smith (talk) 16:08, 23 February 2014 (EST)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Explicitly limit distributions from the Basic Assistance Fund to it's stated purpose

Perhaps Section 19, Basic Assistance, should explicitly say that money in the Basic Assistance Fund may only be used to directly pay requesters. It's implied, but better to say so explicitly to prevent politicians from robbing the fund.

Also, it says, "...each request is limited to maximum amount of...". I think it should say, "...each request is limited to a maximum amount of...". Pamela DELGADO (talk) 00:09, 4 March 2014 (EST)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Grammatical error, Section 18

Paragraph four begins, "The government of United States,...". It should be "The government of the United States,..." Brenda PATTON (talk) 13:46, 15 March 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Integrity of all government workers

The second paragraph of Section 18 refers to Congress members recusing themselves from certain votes:

Any member of Congress, having a conflict of interest or having accepted any benefit to herself or to any entity on her behalf or otherwise to have come under influence other than her own conscience or the will of the people, shall recuse herself from voting on any legislation effecting any such benefactor or source of influence.

The third paragraph refers to vendors influencing government workers:

No vendor to the United States may be shown preference to any other and no award of sale may be made which favors an incumbent vendor. Vendors may not contribute to the benefit of any President, Senator, Representative, or any Official or government worker in a position to influence or effect the award of any sale to the vendor.

However, there are situations where a person who is not a vendor could attempt to influence policy by performing an act that benefits a government worker who has influence over a policy. I propose changing the second paragraph to read:

Any President, Senator, Representative, Official or government worker in a position to influence or effect policy and having a conflict of interest or having accepted any benefit to herself or to any entity on her behalf or otherwise to have come under influence other than her own conscience or the will of the people, shall recuse herself from participating, deliberating, voting, or otherwise influencing any policy or legislation effecting any such benefactor or source of influence.

.Brenda PATTON (talk) 14:05, 15 March 2014 (EDT)

Done (Revision 6442) with corrections to grammar and preservation of suffrage:

Any President, Senator, Representative, Official or government worker in a position to influence or effect policy and having a conflict of interest or having accepted any benefit to herself or to any entity on her behalf or otherwise to have come under influence other than her own conscience or the will of the people, shall recuse herself from any participation, deliberation, vote, or other activity that influences any policy or legislation effecting any such benefactor or source of influence. However, the right of suffrage as an ordinary citizen shall not be abridged in any situation. Admin (talk) 16:52, 16 September 2014 (EDT)

That/Which Grammar issues

Throughout the document, the word "which" is used in situations where the word "that" should have been used. For example, in the Taxes section, it says, "No State may tax or regulate any activity or property which partially or in whole occurs or is located outside the State."

The word "which" should be be changed to "that" because its operative clause is restrictive. This issue also occurs in:

Rights section, paragraph 11 - "Property which has the potential to create..."

Ibid., paragraph 15 - "Any proceeding which could result in deprivation shall include..."

Ibid., paragraph 17 (2 occurrences) - "No person or entity involved in a prosecution which could result in deprivation, or in the application of such deprivation, may be compensated based upon a quota or rate which could influence prosecution, application or rate of those deprivations."

Ibid., paragraph 18 (2 occurrences), Ibid., paragraph 19 (1 occurrence), Ibid., paragraph 21 (1 occurrences), Ibid., paragraph 24 (1 occurrences), Ibid., paragraph 28 (2 occurrences), Ibid., paragraph 32 (1 occurrences)

Commerce section - "For purposes of this Section, markets which are growing..."

Commerce section - "...and any potential harm which may result from the agreement..."

Commerce section - "...content or material which, by its unique qualities..."

Section 9, Respect for Life and Nature - 2 occurrences

Section 10, Powers - 6 occurrences

Section 12, The Treasury and the Central Bank - 2 occurrences

Section 13, 2 occurrences

Section 16, Supreme Court - "No person may enforce any law or order which conflicts with this Constitution."

Section 16, Supreme Court - "The courts may invalidate any legislation which is vague..."

Section 16, Supreme Court - "...cancel any decision or opinion of the Supreme Court or any part thereof which infringes..."

Section 16, Supreme Court - "Any decision or opinion which is not cancelled by the..."

Section 18, Integrity - "Such restrictions shall also apply to their spouses and to anyone or any entity which they hold interest or control, or voluntarily share a residence." (In this case, "which" should be changed to "with which" or the sentence s/b reworded)

Section 18, Integrity - paragraph 3

Section 22, paragraph 2

Section 23, 3 occurrences

That's all I could find, however, a search should be done for the word "which" on the whole document periodically to catch this type of error. Elizabeth REYES (talk) 13:52, 26 March 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Privacy, Section 14 issues

The definition of privacy in the section says,

"Information is private if it is: not lawfully and generally known or knowable to the public using ordinary, natural, unpalpitating, unmodified, unaided human senses, or transmitted as light in the visible spectrum to a public place; reasonably expected to be private; or is not intentionally and lawfully transmitted to the public by any means."

The phrase, "transmitted as light in the visible spectrum to a public place" is somewhat ambiguous as to "public place". I think a better phrasing would be "openly transmitted as light in the visible spectrum to a place beyond its immediate private or public source". (The word "openly" is added to differentiate fiberoptic transmissions from ordinary visual percepts.)

Also, it might be cleaner to describe public information and then define private information as all other information:

"Information is public if it: is lawfully and generally known or knowable to the public using ordinary, natural, unpalpitating, unmodified, unaided human senses, or is openly transmitted as light in the visible spectrum to a place beyond its immediate private or public source; is not reasonably expected to be private; or is intentionally and lawfully transmitted to the public by any means. All other information is private."

Sherry HOLLOWAY (talk) 05:46, 18 April 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Pardons (end of Section 10)

I propose rewording the paragraph about pardons as follows:

"The Executive power to reprieve or pardon shall not be used for anyone whose crime: has benefited the President or a Department Head, has expanded the power of the state, or was committed with the expectation of pardon or reprieve. Nor may pardons or reprieves apply to future acts, or be used for anyone who has provided a significant donation or other benefit to the Executive or a Department Head. No law may provide criminal or civil immunity to any specific natural or judicial person or group of persons."

This wording corrects the grammar. It removes the clause about crimes at the direction of Officials/Department Heads and instead expands the clause about crimes that have benefited the President to also cover Department Heads. Also, the words "significant donation" replace the word "financial".

Ronald Smith (talk) 12:13, 24 April 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Executive statements not law

Currently, the Amendment clarifies that Executive signing statements have no force of law:

"Statements of the Executive in connection with the approval of bills of Congress shall have no effect of law. "

I think it should further clarify that the Executive has no law-making authority and that nothing she says creates law. Perhaps replace that sentence with:

Legislative authority is reserved only to the Congress or to the States; no statement, order, or proclamation of the Executive has any force of law.

Ronald Smith (talk) 12:30, 5 May 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Jury of Citizens

The Amendment currently refers to the "Citizens' Jury", which is part of the Supreme Court. The Justices are usually referred to as the Justices of the Supreme Court, not the "Supreme Court's Justices" or "'Justices' Supreme Court"; so for symmetry and aesthetics of language, it's probable better to refer to the Jury as the Supreme Court Jury of Citizens, rather than as the “Citizens' Jury”.

Ronald Smith (talk) 14:10, 11 May 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

States, territories, and other political divisions of the U.S.

Maybe the Amendment should include a list all of the current states, territories etc. and give a definition for each of types of political divisions; perhaps in the definitions section. Ronald Smith (talk) 03:14, 12 May 2014 (EDT)

Congress' power to declare war

We should add something to the last paragraph of Section 13, Defense, to prevent Congress from declaring war against people within the U.S. It looks like there is already a prohibition against using the Army against the people, but a declaration of war in and of itself has consequences. Maybe add something like, "Congress may not make a declaration of war against, or declare as an aggressor, any person, group or entity under the jurisdiction of the United States." Paul Robinson (talk) 05:10, 2 June 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Common resources and the environment

In Section 4, "Rights", it says, "...the use of a common resource may be regulated by permit when the use would likely conflict with the rights of others to use the common resource."

It should specify some criterion as to exactly when a conflict exists. Examples:

• Multiple groups want to use the same baseball field in a park.
• A factory wants to release a chemical into the air.
• Someone wants to divert a stream that flows through others' properties.

Exactly when is someone's rights violated by the use of a common resource. In the first example, it's pretty clear that one party's use prevents another from using the resource, and therefore it's use can be regulated. But in the second example, it depends on many things: What is the chemical? How much is released? How does it effect the air? If it makes the air unhealthy to breathe, then that violates someone else's right to "use the common resource". But what if the chemical in the air causes some other effect, for example, causes the paint on somebody's house to peel off. That doesn't effect the homeowner's right to "use the common resource", but it still violates her rights.

The third example brings up an issue about who, exactly, shares the resource. In Section 6, Equity, it says, "Whenever the use or alteration of public land or any other common resource must be limited, the right of use or alteration shall be distributed equally among all the people and any person may freely trade such right with any other entity without restriction."

The phrase, "distributed equally among all the people" doesn't make sense for the third example above. Fairness would dictate that only the people who had water rights in the stream could share that common resource, not "all the people". And maybe the landowners further upstream would have greater use of the flow of water because there is more water flowing through their property. (Although the unit of "use" could be specified in terms relative to the amount of flow, and those units divided equally.)

And of course the biggy is the international use of common resources, like the release of CO2 into the air. How is the evidence weighed for the effects of that use? Who decides? What about other countries who overuse the resource?

There is still a lot to be fleshed out in this area. Jerry Lee (talk) 21:32, 3 June 2014 (EDT)

Done, but still needs work. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Congress' power to define words used in commerce

This clause (in Section 10, Powers) seems to prevent people from the freedom to define contractual terms and phrases as they want. I think the intent of the clause was to provide some kind of standard for ambiguous terms to help facilitate commerce, but as written, it restricts people's ability to define words differently among themselves it they want.

Maybe the clause should be restricted to words and phrases used in offers of goods and services to the public or in situations where the words are not otherwise defined. Perhaps add to the clause that people are still free to define words and phrases differently in private transactions? Darin (talk) 06:00, 16 June 2014 (EDT)

Done as to the last suggestion. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Grammatical/spelling errors in Section 4, Rights

It says, "Rights and powers not addressed by this Constitution belong solely to the Citizens and other individuals under jurisdiction of the United States."

It should say: "Rights and powers not addressed by this Constitution belong solely to the Citizens and other individuals who are under the jurisdiction of the United States. Darin (talk) 06:25, 16 June 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 4725 Admin (talk) 18:10, 15 July 2014 (EDT)

Misplaced clause on the powers of local governments

There is a paragraph near the end of the "Rights" section that says, "State and local governments may regulate noise, artificial lighting or shade, odors, and other nuisances which cross property lines or effect those in public places. Other restrictions may be imposed via consensual deed restrictions and voluntary associations."

This should probably be in the "Powers" section and maybe it should be expanded and made more specific to include language specifying that the states have the power to run elections, enforce the law, and establish the state courts. Also, the "Powers" section should specify which powers may be delegated by the federal government to the states, and by the states to local government. Darin (talk) 06:46, 16 June 2014 (EDT)

Yes that clause should be moved to the powers section and it makes sense to list the powers that the states can exercise. Right now the question of the federal versus state powers is left up to a convolution of clauses and common law, including the 9th, 10th, and 14th amendments, the "necessary and proper" clause and others. A clear list of powers that the states may exercise, subordinate to the Constitution and the rights of the people, should be clearly spelled out. Ronald Smith (talk) 15:25, 16 September 2015 (EDT)

Done. Revision 14604 - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Privacy, a possible exception

There is a specific exception to the right of privacy that is not accommodated by the amendment. When someone loses a personal item, like a cell phone or a purse, and the item is found, generally the object is searched to determine who owns it so it can be returned. Technically, that search would be a violation of privacy, according to a strict interpretation of the amendment. Perhaps a provision could be included for such circumstances, or generally in any case where an intrusion of privacy would be to the benefit of the person. I don't know if an exception could be worded in a way so that it doesn't open up a huge loophole ("We listen to everyone's phone calls because they benefit from our searching for terrorists.") Mattie Powell (talk) 11:17, 19 August 2014 (EDT)

Done (Revision 6442) as:

The states may provide for the conditions and manner by which lost or abandoned property may be searched or seized solely for the purpose of facilitating the disposition of the property and only when no crime is suspected. Admin (talk) 16:52, 16 September 2014 (EDT)

Vigilantism?

The final paragraph of Section 4 says, "Whenever those who are entrusted with the enforcement of law become unwilling or incapable of prosecuting violators, and the timely and established avenues of petition to redress by the people have been exhausted, the Citizens may organize themselves to enforce law, prosecute criminals, and protect their rights following due process."

The word "following" is ambiguous. Does it means the people can act "after the completion of due process", or does it mean the people can act only "in accordance with due process"?

Also, the whole concept is kind of vague. Exactly when can the people act on their own? What does "organize themselves" mean? What are the limits? What are the checks against vigilante vengeance? Daniel Morales (talk) 09:02, 26 August 2014 (EDT)

Changed "following" to "in accordance with". Revision 6442 Needs more work. Admin (talk) 16:52, 16 September 2014 (EDT)

Juries in appellate cases

The amendment implies that appeals of civil cases are to be reviewed by a jury:

The unalienable right of the people to sue for actual or punitive damages shall not be denied or limited and no award may be altered except upon review of a jury of citizens.

Should a jury be involved in all appellate cases? All cases that reach the Supreme Court are subject to the review of the SCOTUS jury of citizens, so why not have them in the lower appellate courts, too? Also, shouldn't the parties be able to wave the right to a jury? Micheal Avokato (talk) 10:38, 15 September 2014 (EDT)

Done. Revision 6442 Added:

Any party to an appellate proceeding may, at the onset of the proceeding, request that the issue be reviewed by a jury of citizens acting in consultation with the presiding justice or judge. Also, explicitly stated that the parties to an award can alter it with mutual consent (because the jury review requirement could possibly be interpreted as restricting the rights of the parties to do that). Admin (talk) 16:52, 16 September 2014 (EDT)

War powers

Section 13 talks about how Congress can declare war. It has time limits on notifications and duration, however, it doesn't require specificity in the scope of the Congressional declaration of war. I think there should be a requirement that Congress specify exactly who, what, where, when and how force may be exercised by the Commander-in-Chief. Also, it might be better to just forget about speaking in terms of a formal declaration of war and just say that the President can only use force with permission from Congress except when the country is being attacked or an attack is imminent and it is impossible for the President to ask Congress and get approval in time to deter an attack. (And be specific about how "attack" and "imminent" are defined so there is no wiggle room for the President to get around the requirement for Congressional approval.) Bobrary (talk) 10:53, 25 September 2014 (EDT)

Done (Revision 14604) as to specificity of the declaration: a majority of members present in each House of Congress and must specify the aggressors, geographic scope, and the conditions and extent of the force to be used. - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Foreign relations

Under Congressional powers it says that Congress has the power to, "Declare war and peace, allies and aggressors." Maybe it should just say that Congress has the power to authorize the use of force by the Commander-in-chief. Also, to allow a more finely-grained scale of relations with foreign states, maybe it should allow a spectrum of statuses or labels to apply to other states; like "neutral partner", "trade partner", "defense ally", "hostile state", etc. This would allow for levels of escalation rather than just having to declare war or peace. Bobrary (talk) 11:04, 25 September 2014 (EDT)

Codify Stare Decisis

It might make sense to actually codify the tradition of Stare Decisis, i.e., respecting precedents set by previous court decisions. One possibility is to require a 2/3 majority to overrule a previous decision made by the same court. (Similar to overriding a veto). Of course this could present a problem if there is disagreement among the justices or jury as to whether a contemplated decision will overrule a previous decision or simply further hone it. A procedure would need to be in place to handle that situation. Louis Caoches (talk) 12:41, 20 January 2015 (EST)

Done. (Revision 14604) - Decisions of the courts are binding precedent in common law and may not be reversed except upon review of a higher court of jurisdiction, or by the Supreme Court as necessary when a previous decision clearly contradicts this Constitution. - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Consent to medical procedures

The clause about not being compelled to participate in medical procedures seems to imply that someone could be compelled if the procedure is in their benefit. Better to reword it as:

"No one who is capable of giving informed consent may be compelled to participate in any medical procedure, research study or scientific experiment; those who are incapable of giving informed consent may not be compelled to participate in a manner that is not for their own benefit; nor shall anyone be subjected to the intentional, nonconsensual, infliction of pain, suffering, or inhumane or degrading treatment." William Noble (talk) 16:43, 9 February 2015 (EST)

Done. (Revision 14604) -

No one may be subjected to the intentional, nonconsensual, infliction of pain, suffering, or inhumane or degrading treatment regardless of age, relation or condition. - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

No one who is capable of giving informed consent may be compelled to participate in any medical procedure, research study or scientific experiment; those who are incapable of giving informed consent may not be compelled to participate in a manner that is not for their own benefit.

What to do if a textual interpretation of the Constitution is untenable?

The amendment requires SCOTUS to interpret the Constitution exactly as written. But what if an exact literal interpretation turns out to be untenable? Currently, even the textualists give leeway for some interpretation for such situations. Could a provision be made that allows for a temporary interpretation to stand until the law can be changed? Or just instruct SCOTUS to inform Congress and the people about the issue and let them handle it with legislation or amendment?

Also, the current wording, "The Constitution shall be interpreted exactly as written" could leave a door open for the court. There is a movement right now to use some rhetorical gymnastics to get around ANY restriction on interpretation by saying that the courts may be restricted in how they "interpret" law but that they can "apply" that interpretation any way they want. It's ridiculous, I know, but there are some who are promoting that nonsense. Maybe the amendment could be reworded to head that off, like: "The Constitution shall be interpreted and applied exactly as written". Or maybe "The Constitution shall be interpreted exactly as written and the effect of the interpretation shall be in accordance to the exact meaning of the text." William Noble (talk) 16:43, 9 February 2015 (EST)

Done. (Revision 14604) -

Decisions of the courts are binding precedent in common law and may not be reversed except upon review of a higher court of jurisdiction, or by the Supreme Court as necessary when a previous decision clearly contradicts this Constitution. All decisions and opinions of all courts are public information and shall be immediately published in the most available fashion, subordinate to the right of privacy as recognized by this Constitution. - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

The Constitution shall be interpreted and applied exactly as written; no more and no less.

Indiscriminate weapons

An alert attendee at the NH Liberty Forum found that the paragraph in Section 13 on indiscriminate weapons (like nuclear weapons) can be read in a way such that it could be interpreted too broadly. That paragraph needs to be rewritten so that it only applies to weapons like nuclear weapons that kill innocent non-aggressors when they are used against an enemy. (The amendment generally allows people to possess any weapon that could be used for self-defense. The purpose of this paragraph in the amendment is to address the argument that says, "Well, if I can possess any weapon then can I possess a nuclear bomb?" The amendment has to address that issue. Rather than specify a specific technology to prohibit (like nuclear weapons), we need to define the attributes of a weapon that would fit into a category of indiscriminate weapons without prohibiting other weapons that people could use for self-defense.) NHLF Guest (talk) 14:49, 11 March 2015 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 14604) -

Indiscriminate weapons may be regulated by Congress. An indiscriminate weapon is a thermonuclear explosive, or any other tangible weapon that, when used against an aggressor during any particular defensive act, would likely maim or kill a non-aggressor. Any regulation of an indiscriminate weapon shall be narrowly constructed so as to affect protection of non-aggressors with the least amount of restriction possible. - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Possession of weapons by convicted criminals

An attendee at NHLF objected to the paragraph in Section 13 that allows the rights of certain convicted criminals to be limited. Comments? NHLF Guest (talk) 15:08, 11 March 2015 (EDT)

I can see no scenario in which incarcerated criminals should be allowed to carry guns while they are in prison. Once someone has been convicted of a violent crime (using some fair process), then their rights can be abridged in some way, including the right to bear arms. The anonymous objector above was likely concerned about disarmament of the population via fallacious criminal charges and kangaroo courts. That concern is really more about due process than the right to bear arms. Max Kirk (talk) 12:06, 30 September 2015 (EDT)

Enforcement

An attendee at that NHLF asked about enforcement. The amendment doesn't say much about how laws are to be enforced. Should it? NHLF Guest (talk) 15:08, 11 March 2015 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 14604) - The states are responsible for enforcing all laws, both federal laws and state laws. The executive may direct the states to enforce federal laws.

The people grant to the Executive the following limited powers... She may direct any State to enforce the laws of the United States within the State;

The people grant to the States the following limited powers... Enforce the State's laws and laws of the United States within the State; - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Citizenship test

An attendee at NHLF thought that there should be more conditions placed on those who wish to run for the office of Citizen, such as requiring that they speak fluent English and understand the Constitution. Comments? NHLF Guest (talk) 15:08, 11 March 2015 (EDT)

I think that a test requirement could be abused to selectively exclude certain groups, just as Jim Crow laws involved tests to be able to vote. A test can be structured such that it favors certain groups. If someone can't speak English, it will be more difficult for them to get elected as a citizen anyway, so candidates will already have an incentive to learn English. Also, the list of new citizens is public so people are free to contact them to help them learn about the U.S. Constitution or provide other civics education opportunities. Lynn Williams (talk) 21:58, 20 June 2015 (EDT)

There is a requirement in the amendment that new citizens have a clean criminal record. Isn't that a test? Couldn't that be abused to select certain groups? If you're not going have any restrictions then that should go too. Max Kirk (talk) 12:06, 30 September 2015 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 14604) - Removed the criminal history restriction. - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

SCOTUS challenges to constitutionality of congressional legislation

There was a discussion at the NHLF on the process specified in the amendment for SCOTUS to immediately evaluate the constitutionality of bills passed by Congress under certain circumstances. Should the amendment specify how SCOTUS is to evaluate those bills? Should it specify the standard (or test) to use in that evaluation? NHLF Guest (talk) 15:08, 11 March 2015 (EDT)

The process implies a prima facie examination. Stare decisis and the requirement for a textual interpretation will limit what they can do. Also, all opinions are subject to review by the Jury of Citizens. Lynn Williams (talk) 22:47, 20 June 2015 (EDT)

Age requirement for SCOTUS jurors

The amendment doesn't have an age requirement for SCOTUS jurors. Jurors should be at least 18 years old and perhaps the minimum age should be the same as for members of Congress or the Senate. Ronald Smith (talk) 06:45, 26 July 2015 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 14604) - Jurists and jurors shall be at least eighteen years of age. - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Public disclosure of judicial decisions

Section 16 says, "All decisions and opinions of all courts are public information and shall be immediately published in the most available fashion."; however Section 14 (Privacy) says, "When a person's private information is collected or seized as evidence, it may only be revealed or released to the general public if the person is convicted of a crime and only if the private information is material evidence in the trial." One of those sections should specify which of those provisions takes precedence, or specify the conditions under which portions of judicial decisions may remain private, e.g., appellate decisions are always public but private information in civil and criminal cases may remain private until there is a criminal conviction. Ronald Smith (talk) 06:45, 26 July 2015 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 14604) - "All decisions and opinions of all courts are public information and shall be immediately published in the most available fashion, subordinate to the right of privacy as recognized by this Constitution." Admin (talk) 17:36, 14 July 2016 (EDT)

Also state secrets should not be disclosed. Max Kirk (talk) 12:06, 30 September 2015 (EDT)

Public information

The first paragraph of Section 14, Privacy, describes what public information is and then says that all other information is private. The part that describes public information should explain that information that is required to be made public by law is also public information. For example, activities by those who work in the government should be public. Also, the reasonable expectation standard should specify that the expectation assumes that all people are obeying the law. Proposed wording:

"Information is public if it is: lawfully and generally known or knowable to the public using ordinary, natural, non-palpitating, unmodified, unaided human senses, or is openly transmitted as light in the visible spectrum to a place beyond its immediate private or public source; not reasonably expected to be private under lawful conditions; intentionally and lawfully transmitted to the public by any means; or required to be made public by law." Ronald Smith (talk) 11:42, 26 July 2015 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 14604) - The right of privacy shall be preserved. Information is public if it: is lawfully and generally known or knowable to the public using ordinary, natural, non-palpitating, unmodified, unaided human senses, or is openly transmitted as light in the visible spectrum to a place beyond its immediate private or public source; is intentionally and lawfully transmitted to the public by any means; is not otherwise reasonably expected to be private under lawful conditions; or is the result of any official activity of a government while respecting the people's right to privacy. All other information is private. - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Language in taxes section

The way the taxes section is worded is kind of clumsy. It could possibly be interpreted to allow more forms of tax than just the tax on transfers of money or property. It should be rewritten to simply explain the taxes and then say that those are the only taxes that the government can impose and collect. Ronald Smith (talk) 15:32, 16 September 2015 (EDT)

Also, the definition of a tax should be moved to the definitions section. Ronald Smith (talk) 10:49, 18 September 2015 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 14604) -

The people grant to the government of the United States the power to collect the following taxes...

The government of the United States may not impose or compel the collection of any other tax except the three permitted above; however, taxes owed to the Treasury prior to the ratification date of this Amendment may be collected for a period of five years after ratification. - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Definition of a right

The term "right" should be defined in the definitions section.

"A right is an autonomy possessed by an individual. Individuals possess rights irrespective of their recognition by government or others. The term "right" may also refer to a proscription of conduct toward an individual during due process. An autonomy is a state or condition of self-determination."

Ronald Smith (talk) 11:08, 18 September 2015 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 14604) - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Definition of a copyright and patent

Should be in the definitions section.

"A patent is a recognition of a new, unique invention by an individual. A copyright is a recognition of a new, unique writing by an individual. A patent or copyright may be awarded by Congress to the creator of an invention or author of a writing as compensation for the effort of creation. An award of a patent or copyright may temporarily restrict the rights of all those, other than the creator or author, to produce or reproduce the subjects of those specific patents or copyrights."

Ronald Smith (talk) 11:08, 18 September 2015 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 14604) - Admin (talk) 07:33, 24 October 2015‎ (EDT)

Private charity

Should those who request assistance (Basic Assistance) from the federal government seek help from private charity first? If private charity fails, then they can request help from the government. Ronald Smith (talk) 18:36, 1 November 2015 (EST)

Banks

The amendment includes a clause requiring a reserve requirement for banks. Should it also include a provision similar to Glass-Steagall? Max Kirk (talk) 17:32, 7 November 2015 (EST)

Artifact

There is a sentence fragment in Section 14, following the fifth paragraph which appears to be an inadvertent editing artifact or was otherwise misplaced. It should be removed unless there is some reason for it, in which case it should be made into a complete sentence. Admin (talk) 13:44, 16 November 2015 (EST)

Done. (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

guns

The second paragraph in the section about guns is hard to read. -unsigned comment at 11:39, 17 November 2015‎ by Teresa Thornton

Done. (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

Deterrence to violations of privacy

Section 14 allows for the inclusion of illegally gathered evidence and provides for an alternate deterrence other than the exclusionary rule, i.e., forbidding violators from gathering evidence in the future. There are a couple of problems there: 1) Law enforcement could get around the deterrence by using ad hoc, sacrificial employees or contractors to gather evidence illegally, 2) The burden of proving that a search was illegal in order to deter bad searches is, in practice, too high of a bar because judges and prosecutors would be reluctant to pursue cases against police officers who do illegal searches. I think the reason for allowing evidence from bad searches is to better find the truth in a case and to not allow potentially violent criminals to walk simply because of a so called "technicality". Maybe you could continue with the exclusionary rule but allow trial judges to make an exception to keep a really bad guy off the streets, the exception being contingent upon the gatherer being barred from future evidence gathering (with the trial judge maintaining prejudice on the latter). You'd also need some way to prevent the loophole of #1 above. Ruth Webster (talk) 13:57, 2 December 2015 (EST)

Force

The definition of force in the amendment may be too narrow because, as current worded, it may not encompass the use of so called cyber-warfare, or the use of disinformation or other techniques with the intent to injure, damage or destroy. Ronald Smith (talk) 04:35, 21 December 2015 (EST)

The amendment says, "Force is the use of any technique to physically coerce, restrain, injure or kill someone, or to damage property." The phrase "any technique" is very broad and covers the use of cyber-warfare that causes physical harm. Cyber-warfare that is used solely to gather information or distribute disinformation may be an aggressive act, but it is not force, unless the disinformation causes physical harm. Pete Cardhill (talk) 04:20, 15 July 2016 (EDT)

Presidential bills

It's kind of weird that the president can introduce bills in Congress and I think it may give her too much power. Why not just allow the VP to introduce bills (as pres of the Senate) just as any other member. Sandra Collins (talk) 09:03, 3 February 2016 (EST)

Done. (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

Average salary

It looks like a lot of stuff is based on the "average wage" but there is nothing that indicates how that is determined. If there are no tax forms, how does the government figure that out? Congress could use a suspect method to get around any limits based on that. Sandra Collins (talk) 09:16, 3 February 2016 (EST)

Done. (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

Resources

In the Equality section it says, "Whenever the use or alteration of public land or any other common resource must be limited or organized, the right of use or alteration shall be distributed equally among all the people and any person may freely trade such right with any other entity without restriction."

I think it should say, "Whenever the alteration or use of public land or any other common resource must be limited or organized, the right of alteration or use shall be distributed equally among all the people as each individual's property and any person may freely trade such right with any other entity without restriction."

In the Powers section it says, "The use or alteration of a common resource may only be limited or organized when its supply or capacity is insufficient to meet the actual, unregulated demand for its use or alteration and when that unregulated condition infringes rights."

I think it should say, "The use or alteration of a common resource may only be limited or organized when its supply or capacity is insufficient to meet the actual, unregulated demand for its use or alteration and when that unregulated condition causes harm or otherwise infringes rights." Brandi Cox (talk) 19:33, 6 February 2016 (EST)

Done. (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

Citizens

It says, "Citizen-candidates may come from anywhere and must reside in the United States prior to registering as a candidate. Citizen-candidates' place of origin and criminal record, if any, shall be disclosed to all voters."

I think it should say: "Citizen-candidates may come from anywhere and must lawfully reside in the United States for at least one year prior to registering as a candidate. All previous residence(s) of each Citizen-candidate and criminal record, if any, shall be disclosed to all voters."

It says, "All refugees must register with the United States Department of State."

I think it should say, "Non-citizens entering the United States must register with the United States Department of State or as stipulated by treaty." Diana West (talk) 23:33, 25 February 2016 (EST)

Done. (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

Presidential transition

There is an unresolved issue in the Constitution regarding the 12th and 20th Amendments and the transition/inauguration when a new president has not been selected or is not qualified or has died after election, but before inauguration. It says that "Congress may by law provide for the case...", however, Congress has not passed a law addressing these cases. Presumably, Congress could pass such legislation if the situation ever occurs, however, passing such legislation in the heat of that moment is probably not the best way to develop that law. Better to put it in this amendment. Constance Mason (talk) 14:03, 22 March 2016 (EDT)

Limit on time in government

The amendment has a limit on the amount of time that a person may work for the federal govenment: ten years. If a president serves two terms that leaves only two years to gain experience in, e.g., Congress, before they run for president. Also, high-ranking military officers generally have more time in the armed forces than that. Should that limit be be raised? Morgan Walton (talk) 17:05, 23 March 2016 (EDT)

Grammatical error

"Proceedings and remedies associated with the collection of debts, including tax debts, is limited to ..."

It should say, "Proceedings and remedies associated with the collection of debts, including tax debts, are limited to ..." Sandra Collins (talk) 11:28, 4 April 2016 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

Presumption of innocence

The list of requirements/rights for a proceeding: an unbiased tribunal, prior notice of actions and grounds for actions, etc.; should include the presumption of innocence on the part of the accused. Are there other provisions in common law that should be made explicit in the amendment? Sandra Collins (talk) 11:28, 4 April 2016 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

Right to use resources needs periodic reallocation

Because new people are continually added and lost in any towns and states and the country all the time, the right to use a common resource needs to be continually reallocated. I think the rights that are distributed (equally) to the people should be for limited times -- like a day, week, or month -- and they need to be reallocated each time period. That way when new people are born or die or immigrate or emigrate, the rights will be properly distributed. Anne Simon (talk) 10:43, 4 May 2016 (EDT)

Done. (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

Prevention of political dynasties

There is a general term limit on a person holding offices in government, but someone could continue to hold power indirectly by having relatives hold the official title. There should be a prohibition on spouses and close relatives holding high offices like President, VP, Supreme Court Justice, and congressional leaders after their close relative has previously held the office. Constance Mason (talk) 10:13, 27 May 2016 (EDT)

Done (for president and VP). (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

"Born"

Section 1 on citizenship says, "A person born to Citizen is a Citizen." It also uses the term "natural born citizen." In the future, a person will be able to be created without biological reproduction or without being carried inside of a person's womb. The word "born" needs to be defined or the sentences that use the word in the amendment need to be rephrased to clarify meaning. The same issue exists with the word "parent" (and grandparent, etc.) Max Kirk (talk) 22:14, 30 June 2016 (EDT)

Done (as to citizen). (Revision 18876) - Admin (talk) 00:05, 15 October 2016 (EDT)

Commanders-in-Chief?

Should there be a team of people designated as the Commanders-in-Chief rather than having one person with the power to unleash hell on Earth? As it is now, the system is set up to have a rapid response and the president can order the use of nukes unilaterally as Commander-in-Chief. What if the president goes whacko? What if the people go whacko and elect a crazy person as president? (Didn't seem so likely until recently.) If there is a team of five or seven people who could act as Commander-in-Chief and issue commands on a concensus or majority, wouldn't that be safer? I don't think that it would slow things down because the president should be consulting with a team anyway before he makes those types of decisions. The team could be composed officers such as the president, the VP, Sec. of Defense, maybe Sec. of State, Speaker of the House, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? Roy Spears (talk) 00:13, 1 September 2016 (EDT)

Definition of harm

The term "harm" needs to be defined. It is used throughout the amendment in different contexts, but it is not defined anywhere. Does it mean physical injury to people, or losing property, or having feelings hurt? A lot of terms are defined at the end of the amendment and harm should be defined also. Max Kirk (talk) 22:23, 23 September 2016 (EDT)

Definitions and clarifications

In section 12, the words "guaranteed deposits" needs to be defined.

In section 14, a condition for a warrant should include that any person whose private information could be discovered or revealed by the execution of a warrant must have been determined by a magistrate to be more likely than not principally involved in the crime.

In section 5 under due process, change to "prior [and sufficient] notice of actions..."; change to "the right to present and oppose [statements, reasoning, and] evidence..." Also, maybe the definition of due process should be expanded (to include substantive due process).

In section 13, change the last sentence to read, "shall be removed from office [and barred from holding any position, office, or employ within any government or any entity that supplies goods or services to the United States.]"

In section 10, change "restrict trade with the latter during a state of war" to "restrict trade with the latter".

In section 24 (definitions), change to read, "Any one of a kind who has the capacity to feel pleasure, pain, suffering, happiness, sadness, stress, or comfort, and in any way indicate a preference for a condition of their treatment has the right to exist without pain, suffering, or undue stress, and enjoy freedom, comfort, pleasure and happiness to the fullest extent possible.

In section 16, "the meanings of the words and phrases used in this constitution are those distinct and plain meanings at the time they became law."; Also, when SCOTUS finds that a pure interpretation of law is untenable, they may order that enforcement be suspended until the issue is addressed by Congress.

In section 19, require that applicants for basic assistance disclose information about their net worth and income (under oath or affirmation). Paul Carhill (talk) 23:58, 30 November 2016 (EST)

Basic income

There should be more requirements for applicants of basic income. They need to disclose their income and assets. Also, require that they have someone check out their situation like a social worker or a local church or something so they don't just use the money on drugs or gambling. Also, the average income should just be based on what people pay in taxes since there are no exemptions you can just figure it out by the taxes that are paid. Debra Salazar (talk) 03:49, 6 January 2017 (EST)

War

Congress needs to explain what the objective is when they declare war. Debra Salazar (talk) 03:49, 6 January 2017 (EST)

Employment certifications for politicians

Maybe candidates for office should take a test or something on basic civics before they run for office. I think a lot of them would fail. Debra Salazar (talk) 03:49, 6 January 2017 (EST)

Privileges and Immunities clause

It would be handy to define once and for all exactly which "Privileges and Immunities" (rights) may be exercised by visitors to a State, and which are reserved (at the discretion of the State) to citizens of the State. E.g., a State may restrict voting on State matters to residents or State citizens only, but can't restrict the use of public facilities to residents only. Evelyn Patel (talk) 20:51, 25 March 2017 (EDT)

Note: The "Privileges or Immunities" clause of the 14th Amendment appears to be addressed by the Uniting Amendment, i.e., everything is incorporated; "Rights may not be violated by anyone, anywhere, at any time under any conditions..." Evelyn Patel (talk) 21:10, 25 March 2017 (EDT)

Amendments by the people

The Uniting Amendment has a provision to amend the Constitution directly by popular vote using a three-step process: a petition of 10% of the people puts it on the ballot, then a majority vote of the people qualifies it, then a year later a 2/3 majority ratifies it. This allows the people to directly amend the Constitution in just a little over a year. One potential problem with direct democracy is that the transient passions of the people can create irrational laws driven by emotion rather than by a deliberative process. One year may be too quick of a time in some cases for that passion to fade and rational thought to be restored to the masses. But a longer amendment process may not be quick enough to respond to a pressing issue that the country may face in the future. Maybe there could be an automatic repeal referendum placed on the ballot a few years after ratification so the people could easily revisit the issue when passions have cooled and when they have had a chance to live with the law for a while. This happened with prohibition (via the current Article V process), but it took a while and the country suffered during that time. An automatic repeal process would make it easier to correct those type of mistakes. An automatic repeal referendum could be placed on the ballot 3-5 years after ratification with a simple majority required to repeal the law. Proud Mann (talk) 06:47, 7 July 2017 (EDT)

Federal elections

The amendment doesn't give Congress the power to run federal elections. It should. Also, when the president or other federal officer is removed from office, the people should vote for a replacement rather than having someone in the line of succession (who may have been appointed by the president) hold office for the remainder of the term. Elise LaRina (talk) 14:27, 28 November 2017 (GMT)

Filling partial-term vacancies with special elections

Off-site suggestion: When an office becomes vacant before the end of the term, it should be filled by a vote of the people in a special election. Ronald Smith (talk) 20:14, 31 January 2018 (GMT)

Allow Congress to suspend executive powers

Off-site suggestion: Congress has the power to remove the president, but that is a blunt instrument for checking power. Instead, perhaps they should have the power to temporarilly suspend a specified power of the president for a short period as a censure mechanism. The problem is that whoever gets that suspended power during the period of the censure would have an incentive to encourage more censures. Ronald Smith (talk) 20:14, 31 January 2018 (GMT)

Require officials to disclose personal information for transparency

Off-site suggestion: Require officials to disclose certain personal information that could effect their integrity or performance for purposes of transparency. Ronald Smith (talk) 20:14, 31 January 2018 (GMT)

Needs a check on presidential use of nukes

Off-site suggestion: This issue has been in the news lately. We might as well address it in the amendment. Ronald Smith (talk) 20:14, 31 January 2018 (GMT)

Alernative to the current nomination process

Off-site suggestion: The current nomination process doesn't work and the Uniting Amendment addresses this by providing a somewhat convoluted process for the nomination and appointment of officials. Why not just have offices filled by legislation? Congress consults the executive on most legislation anyway. An expedited failsafe process could be used when Congress/president doesn't fill a vacancy in a timely manner. Ronald Smith (talk) 20:14, 31 January 2018 (GMT)

Foreign policy should promote peace

Off-site suggestion: The section on foreign policy doesn't say anything about peace and is rather vague. Ronald Smith (talk) 20:14, 31 January 2018 (GMT)

Explicitly name the principle officers of the United States

There is common law on this issue, but it's better to explicitly include it in the Constitution. Naming all of the specific titles probably doesn't make sense because those will change over time, but it would be helpful to define the main categories such as department heads, judges, ambassadors, etc. Ronald Smith (talk) 18:04, 22 March 2018 (GMT)

Use gender-neutral language

The amendment sometimes uses she/her and other times uses he/him, seemingly at random. The phrasing should be changed to avoid the use of gendered pronouns. Charmq (talk) 00:11, 6 September 2018 (GMT)