Amendment XIII

Amendment XIII

Text:

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Background info: 

(Proposed January 31, 1865, Ratified December 6, 1865) Conflict in America over the legality of slavery lead to the start of the Civil War, which began in 1861. By the end of the war, Congress had agreed to ban slavery in the country, and the southern states that had succeeded and formed the Confederate States of America had to ratify the new amendment as a part of their re-initiation into the United States. (Mississippi was the last to ratify in 1995.)

Effect:

This protects us citizens from enslavement, thus preventing travesties like the American Slave Trade. It also provides argument against child labor.

In addition, we agree that this amendment should separate and distinguish slavery and criminal punishment within the amendment. The exception for dealing with criminals should be kept separate from the banning of slavery. This amendment could be interpreted to only concern the matters of prison. Certain psychopaths may believe that they are justified in enslaving people.

Amendment XX

Amendment XX

Text:

Section 1. The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of the Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

Section 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3rd day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President  elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President shall have qualified.

Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Section 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.

Section 6. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission.

Background info: 

(Ratified on January 23, 1933 nearly a year after it was passed by Congress on March 2, 1932)

The introduction of the 20th amendment was inspired by the problems caused by the “lame-duck period”, in which an elected official who is leaving office still holds the power of office for a period of time before his replacement enters office. The 74th Congress was the first one to follow all the requirements of the amendment; first Congress wanted to have the first session in the fall, but transportation was bad so they pushed the congressional meeting date back to January.

Effect:

The twentieth provides order to the government and ensures to the people that the government will convene a few times a year at the least. It also prevents people who may have been voted out of office from continuing their job past their term. However, because there is an established order for replacements, planned people outside of the government can also predict the order of leaders in the case that something bad happens to the current office holder (provides more motive for assassination).

Amendment XXVIII

Amendment XXVIII

No person shall be discriminated against or denied Constitutional rights based on their gender identity, sexual orientation, or lack thereof.

Amendment I, XIII, XX Comic Strips

Amendment I

Amendment I

Text:

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. 

Background info: 

(Ratified December 15, 1791 as a part of the “Bill of Rights”) 

The amendment was written three months after the creation of the Constitution because citizens demanded a guarantee of their basic rights. The amendment was written by James Madison and went into effect after Virginia ratified it and the majority of states in the country agreed.

Effect:

The first amendment allows us to publicly criticize the government and not get arrested for it. It allows us to make loud jokes on the street about Tom Corbett and how he’s ruining our education system. In addition to this, we can participate in rallies and marches to support education and to prevent budgets cuts from the school (and sign petitions against the budget cuts for the school district). We are allowed to assemble outside the School District building and play patriotic music in order to appeal to the sympathies of higher authority (our instruments are terrible, please give us more money).

The first amendment helps support separation of church and state. It prevents polarized religious belief from ruling over people of other religions. For example, there are several states, including Arkansas and Mississippi,  that ban atheists from holding office. As atheists, we feel fundamentally oppressed.

We do acknowledge the downsides to the exploitations of such freedoms mentioned in this amendments. Enforcing the freedom of speech and press is disadvantageous to gullible people who read tabloids and blindly follow the media. Truth can be misrepresented and malicious propaganda can be utilized to start revolutions. However, the freedoms allowed are vital to the creation of a free country. We are vehemently against censorship, and a more strict enforcement of this law would help prevent misrepresentation and brainwashing.