Our Constitution and its Bill of Rights seems to have served us fairly well over the years, but even in the Declaration of Independence, we secured for ourselves the right (and even duty) to change our form of government should we ever see fit to do so.
This is the last place you will ever read a call for a revolution. I am more in the restoration camp and seek to return to a more traditional, uniquely American, view of the relationship between the individual and the state.
But now and again, there are more dramatic calls for change within our government than naturally occurs in our system, leading me often to wonder what our Constitution would look like if we attempted to draft it today. Joseph C. Coates, president of Consulting Futurist, Inc., gives us a glimpse through his proposed Bill of Rights for 21st Century America:
Amendment I, Family Structure and Composition, affirms “that all citizens have the right to enjoy the public and private benefits that society provides to the nuclear family, not reduced or impeded by alternative forms of long term commitments to companionate relationships, the exercise of specific sexual proclivities, or the bearing and raising of children.”Amendment II, Assured Employment, The key point in assured employment is “every American citizen is entitled to employment up to age 70, commensurate with his or her physical, mental and educational status.
“Where the market economy cannot supply that employment, the government will.”
Amendment III, Useful Education, says that “every citizen and resident, without a prohibiting physical, emotional or intellectual deficiency, is entitled to an education commensurate with his or her abilities that will provide the competence and skills for employment for a reasonable fraction of his or her work life.”
Amendment VI, The Equality of Voters, is based on the observation that the Electoral College process, good in the Colonial period, now distorts the time, attention, resources and scope of discussion by presidential candidates in far-too-long campaigns.
Other proposed amendments deal with privacy in the information technology age, unimpeded international travel, open government so that we know what government is doing, universal health care and freedom from torture.
Note the difference between these proposals and what we originally claimed as rights. Our Bill of Rights contends that we have certain unalienable rights which cannot be infringed upon. The state cannot restrict our speech or our press, cannot impose a state religion, cannot search or seize our property without cause, cannot infringe on our right to bear arms, will not quarter soldiers in our homes in times of peace, etc.
Nothing is guaranteed us except security in what we already possess: our life, liberty and property.
What Mr. Coates proposes is a redefinition of what a right is: something transient, artificial, and gifted by the benevolent state to a complacent populace “disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable.”
Related Tags: rights, Constitution, government, futurists
Principled Discovery is a place to stop and discuss news and information related to faith, family and particularly education. Pour yourself a cup of tea and join the conversation! 
Nice post, its a really cool blog that you have here, keep up the good work, will be back.
Warm Regards
Biby Cletus - Blog
Talking about “dramatic calls for change within our government”….what do you think about Newt’s call for the abolition of the 9th Circuit??!! He mentions this in his new book, sorry, I don’t know the title and it’s too late and I’m too lazy to look it up right now, but I heard him speaking of this on a talk show I love (um, Dr. Dobson, Focus on the Family, yes, I love Dr. Dobson). So, pretty wretched things have come out of the 9th Circuit - I’m located in the 9th Circuit, and I should know, but I won’t elaborate, I’m hoping you bite on this and take it up, you’re MUCH more eloquent and intelligent on government matters than I. But apparently Jefferson or someone (sorry, I can’t remember!) came in and wiped out a whole court system, so there’s definitely a precedent for this. What do you think??
I think I’ll have to think about it. How’s that? I need to look up some stuff because it has been such a long time, but the third arm of our government has been acting without checks and balances for some time, now. There are ways to limit that, but to date not much has happened.
The biggest check at the moment is the fact that they get overturned by the Supreme Court all the time, which is evidence that our system isn’t completely broken, but…well…let me look up what I’m thinking of before I make a fool of myself.
I can do that well enough without trying to rely on a faulty memory of something I read a long time ago.
Restoration of the original form of government sounds good to me, too.
Thinking about what Jennifer said about N Gingrich’s talk of abolishing the 9th circuit, reminded me of the problems that I felt were caused by his party since 911, for instance.
The Real ID law, the questionable surveillance of various parties; all in the name of stopping terrorism in the short run (so to speak). But in the long run, taking away right after fundamental, inherent and undocumented right.
It bothers me. Assuming the 9th circuit cannot be abolished per the Constitution; I think I’d hate to see it abolished because of the current personnel, even legally. Changing the foundation because of personalities seems to undermine what this country is supposed to be about.
It’s interesting how our perspective has moved from “everyone deserves to have an equal shot at the good life” to “everyone deserves the good life”.
I tend to agree, Susan. If we can just abolish the ninth circuit because their recent rulings have been wiggy, all we need is a shift in power and those justices who apply the constitution in a more traditional sense will be replaced.
That is why we have an independent judiciary, even when it is flawed. But I also know Jefferson foresaw difficulties with the judiciary which seem to be coming true.
Thanks for weighing in on the 9th Circuit issue…I know, it’s a crazy thought to throw out there, but I love throwing out crazy thoughts =) The way I see it, better to throw around crazy thoughts than throw NOTHING, which is what most people do. You folks are all great!