Recent commentary: Constitutional Amendment

If you could add an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what would it be?

(published 25-Mar-2004, Appleton Post-Crescent)

With a tip of the hat to Robert Heinlein, I'd add a "Plain English" Amendment. It would allow a citizen to challenge the constitutionality of any law or regulation -- federal, state, or local -- "on the grounds that it cannot be understood by a person of average intelligence." So, for example, you could challenge the federal budget on the grounds that no one ever reads the whole thing. Or challenge the income tax laws on the grounds that you have to hire an accountant to make heads or tails out of it. Either that or add an Amendment to repeal the 16th Amendment which, of course, authorized the federal income tax in the first place. Or at least pass Representative Ron Paul's bill, HR 1364, requiring every income earner to send monthly income tax checks to Uncle Sam. The federal budget would get cut in a big hurry after that!