Is It Time For a Constitution Modernization Act? Women DEMAND the ERA
UPDATE. As pointed out here, the last time our US Constitution was Amended was with respect to CONGRESSIONAL PAYCHECKS.. There was no arbitrary deadline on Ratification when the Twenty-seventh Amendment was ratified in May 7, 1992, after Michigan approved it.
While the Founding documents of American Democracy are treated like a Sacred Cow they actually provide the path forward, beginning with the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Sentiments & the Constitution itself.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
The Equal Rights Amendment should have easily passed when first proposed in 1923, 99 years ago.
The ERA, now the 28th Amendment to the Constitution IS NOW RATIFIED & became law when Virginia Ratified on January 27, 2020, but it is still in Legal Limbo due to the President REFUSING to direct the National Archivist to PUBLISH AN UPDATE CONSTITUTION containing the Equal Rights Amendment.
Please Read Below.
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As Americans prepare to celebrate our July 4th Holiday in celebration of our Independence from England, we should all reflect on our American values, how we got here & if anyone is truly happy with the State of our Union."
Amending our Constitution is extremely difficult, beginning with the exact verbiage of the First Amendment which states:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
WOMEN have been left out of our founding documents when the first mention of Gender appeared in the in the 14th Amendment specifying "Male Inhabitants over the age of 21."
The Alice Paul Resolution known as the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced into Congress in 1923.
In January of 2020, Virginia became the needed 38th State to Ratify the Amendment into their State Constitution, yet the National Archivist refuses to Publish it - making it the law of the land.
Our Constitution should be viewed as a Living Document.
The Framers of our Constitution wrote these Documents at a very different time than the Modern Times we now live in.
All the Equal Rights Amendment needs is Publication.
But the First Amendment, the Second Amendment & others are woefully out of step with the Modern World.
In particular, the First Amendment is treated as a Sacred Cow not to be altered - the the point of the general lack of civility IN EVERY ASPECT OF AMERICAN LIFE.
We DO HAVE Libel Laws for when Free Speech goes too far, but it's not enough.
Since opening this Web Page in 2017, I've been advocating for a Hate Speech Bill to protect WOMEN from Obscene Music Lyrics THAT DO IN FACT INCITE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.
Here is what Wikipedia says on the subject of Hate Speech.
The Page is generally geared to Racial Hate Speech but says NOTHING about frightening MISOGYNY:
"The local ordinance in St. Paul, Minnesota, criminalized symbolic expressions tantamount to fighting words, arousing anger on the basis of race (among other protected classes). Associate JusticeAntonin Scalia, writing for the Supreme Court, held that the ordinance was unconstitutional as it contravened the First Amendment by focusing on particular groups about whom speech was restricted. Scalia explained that "The reason why fighting words are categorically excluded from the protection of the First Amendment is not that their content communicates any particular idea, but that their content embodies a particularly intolerable (and socially unnecessary) mode of expressing whatever idea the speaker wishes to convey."[10] Because the hate speech ordinance was not concerned with the mode of expression, but with the content of expression, it was a violation of the freedom of speech. Thus, the Supreme Court embraced the idea that speech in general is permissible unless it will lead to imminent violence.[a][citation needed] The opinion noted "This conduct, if proved, might well have violated various Minnesota laws against arson, criminal damage to property", among a number of others, none of which was charged, including threats to any person, not to only protected classes."
The Free Speech concepts of "fighting words," "clear & present danger," & "incitement to violence" have NEVER been ruled by the Court to be "Protected Speech."
Rap Music Lyrics rise to this level.
It is not "Toxic Masculinity" as some have suggested.
Garbage like "Bitch Go Die" or "Smack a Bitch" do in fact present a CLEAR & PRESENT DANGER TO WOMEN.
It is Hate Speech.
A Bill to Modernize our Constitution to reflect the World we all share, would "untie the hands of Congress" to DO SOMETHING about this "Free Speech" that has run amuck.
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