Given the distinction between a constitutional amendment and a law – If you had the influence how would you amend the constitution?
A law and a constitutional amendment are different in various ways. Even though laws have the power to change many things and ban a lot of activity, amendments will always override anything a law states. An amendment is set in stone(revisions to previous original laws) and the only way that it can be changed, is with the help of 2/3 of the congress and 3/4 of the states legislature to ratify the specific amendment. This attempt is rarely made because it is not a easy process. On the other hand, a law is something that congress can repeal very easily. Although laws are enough to do almost anything, a amendment always trumps a law. Which means that even a law is made, the supreme court will over rule it because it conflicts with a amendment.
Amending the constitution is a privilege that many people wish they had. If I had this chance, I would most likely change the age that a person has to be in order to become president or senator. (Legislation Branch: Section 3 Senate). I believe that age qualifications shouldn’t matter, if the person has enough experience and if they can do a great job in office. What if a person 35 years old were running for president, but there was a 34 year old who would be best for office…why shouldn’t the 34 year old be able to run? This just seems stupid to me, because who is to say just because you are older that you are more qualified? By having this law, I believe that many people are being cheated/neglected out of being able to change the country. Young or old, If the qualifications fits the duty, than the person should be allowed. There is a saying that I have heard many times, “The older, the wiser.” Although I believe that this is slightly true, I don’t fully agree. Do people agree with this because its said that as you get older, you have over came more obstacles in your life than younger people? Is it thought that a older individual has had more experiences in different situations than a younger person might have had? But this is not entirely true. It depends on the person, and the situations that the specific person has been through, it cannot just be a general statement that older people have gone through a lot more than younger people. Therefor I would definitely amend this part of the constitution.
What is the general tendency of the Constitution and Amendments in your view - general and steady expansion of human freedom and decency?
From the constitutions beginning, I believe that the main focus of it was based on government leading citizens/its country into a better place...but giving government the most power. It separated government in to three branches. The legislative branch in which was lead by congress, the Executive branch which represented the president, and the Judicial branch which is represented by supreme court and other federal courts.
I cannot say if the constitution and amendments first started off bad than turned good(or vice versa) because I don’t believe in one definition for bad or good. I do believe that it all depends on the history of the United states. The events that took place in the pass has help to shape America today, and helped to change the constitution/amendments for the better. When they were first written people living in that time probably didn’t think that the laws stated were “bad.” This is because it was all that they were use to. Just like now, if im use to living in a country in which freedom is idolized, than I would think that current constitution is something that could benefit the United States. But what if generations from now believe that only certain people should have freedom, than the constitution wouldn’t seem as perfect to them. This is why I believe that the revisions made to the constitution are written examples of progress in the United States. The constitution shaped America and helped freedom spread. Before this, there were barely any rights for people other than whites. During the time period of the Constitution building up, Congress didn’t consist of any African-Americans. This probably was a very intense period of time since blacks weren’t involved in any decisions at all because at any time during the Civil War, the choice that all people are equal could have changed. Anti- federalist opposed the constitution and if this right were taking away from blacks it wouldn’t have made a difference to them. The government seemed to have all control of the country, but they also begin to support the words... “We are all equal.”
The Bill of rights were established and it stated the rights of all citizens of the United States have. This seemed to have expanded human freedom, and helped to make the citizens of the country seem equal. By trying to make all citizens equal, the constitution and amendments kind of took the focus off of the government having most of the power. When reading the constitution I got side tracked and begin to really fall for the illusion that citizens actually had a huge part in decisions(I begin to think “oh wow the decisions of the country were all up to the people who the decision affected)... it was still the government who made the choices, even thought it seemed as if “the people” did. More power did however become available to the people as time went on, and changes to different laws also happened. The 19th amendment helped to allow women to vote, because before 1920, men were the only individuals who were allowed to. The 22nd amendment was also a movement that expanded some type of freedom for citizens. This amendment was passed in 1971, and it gave people 18 to 20 years old the right to vote. Before this was passed, the voting age was set to 21 years old. A amendment that holds a lot of importance every 4 years in the United states is the 15th amendment This amendment, ratified in 1870, stated that the right to vote can not be taken away from any citizen just because the color of their skin, race, or if they once were a slave. Therefore, I believe that the way the constitution/amendments started out still affects the way they represent America today. The government still has the most power, but it is frequently noted that all of its decisions are in the best interest of the people.
How does the Constitution, as amended, create/constrain/shape the American Way of Life?
The Constitution, as amended, helped a lot of discrimination and separation discontinue in the United States. Even though this still takes place, I believe that if this country did not have the constitution, it would be even more of a wreck than it is now. The constitution definitely didn’t heal all of United States issues, but it served as something that eliminated a lot of separation between races, genders etc...which united the country to some extent
There is no specific definition of the American way of life, as I stated in my awol response. For different American ways of life, I believe that the constitution helped to expand opportunities for some cultures, and to create chances of success for other cultures. It provided some equality in America, and it answered many peoples cries for help. The Bill of rights served as the main key to helping individuals gain equality in America, which than expanded the social class for many African Americans. It helped to somewhat close the huge gap between the way white people were in charge of things, and how black people worked under them. A better living was able to come out of these specific historic documents, and when you think about it...its crazy how a few words/choices could change an entire country around for the better. When I looked at how America is now, compared to the way things were way before I was born, I thank god that things changed and that I wasn’t alive in that time period of suffering for blacks. I love the words “freedom of speech” because its something that I practice everyday, and I believe that its something every individual should live by. The creators of the constitution/amendments must have believed in this, and I can see the big impact it had on the country...so therefore I believe that If I practice this than I can also be a person to speak up for things that I believe aren’t right. Without some of the amendments stated in the constitution, sometimes I think where would women stand now in days? Where would black people be right now? These documents broke down a barriers between certain genders and races. It expanded diversity, abolished slavery, and overall started a movement of equality in the world.
