craft your own constitutional amendment!

[Countess]

In preparation for next year's theme, let’s brainstorm about the America we want to construct. Having experienced life in Black Rock City, I bet you have some great ideas, for example, about ways to curb the Man, so that creative communities can thrive. Craft an amendment to the constitution, post it here, and get feedback from your fellow burners! Let's put our heads together and come up with solutions to the big problems facing our country and our world. Be as subversive, serious, or playful as you want.

[theCryptofishist]

Congress shall make no law forbidding the wearing of fur trousers.

[dragonfly Jafe]

Congress shall make no law excepting that they first abolish an existing law.

[Countess]

Amendment #1: The Steward of the United States

Our founding fathers believed that a balance of power keeps governments in check. I think that we need to address the imbalance that has crept into our government, by checking the power of the executive branch. I am suggesting that we break the President’s powers into two offices: one that addresses domestic concerns—still called the President—and one that addresses foreign policies—we can call her the Steward. In this way we could have a separate election for the Steward that focuses public attention squarely on US foreign policies and not allow the electorate to be manipulated by domestic issues when selecting the person who will be Commander-in-Chief. Imagine if the President could focus his or her attention on education, justice, public health and domestic commerce, while the Steward would focus on international relations, global environmental concerns and promoting world peace? How does that sound to you?

Amendment #2: United States Plus

A democracy is supposed to ensure that leaders are held accountable to the people they govern. I think that a global democratic system is necessary to ensure that the Empire of the United States serves the needs of all the people affected (and endangered) by its policies. I suggest that the Steward be made accountable to the entire Empire by holding elections in all places where the US military is present. Imagine if we gave one seat on the Electoral College to every country where our military is stationed for more than five years? How would this alter our leader’s approach to sovereign nations? A leader might think twice about invading Iraq, Southeast Asia or Central America, because US policies would eventually have to serve the needs of those voters abroad, as well as his or her constituents in the US.

These are just two ideas to help promote better foreign policies. The intent is to force policymakers to acknowledge that we are all part of an interconnected web of life and to act within that framework. Terrorism is the wrong way to demonstrate this interconnectivity. Instead we must invent better systems of governance that check abuses of power. If you have other ideas I would love to hear them.

[porterico]

Any member of the United States government who, through review of evidence by a jury of randomly selected citizenzs, is determined to have lied in a way that has caused harm to the United States or it citizens shall be imprisoned for life without paroll.

DONT FUCKING LIE YOU PATHETIC PARASITES!!!!!

[dragonfly Jafe]

Any member of the United States government who, through review of evidence by a jury of randomly selected citizenzs, is determined to have lied in a way that has caused harm to the United States or it citizens shall be imprisoned for life without paroll.

DONT FUCKING LIE YOU PATHETIC PARASITES!!!!!

I like this one.....can we add castration/hysterectomy?

[Ugly Dougly]

The Poor Richards amendment: That any public treasure designated for solving any problem must also be divided into sixteen parts, one of which to be provided for prevention of said problem that you should have taken care of in the first place!!!
Example: For every dollar spent on building prisons, a portion (1/16) must be provided to raise school teachers salaries.

[Ugly Dougly]

Any member of the United States government who, through review of evidence by a jury of randomly selected citizenzs, is determined to have lied in a way that has caused harm to the United States or it citizens shall be imprisoned for life without paroll.

DONT FUCKING LIE YOU PATHETIC PARASITES!!!!!

Don't be surprised if we are speaking the word "treason" when all is said and done.

[Stagger]

All laws passed by Congress will have an automatic expiration date of 20 years. Any law not re-instated after the expiration date will be removed from the books.

This means they will have to review their work once in a while.

[Stagger]

All individual taxpayers (no corporate entites) shall be allowed to designate where 20% of their taxes are to be spent by government department or program.

Which means we get to vote with our dollars as well as our votes.

[Stagger]

p.s.
If you want to tell them what you think, look for my art project on the playa next year.... it will be entitled WE THE PEOPLE SAY... and will let you speak your mind to the every single elected federal employee at the same time... (I think it will be a hoot)

Webpage up by the same name in the near future...

WETHEPEOPLESAY.NET - soon as I get the hosting going...

[Ugly Dougly]

Amendment 308: Charming anthropologists should post more pictures.

[Countess]

[quote="Stagger"]p.s.
If you want to tell them what you think, look for my art project on the playa next year.... it will be entitled WE THE PEOPLE SAY... and will let you speak your mind to the every single elected federal employee at the same time... (I think it will be a hoot)
[/quote]

I hope to learn more about your project.