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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Tea Party has radical ideas on the US Constitution

By Eric W. Dolan Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 -- 1:56 pm
Tea Party Nation President Judson Phillips said denying the right to vote to those who do not own property "makes a lot of sense" during a weekly radio program.

"The Founding Fathers originally said, they put certain restrictions on who gets the right to vote," Phillips said. "It wasn't you were just a citizen and you got to vote . . ."

"If you're not a property owner, you know, I'm sorry but property owners have a little bit more of a vested interest in the community than non-property owners."

Approximately 33% of Americans are renters, according to the National Multi-Housing Council.

During the same radio program, Phillips discussed with David DeGerolamo, the founder of tea party group North Carolina Freedom, the repeal of various constitutional amendments.

"Of course, when people talk, three Amendments that really are the only ones
that seriously get talked about getting repealed:
  1. The 16th Amendment, for the income tax, and we can only hope that happens
  2. The 17th Amendment for having the appointment of Senators got back to state legislatures; 
  3. and the 26th Amendment, I believe it is," Phillips said. "Do you know which one that is, David?"
  4. "No, but I know which one I want repealed," responded DeGerolamo. "I want the 14th Amendment repealed."
The first clause of the 14th Amendment grants birthright citizenship to anyone born in the US, regardless of whether their parents are citizens.

The second and third clause prohibits the government from depriving persons of life, liberty, or property without due process and requires the government to provide equal protection under the law, respectively.

BTW the 26th Amendment states: The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. 

Aparently the Tea party wants to raise the voting age. 

Wow! Is this what the GOP means by strict constructionist?

First of all, limiting the right to vote to property owners would disenfranchise the poor and minorities. What about men and women who served in the Armed forces, but did not own property? The Tea Baggers would deny these people the right to vote.

Second, a repeal of the 16th amendment might sounds like a good idea but it would be simply be replaced with another tax. How do these Tea Baggers think the Armed Forces are funded?

The appointment of senators by state legislature is anti-democratic and smacks of back room politics. The US is an indirect democracy and we don't need to make any more indirect.

Of course, changes to the 14th amendment would prevent anyone born in the US from automatically becoming a US citizen.

These are radical ideas that would never make it through both legislative branches. Considering the Republicans only control the House, these Tea Baggers seem to have a reality problem.

If you open up the Constitution with a constitutional convention, there are other amendments could be changed . 


Democrats would like the second amendment to only apply to militias and the Citizens United ruling would also be addressed. Do Republicans really want to open this bucket or worms? 


source: From: "Sid9"
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:30:36 -0500
Local: Tues, Nov 30 2010 9:30 pm
Subject: Tea party leader: Restricting vote to property owners 'makes a lot of sense'... the kind of loonies we're dealing with...undercutting his own supporters
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.politics, alt.politics.usa, soc.veterans

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