Introduction to the Uniting Amendment

A number of factors have led us to a point that is far from our common values of freedom and fairness, but the primary cause is Washington, D.C. and the politicians and regulators who run it. Our representatives have the lowest approval rating in history, and it's well-deserved. A combination of gerrymandered districts, a media controlled by big business and government regulators, low citizen participation, and a general erosion of values has produced the most corrupt, insular, and incompetent set of institutions that Washington has ever seen. The country has endured the longest, most costly, graft-ridden and unnecessary wars in our country's history, and some of our leaders continue to escalate our participation in oil wars throughout the middle east and the world. They exploit every crisis to shift more wealth and power to themselves and their cronies instead of addressing the underlying problems.

We no longer trust that our representatives and public institutions have the integrity and competence to carry out the will of the people and act in the best interests of our country. Our electoral process is so tightly controlled by the major parties and big media that the government is incapable of self-correction. The country needs to rebuild, but the folks that currently run the show are not up to the task... so we're doing it ourselves.

As part of a larger effort to rebuild the country, we've drafted an amendment to reform our government to be more fair, more free, and have the integrity and compassion needed to move us forward. With input from those who have participated so far, we've developed many fresh, innovative ideas that solve long-entrenched, difficult problems. And we need you to help participate in the process.

The current draft of the amendment is based on the two common values that our nation has always had since its inception: Liberty and Justice. Everyone here believes in freedom and fairness (liberty and justice). If someone in the U.S. doesn't believe in liberty and justice, they're living in the wrong country. Using those values as a guide, the Uniting Amendment restores integrity and compassion to our government and provides a stable foundation on which to rebuild our country.

The amendment is written in a way that is more specific than that of the original Constitution, which means it's a longer document: it's currently nine pages, compared to the four pages of the original Constitution. This specificity is needed because of the abuses that have taken place throughout the years while interpreting the somewhat vague text of the original Constitution. We've often heard the phrase "Living Document" when referring to the Constitution. The implication is that the interpretation of the Constitution can change over the years to accommodate changes in society. That sounds good in theory, but which interpretation is correct? Who decides how that interpretation will change, and to who's benefit? In a democracy it should be the people who decide, but under the system we have now our highest law is made up by nine guys who are not even elected by the people. That's not democracy. That's not a republic. It's an oligarchy.

The Uniting Amendment corrects that by writing the law more specifically. To accommodate changes, the amendment makes it a little easier to amend the Constitution in the future, either by the original methods or directly by the people. Any needed changes can be addressed to help preserve our democracy and bring life to the Constitution through the democratic process rather than through a vague process of interpretation by an unelected oligarchy. Under the Uniting Amendment, the Justices of the Supreme Court can still issue opinions about the meanings of the words in the Constitution, but they are limited to a textual interpretation of the original meaning of the words and their decisions may be reviewed by a jury of citizens who provide an additional check against usurpation. The jury can veto any part of the opinions of the Supreme Court that overreach and infringe our rights or corrupt justice.

The amendment addresses corruption in Congress by implementing several provisions that: prevent bribes (aka. lobbying), make politicians more accountable to the people, and attract candidates to run for Congress who have the country's best interests in mind rather than their own.

Many other issues are addressed by the amendment. The current draft of the amendment is composed of 23 sections:

Section 1 - Citizenship and Immigration

Section 2 - Suffrage

Section 3 - Taxes

Section 4 - Rights

Section 5 - Duties

Section 6 - Equity

Section 7 - Freedom to Worship

Section 8 - Commerce

Section 9 - Respect for Life and Nature

Section 10 - Powers

Section 11 - Representation

Section 12 - The Treasury and the Central Bank

Section 13 - Defense

Section 14 - Privacy

Section 15 - Legislative Procedure

Section 16 - Supreme Court

Section 17 - Statehood

Section 18 - Integrity

Section 19 - Basic Assistance

Section 20 - Census

Section 21 - Foreign Policy

Section 22 - Amendments and Referendums

Section 23 - Definitions

The sections should not be read or interpreted in isolation; they interrelate with each other and with existing law. The best way to understand the amendment is to read it completely through. It takes less time to read than it takes to watch a movie or a football game.

Some of the specific provisions of the amendment:

• Establishes a simple tax system with a low rate and no exemptions that provides more than enough revenue
• Ends poverty and hunger, and provides healthcare for those in need with a simple, single fund – at less cost than what we pay now
• Eliminates arbitrary regulation so people can exercise the liberty to pursue their chosen trade or profession
• Keeps guns out of the hands of violent criminals
• Preserves the Second Amendment with the right to carry, use, transport, transfer, buy or sell guns or other weapons
• Protects the environment
• Recognizes the right to privacy and ends illegal government intrusions
• Provides a strong defense for our country and prevents politicians from waging war for profit or personal gain
• Prevents discrimination based on sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race or other genetic attributes, or any other condition not under one's control
• Protects threatened and endangered species
• Establishes term limits for members of Congress
• Ensures that all of our veterans' needs are met
• Solves the immigration issue: those who wish to move here and become citizens are elected by the people
• Protects the right to learn and teach so curiosity and discovery will no longer be limited by political motives
• Provides a jury of citizens as a check on Supreme Court actions to protect our rights and freedom
• Protects the right to control your own body – we can eat, drink or wear what we want if doesn't harm anyone else
• Defines a set of responsibilities and duties for all people
• Protects the right of religious expression and prayer
• Mandates fiscal responsibility and other limits on congressional power
• Mitigates corruption in government and encourages honest citizens to participate
• And much more...

The document is not finished, so after you read it, please contribute your ideas to help make it better.