A Preamble to Reform / Hypothetical New Constitution

Here's a link to the Preamble to Reform.

Raw link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PTPnce2lolKIoqQaXZCFeLBITqm42__Ui8bIorGkmD0

And here's the link to the Hypothetical "New Constitution" as I for lack of better ideas deemed it.

Raw link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tTs5o37HI-ZmtCwd1qi_E1mBZH2pQufnj6fxa7iF9KY

I know, I know. Not the type of content people really want to hear these days especially from me. But maybe they should, because I feel like maybe people should hear me out. Maybe my ideas aren't too original, maybe a lot of them aren't as good as the ideas of others, but I might just have said something you haven't heard before, because by and large, I developed this on my own. Not paroting the viewpoints of others, not by copying the work of others. Just using my lived experience and giving my thoughts on a better future using what I know of the past and present.

So let me share my thoughts on building a better future for all.

There is a scene from The Newsroom, and I feel compelled to expand on the concept. I know that I am not the smartest, most educated person, so many people smarter and more educated than me have done this far better than I ever could. 

And I know that even my life experience is not unique, in having been exposed to the entire political spectrum and the viewpoints thereof. 

I know how, despite the perception of right-wing voters being primarily religious fundamentalists or uneducated country folk, how most of them consider themselves educated and even people of science, with a genuine belief that they are acting in accordance with science. 

Those who vote for right-wing candidates are a combination of religious Nationalists (largely, but not entirely, Christian Nationalists), a large portion of the tech industry, Those of military or police backgrounds, and rural individuals isolated from the world. 

How these people have a genuine belief that they know the way to help others, how these people feel others aren’t helping them, how they have visions of a better future and want to leave the best for their progeny. These individuals all have a shared belief in serving and protecting their people. 

I know how there is a fundamental divide in the left based on two different viewpoints on empathy and what it means to be empathetic, with those differing viewpoints resulting in a difference of mindset between those who demand better of their communities and those who commit to a slow, gradual march in progress. 

I know how one group defines being empathetic as unconditionally showing compassion, support, love, kindness, and caring to all, but in their demands for everyone to hold to that standard, they can become blind to the barriers people have for actually living to said standard. How many of the things these people take for granted are luxuries not afforded to those unable to join them, despite shared common beliefs. 

I know how the other group defines being empathetic as showing this genuine understanding for everyone, including those who don’t share their beliefs, and how they define compassion and support and kindness as including even their enemies who wouldn’t reciprocate, and how they feel compelled to build a better future with everyone, even those who hold beliefs they feel regressive. How these people recognize that no human is perfect, how everyone has their flaws, no system is perfect, every system will be flawed, but with time we can gradually improve and make progress if we acknowledge perfection is unattainable and imperfect progress is better than no progress at all. How these people understand that every human has different beliefs, and while we all share mostly the same framework, we will always have disagreements, and those disagreements shouldn’t alienate and divide us from each other. 

I know how the first group operates as a force for rapid progress embracing the ideal future for humanity, but their weakness in not recognizing how not everyone can keep up,

And I know how the second group operates in the way which has historically proven to be successful, but in the modern day is not able to achieve the same gradual progress and how they are failing to provide the needed bridge between people of varying viewpoints. 

But at the end of it all, regardless of political viewpoints, I know that the vast majority of people all hold the same common interests.

Everyone wants what is best for themselves, their families, and their communities. Everyone wants to build for a better future for everyone. Everyone desires the freedom to pursue this better life, to pursue their dreams and aspirations, and everyone desires the safety and security to guarantee that they are capable of this pursuit.

These are the building blocks that the vast majority of humanity desires. To fulfill their dreams, to leave a lasting legacy, to help their loved ones. 

We all have different ideas, often diametrically opposed, on how to achieve those ends, but it’s fundamentally necessary to remember almost everyone, regardless of their viewpoint, holds these same beliefs and desires. 

Yes, there will always be outliers. Those who are apathetic and greedy and selfish and ignorant and narcissistic and who have no desire to achieve any of these goals. But it is important to recognize those are in fact outliers, and that the majority of people hold to at least some of this love, some of these dreams, some of these desires. 

And it is vital to recognize even those that have abandoned the pursuit of empathy, love, compassion, and a better future, are often capable of being reminded of these things.

The same love which can drive hatred, division, and apathy can be used to inspire empathy and reignite passions and dreams.

Often, all it takes is little reminders about the best of humanity, and while the worst of humanity can never be fully removed, the reminders we aren’t defined by our worst are enough to inspire hope and drive progress, innovation, and change.

There is a lot which fuels fear, hatred, and apathy, but there is a lot which can fuel connection, love, passion, compassion, caring, understanding, and pursuit of happiness. 

And to that end, I want to talk about the subject, on the greatness in America.

For all of the imperfections we, 250 years later, can see in what the founding fathers did, it is undeniable that what they accomplished was, for their time, revolutionary. Literally. 

What they did was built on the systems they had been educated about and exposed to, but they used those separate ideas to create something entirely new, a system so robust it has lasted two and a half centuries, throughout many wars and despite all the divisions which threatened to tear the nation in half.

America was founded with the promise of an American Dream. That all people are created equal, deserve equal rights, and that all who come to and are born in America are owed the right to pursue their dreams of a better life. The nation we live in was built on this promise, of accepting diversity and equality, of coming together and building a better future for all.

The disagreements in how to accomplish this dream predate our country's existence, but the commitment to the common idea of a nation of dreams free of oppression is one they could all unify behind well enough to make it work.

In the time since our founding, we have done a great deal of good. The blueprint America made built the foundation for nearly every modern democracy. The system built by America has been used to form the modern world of elections free and fair across countless countries. 

America might not be unique in being a “land of the free” anymore, but it is quite likely, if not a certainty, that without America, there wouldn’t be lands for the free. For all of the areas America has been slow on the uptake on, we were still the pioneers in countless more.

And while the areas we once pioneered have been adapted and often improved by other nations, their progress was made possible by what we freely shared.

America, since its foundation, has become a place to have pioneered music, food, and the arts. The mixture of various cultures has created new cultures transcending any individual source.

For all of my cynicism in how America doesn’t have, outside of Native American Indians, any truly original culture with everything we consider American originating from a non-American culture, and how the cultural identity of people who come here has a tendency to vanish over generations,

The flip side to that cynicism is how we create a new culture and are building it through generations to form our own legacy and identity. 

What we build is always taking from the learned experience we have been exposed to from across the world, culture, and history. And in that time we have innovated and invented countless things.

For all of how others were close, we were still the first to split the atom. While we weren’t the first to make it to space, we were the first to land on the moon and our method of bringing humans to space is still the method used and modified. 

We have, in many ways, developed inventions such as telephones, radio, television, satellites, cable, and the internet. The electronic age was made by the likes of Silicon Valley. I would say, until about 2010 or so, America was at the forefront of technology.

The number of scientific research and advancements we have made is undeniable. The amount of music, art, and other culture we have produced and pioneered is incredible. 

The American dream has been realized countless times over through countless small businesses growing, endless individuals finding success in their fields of passion, and the fulfillment of the fundamental human desire to create art and share our works with the world. 

But it’s through all of that good that the shortcomings must be acknowledged for how we cannot claim to be the greatest nation, because over time, we have progressively fallen further and further behind the rest of the world. We have become more isolated and less educated. We have become increasingly unable to keep up, with more dreams shattered than let to succeed. 

America is one of the largest nations in terms of landmass, natural resources, and population. We have some of the highest diversity of any nation, and that diversity will remain our greatest strength. We have some of the greatest natural beauty on the planet, with a large variety in terrain. Just about every type of terrain in existence, there is American soil which has that type of terrain. From rainforest to jungle to island to desert to forest to plains to tundra to mountains to hills, you name it, our country has it.

We have the resources, both natural and human, to pursue just about anything we could dream of. There is enough land and food to house and feed every American, with room to spare for more, both in those yet to be born and those yet to come here.

So it should be considered the failure it is that, despite all of those strengths, despite all those merits and resources, we have not achieved the total completion of the American Dream. Homelessness, poverty, and starvation are all things we have the means to solve through our vast network of resources and land, yet they are increasingly rampant. 

While America has pioneered for over 200 years, what was revolutionary 250 years ago is commonplace in contemporary times, and we have lost the edge in what made us so special in the first place.

Through complacency, through a belief that we must be the best still, we have lost our march of progress and have stagnated, particularly in this digital age.

We are less educated than we once were. We are more isolated than ever before. Despite innovations in transportation including the invention of the car which has built modern transportation networks, it is harder than ever to connect. 

The phone, the internet, has allowed us to connect to people across the world in less than a second, yet despite the ability to reach across the world, we have less ability to connect to each other than ever before. 

America has, since its inception, been a land of great experimentation, providing the building block for both some of the greatest evils and the greatest of goods. We have the power to choose, using the freedom of the forefathers and our ancestors, to choose the path for our future, and to choose the path embracing our best.

We have more tools, more resources  than ever before, to network, to build and rebuild communities. To unite, to innovate, to pioneer. To communicate, to use resources to protect our dreams, our ability to create new ideas, by giving them the resources and needed to succeed. 

We have our diversity of ideas, but share the dream of making our ideas reality. We each have shortcomings others have strengths in, and we each have resources and capabilities others lack. By using our resources and strengths to cover the weaknesses and shortcomings of others, we all, collectively, are able to do better.

We have fallen behind technologically, culturally, scientifically, and socioeconomically. But we have every tool needed to catch up and take the lead again. All it will take is enough of us having the bravery and the passion and the compassion and the dream and the commitment to this better future embracing the strength of our diversity.

As satisfying as it can be to tear down others who have hurt us, to tear down those we see as having caused issues through their imperfections and as much as it may be cathartic to see them suffer consequences, that mindset needs to be removed, for it is one built on the destruction of those that are different from us and who have failures we refuse to accept. 

For change to be made, we must be bold enough to walk the line where the shortcomings of others are not forgotten or forgiven, but are also not used as a basis for exclusion or condemnation. We have the capability to recognize the difference between critiques designed to help improve and build better, versus criticism designed to destroy. 

We are stronger, we are better, when we can find the good in those who have good to be found, and even if we make the personal choice to not interact with those who we know bring us personal harm, we can hold the strength to genuinely wish them improvement and personal betterment where they can, in their own ways, provide a brighter future while we work to build our own.

Although we may never achieve perfection, we can achieve progress, on every level. And while it will take a generation, or multiple, in order to heal the wounds which have formed, the greatness of the American Dream can be made stronger than ever before by recognizing we have never perfectly achieved it before. 

All of humanity is connected, especially in this digital age, and while America will have a great deal of work to do in mending international bonds, it is just as possible to reconnect and reform those as it is to reconnect and reform with family, with neighbors, with community.

This progress won’t be realized overnight. It is a continuous process of recognizing the barriers we have to realizing our American Dream and gradually removing those obstacles. But I truly believe, in our lifetime, this change, this progress, can be achieved. 

Let’s use this diversity of viewpoints and ideas not to identify the weaknesses in the viewpoints and ideas of others, but instead to see the obstacles and the alternatives in implementing the ideas designed to collectively uplift us all.

Hypothetical New Constitution 

Now let me share that work in progress potential blueprint for the future I would love to see us enshrine and build upon.

Hypothetical New Constitution 

First 

We reaffirm the United States of America’s Constitution as the Supreme Law of the land. The sworn duty of every government employee, government office, civil servant, and branch of the military is first and foremost to the Constitution. 

Unless otherwise stated, the entirety of the Constitution including all Articles and all prior Amendments remain in place. 

(List the letter of them all here)

The stated wording here is designed to reiterate a commitment to the Amendments and not replace the existing wording or meaning of them.

There shall be no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

There shall be no abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peacefully assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 

The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, shall not be infringed.

No Soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the Owner. Nor in times of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury.

Nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.

Nor shall any person be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against oneself. 

Nor shall any person be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

Nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation. 

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and fair public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law. 

And the accused shall enjoy the right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against them; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in their favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for their defense.

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor Excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. 

Included in this is the right to privacy. 

The inalienable rights of humans expand and evolve as society does, and the Constitution cannot provide an exhaustive list of every human right for every future generation. 

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. 

The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.

The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President. 

The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President.

No person Constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States. 

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. 

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

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State or executive branch shall make or enforce any law or order which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States. 

Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. Nor shall the executive branch deprive individuals of liberty or property without due process of law. 

Nor shall any State deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or President, or Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, or as an executive or judicial officer of the United States, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.

But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. 

The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.

The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. 

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, previous condition of servitude, or socioeconomic status.

The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. 

The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration. 

The Senate of the United States shall be compromised of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies:

Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct. 

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution. 

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on the account of sex or gender.

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

The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of 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.

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.

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 their 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 or Vice President shall have qualified. 

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.

No person shall be elected to the office of President or Vice President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State.

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

In case of the removal of the President from office or of their death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that they are unable to discharge the powers and duties of their office, and until they transmit to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of their office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. 

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that no inability exists, they shall resume the powers and duties of their office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of their office.

Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for the purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of their office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of their office. 

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.

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

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

These Amendments remain reaffirmed, with Congress having the power to enforce every article by appropriate legislation. 

Subsequent 

Unless in contradiction with this new Constitution or otherwise stated, all prior laws shall remain in effect.

Second

Intention: Human Rights are equally owed to all humans, regardless of citizenship, regardless of race or ethnicity, regardless of gender identity, regardless of sexual orientation, regardless of age, regardless of disability, regardless of religion, regardless of medical conditions, regardless of relationship status, regardless of socioeconomic standing.

All humans in the United States of America are owed equal human rights, regardless of disability, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. 

Transgender, nonbinary, non-white, neurodivergent, disabled, non-white, non-Christian, and non-male individuals are all owed equal rights. It is illegal to discriminate against any protected groups listed.

Pagans, witches, and other spiritual practices are included as protected just as equally as all other religions are. 

Transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals are recognized as existing and are eligible for gender-affirming care at any and every age.

LGBTQIA+ individuals are protected, and marriages between them shall be allowed and honored with the same laws as heterosexual marriage laws.

The right to privacy is hereby enshrined. 

Abortions and gender-affirming care are enshrined as fundamental Healthcare rights.

Freedom of religion also includes freedom from religion. 

Any human on United States soil is owed the full rights of a fair trial, and cannot be removed from the United States without consent unless a full legal proceeding has taken place. 

Citizens of the United States of America cannot be deported.

Any individual who has not obtained legal citizenship is guaranteed the right to access a means for applying for legal citizenship and will receive the full benefits of citizenship on a temporary basis while these proceedings are taking place. 

These rights are for individuals and not for organizations or corporations. 

States cannot pass laws which violate these tenets.

Third

Intention: Laying out what basic needs are owed to everyone in the current times.

All humans in the United States are owed, in addition to all prior human rights, the following:

Access to free, clean, drinking water 24/7;

Access to non-spoiled food meeting dietary requirements and religious beliefs;

Access to free 24/7 shelter from the elements;

Access to clean, free 24/7 bathrooms with all the needed equipment functional within;

Access to free means of cleaning oneself and one's clothing at least once per month at minimum;

Free access to 24/7 medical care;

Free access to 24/7 mental health services;

Free access to at minimum basic internet;

Access to free means of working out;

Access to free means of documented education;

Access to free or cheap and affordable means of transportation regardless of location. 

States may not pass laws in violation of these tenets.

Fourth

Intention: Establishing a commitment to science over doctrine, to education over indoctrination, to facts over feelings. Additionally, providing reform to safety for children and establishing age-appropriate education for safety in the digital age.

The United States of America commits to laws following the most recent science, and dedicates itself to following the scientific method.

Laws must be made in accordance with the systematic process used to acquire knowledge through observation, experimentation, analysis; through hypotheses tested through experimentation and drawing conclusions based on the results. 

The empirical method of careful observation, rigorous skepticism, hypothesis testing, and experimental validation, shall be recognized by law, with the removal of cognitive assumptions. 

This law shall recognize the building on previous knowledge and the unifying understanding of studied topics over time, and how this process is continual and never-ending.

As such, just as through the ninth amendment, 

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain scientific consensuses, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. 

All laws must be made with the consultation of experts in all fields related to the law in question. 

Education expectations and requirements must keep pace with advancements in the fields of science and history at minimum. 

Schools are to be structured in ways conductive towards the most effective approach for every student to receive a comprehensive basic education. 

Higher education is to always be easily accessible with every citizen at minimum given a path towards achieving a degree in a field they choose. 

Students may opt for pursuing a trade, but any trade education should still be augmented by a general education to encourage creating an informed populace regardless of vocation. 

Companies, corporations, websites, games, and apps must have recognition for devices and internet connections with “child locks”, “family mode”, “parental guidance”, and similar, and provide appropriate restrictions for those connected using those settings. 

Corporations are forbidden from selling data about any children they detect as using their products through any digital means.

Children are hereby required to receive age-appropriate lessons in internet safety, and are to receive education in electrical, digital, and online literacy. 

Public, free classes are hereby authorized to be provided to the general public on lessons in internet history and safety, providing education on best practices especially for parents. 

States are obligated to follow the same rigorous scientific method for the process of creating state laws.

Fifth

Intention: To establish every citizen as capable of voting upon reaching voting age,  and to ensure votes provide proper representation, and to establish a Direct Democracy free of influence from money, corruption, and oligarchy. To guarantee term limits exist for time spent in public office, to reaffirm no allowance of nepotism, and to remove generational politicians.

Everyone who is a citizen of the United States of America is automatically enrolled to vote upon reaching voting age, and may cast a vote free of barriers. Protections against voter fraud will be implemented in a way free of voter suppression.

Political parties, across all levels of governance, are hereby abolished. Individuals running for office at any level of governance must do so as individuals, without the backing of any political party, Super Pacs, or corporations. 

Any individual who is a citizen of the United States of America eligible to run for an office may do so, free of barriers. There is no limit to the number of people who can run for any position at any level of governance. 

Felons guilty of high crimes and/or numerous federal felonies are ineligible to run for federal offices.

Candidates must provide select statements about their political beliefs and areas of focus, emphasizing their merits for the position, why they are campaigning for the position, and lay out what they intend to accomplish if elected.

Every candidate is required to make a public appearance by some method, in order to provide an explanation of their platform. If necessary, they will be given the needed aids for conveying their platform. 

There is no limit to the number of candidates in a Primary Election. 

The number of candidates for a General Election should be no less than three and no greater than sixteen. The three to sixteen eligible candidates with the most votes from the Primary Election are the candidates in the General Election.

Included in every ballot both for the Primary Election and the General Election is the option to vote for a Vote of No Confidence. Should a Vote of No Confidence receive more votes than any individual candidate, then the election for the positions which receive this Vote of No Confidence will be re-done, with the process restarted and the ability for new eligible candidates who missed the previous window to run for the position a chance to announce their candidacy.

States reserve the rights to how they run their elections, but the above regulations are federally guaranteed. 

At their discretion, when the number of candidates is greater than two but less than seventeen, states and local governments can opt for ranked voting between candidates. 

The handling of this ranked voting would be left to those states/local governments on how to implement, with the only federal requirement being the candidates are all eligible for the position and the option for a vote of no confidence is included. 

No person can hold any individual office for a duration of longer than twenty years. Any office with an existing shorter term-limit has that shorter term limit still apply.

Across every level of government, no individual may hold public government office for a duration exceeding forty years. 

Term limits apply regardless of whether the time in office is consecutive. 

No official may appoint a relative or individual of close association to a position of governance.

The child of any individual to have held governance is ineligible for the position their parent held.

All proposed laws must be voted on by the people. While congress can pass temporary emergency laws, these laws must then be voted on by the people on whether they remain in effect. 

The executive branch must have its executive orders reviewed by congress and be turned into proposed laws.

At any time, if mass-protests against a policy, law, or elected individual in a position of governance break out and there are sufficient petitions in support of it, a special vote of no confidence can be called against that policy, law, or elected individual. 

The role of Congress to enforce these articles by appropriate legislation shall be expanded, with Congress given the power with fewer barriers.

Sixth

Intention: To ensure individuals who are taxed are able to choose where their tax dollars are sent, and reaffirming corporations are not people and do not possess the rights of a person. Additionally, to bring the United States of America to the standard of other countries where taxes are automatically done. 

Taxation requires representation, and this representation is reflected in where individuals are allowed to allocate their tax dollars. 

All individuals who are taxed may select where their tax dollars are to be allocated. Examples include, but are not limited to, education, transportation, military. 

Up to 30% of their tax dollars can be allocated locally, either generically or to specific local offices (examples include, but are not limited to, education, transportation, local law enforcement).

Up to 65% of their tax dollars can be allocated to the state, either generically or to specific state offices (examples include, but are not limited to, education, transportation, environmental conservation).

Corporations are not people, and thus, because they are not an individual, may not select where their taxes go to.

Both individuals and corporations are to be taxed proportional to their income and value of their assets, unless given exceptions.

Anyone who is a citizen of the United States of America, who resides within the United States of America for a duration exceeding thirty days per year, who does business within the United States of America, or is employed by a business within the United States of America, is subject to taxation by the United States of America. 

Any corporations performing business within the United States of America, regardless of whether they reside within, are subject to taxation by the United States of America. 

Individuals are not required to file taxes, but may opt into manually filing taxes if they have reason to believe the information the government has for taxes may be incomplete. 

For the purpose of filing taxes manually, those who make an amount low enough to file manually for free may still do so.

Taxation is hereby deemed to be proportional to a combination of yearly income and possessed assets, both liquid and material. 

Seven

Intention: To tackle wage stagnation and pay inequalities and provide a system which will assure the cost of living never outpaces the income of Americans.

The federal minimum wage is hereby raised to a minimum of $10/hour, without exception. 

No job may offer a rate lower than $10/hour for any reason. 

The federal minimum wage is to be raised, yearly, by the approximate estimated rate of inflation. 

All jobs offering merit-based increases in pay must have the merit-based increase exceed any increase in the minimum wage, with the merit being on top of the minimum wage increase rather than a replacement for it.

All existing employees shall receive a matching increase in pay to any new hires, and to have their seniority reflected in additional wages.

All businesses with 25 or more employees posting job offerings are required to disclose both to internal applicants and external applicants the salary range for the position being hired for. They must disclose the expected pay, and the range may not be greater than $50,000.

Businesses may not post “phantom job offerings”.

All businesses must seek first to internally fill every higher job position before opening the position up to external applicants. Promoting existing employees to higher-salary positions shall take priority over hiring externally. 

Businesses must promote the most qualified employee who applies for the position. They may set standards on whether most-qualified is based on seniority, merits, or a combination thereof; however, these standards must be publicly disclosed to all employees, including prospective applicants. 

If a business advertises they are hiring, they must fill the position listed after they have candidates apply within 30 days of the posting.

If a business takes down an existing posted job offering in less than thirty days, then they must hire a candidate who has applied for the position before the job listing is removed. 

Businesses must hire the most qualified applicants for listed job offerings from the pool of existing candidates within thirty days of the job listing. 

Businesses with more than 25 employees must staff at all times they are open for the maximum capacity of the buildings they reside within. Businesses are forbidden from redefining the existing maximum capacity of existing buildings to be lower than their current amounts. Businesses are forbidden from reducing their existing hours open in response to this law.

Businesses with more than 25 employees are required to staff the appropriate level of staff for their operations, and may not reduce the number of staff for operations. 

Businesses may not reduce the hours of employees in response to this law. Businesses are required to attempt to meet the requested hours of their employees. 

Businesses are required to provide easy, barrier-free, publicly available and advertised, means for employees and prospective hires to apply for disability accommodations. 

Businesses are forbidden from discriminating against employees on or applying for disability by refusing to hire, terminating the employment of, increasing hours beyond listed availability, or decreasing hours below listed preferences, in response to these disability accommodation requests.

Disability accommodations do not require a signed doctor's note, but a doctor's note shall always be sufficient proof without requiring additional proof beyond the doctor note. Other forms of accepted evidence include, but are not limited to, a copy of medical record; testimony from individuals appointed by the employee or applicant; demonstration of the disability; sworn testimony under penalty of perjury from the employee or applicant. 

Businesses may not raise the price of their product by a rate exceeding 20% above the rate of inflation. Nor may businesses increase the cost of essential products in anticipation of, or in response to, disasters and/or supply shortages.

Businesses may not price any product they do not modify by an amount exceeding 200% the price they received the product at. Exceptions shall be made for items of historical significance and which have had production discontinued. 

Businesses may not price any product by an amount exceeding 1000% the combined price of all the component products for the final product. 

For businesses with more than 25 employees, they may not price any product by an amount exceeding 500% the combined cost of all component products and the labor involved in assembling and distributing the products.

Businesses with more than 25 employees at the time of this law are forbidden from reducing staff to be less than 25 employees. Should there truly be no need for more than 25 employees, those businesses can petition the government to reduce their workforce, but will remain bound by the restrictions of a company with more than 25 employees. 

Businesses with fewer than 25 employees yet more than 18 may petition for exemption from the “more than 25 employees” clauses should they need an increased workforce yet be unable to operate with the increased restrictions. 

Businesses are hereby forbidden from disposing of items such as books and other products with no expiration date. 

Businesses are required to offer products half-way to their expiration date at a reduced price, to avoid waste. These prices shall continue to drop as the product gets closer to expiration. These products shall be clearly marked as nearing expiration. 

If a product is about to expire and cannot be sold at a reduced price, the business must, with appropriate markings as to how near the products are to expiring, provide them for free up until they expire. They may choose the method of giving the product away, from either directly handing it out or providing it to charitable services. 

“Shrinkflation” is hereby deemed illegal. Companies may not reduce the amount of product involved without appropriately labeling the product as reduced.

Companies retain the right to reduce the volume of a product and to set the price for their products within the bounds defined, but may not reduce the volume of a product without properly labeling the reduced product as such.

The highest-paid position in any company may not exceed 50 times the wage of the lowest-paid position in the company. In effect, this caps the wage of a CEO to a maximum of fifty times the wage of a new hire. 

Corporations may not implement any policy designed to drive out local and/or small businesses and then change policies after their competition has been bought or driven into bankruptcy.

All For-profit businesses reserve the right to profit, but must disclose their profit margins publicly. Should these laws prevent profit from being attainable, then the government will open up options for a profit margin up to a maximum of 300%.

Eight

Intention: To tackle the housing crisis and guarantee cheap, affordable housing available to all.

Monthly rent is capped at (need to find objective definitions for Studio vs One Bedroom vs Two Bedroom etc., but loosely…)

30* the hourly minimum wage for (smallest/Studio),

40* the hourly minimum wage for (One Bedroom),

And 60* the hourly minimum for any house or apartment exceeding (size).

At the rate of $10/hour minimum wage, this would cap monthly rent to $300 for (smallest),

$400/month for (One Bedroom),

And $900/month for anything larger.

With the exception of utilities handled by the PUD,

The additional charges from utilities and services may not exceed 50% of the monthly rent. This includes sewage and trash.

In total across all services, the final cost of rent may not exceed double the cost of the monthly rent cap.

The application fee for any place to rent may not exceed 1/10th of the monthly cost of rent.

The security deposit for any place to rent may not exceed the cost of three months’ rent.

All landlords and companies who rent property are still responsible for providing the appropriate services to their tenants, including, but not limited to, property and utility maintenance.

In exchange for these limits, landlords and companies renting property may file for situational tax exemption for their properties rented and income from rent.

(Probably more housing rules here)

Nine

Intention: To provide a commitment to infrastructure, especially targeting the support of farmers. Give farmers a lifeline to ensure lifelong and generational success.

Food is the backbone of America, and the production and distribution of it shall be hereby reinforced, empowering our farmers to feed their communities and our nation.

(Infrastructure)

(This section needs refining based on the demographic and to also account for communal farms)

Farmers may classify themselves as an independent small business for the purposes of taxes, should they choose to. 

Any property with four or more acres reserved for either crops or animals may classify itself as farmland.

Any farmland which is the primary residence of the owners of the property is exempt from property tax. The owner of the farmland must reside on the farm for at least seven months per year at minimum. 

Farmers are to be given incentive to first sell locally.

Farmers are to be provided the resources they require for the upkeep of their farms for free.

Family-owned farms are classified as a Trade for the purposes of education, and receive all of the resources thereof.

Corporate farms, defined as farmland not owned by the primary residents of the farmland, shall have increased taxation, with the taxes paid by those that own the farmland. A grace period will be given to allow for converting corporate farmland into family-owned farms, and existing corporate farms which opt for this route will be compensated for the conversion.

Communal farms, defined as farmland owned by multiple individuals collectively, are exempt from taxation in a similar fashion to family-owned farms.

Farms are to be provided with free access to renewable energy, including the replacement of any diesel or gas-powered devices, engines, and vehicles with renewable resource alternatives. They shall additionally be provided with the needed funds for refining infrastructure to support these renewable systems. 

All gas stations are required, within 12 years of this becoming law, to provide a minimum of two free recharging stations for electric cars.

In exchange, all taxes on gas shall be dropped for stations in compliance with this legislation. 

Gas stations found to not be in compliance with this law after 12 years have passed, shall have taxes on gas reimposed and exponentially increased.

Car companies are hereby mandated to have, within 12 years of this law, at least 50% of their vehicles be powered partially or entirely by renewable resources. 

A higher percentage of renewable energy will provide grants proportional to the increase, and a failure to meet the percentage will incur fines proportional to the amount below the target percentage. 

Companies producing vehicles are mandated to, within 32 years of this law, have at least 80% of their vehicles partially or entirely by renewable resources. 

A higher percentage of being entirely powered by renewable energy shall be rewarded by additional government grants.

(Other gas vs renewable energy stuff here)

Ten

Intention: Decriminalizing drugs and providing an avenue for reform. Additionally, laying out the Intention of prisons to reform individuals into productive members of society, remove inhumane practices from prisons, make forced labor completely illegal, and to ensure prisoners are given options and never required to perform any action to receive their basic human rights.

The possession, usage, and distribution of cannabis is hereby legalized as a controlled substance identical to alcohol. 

All individuals found to have committed a crime by the possession, usage, or distribution of cannabis shall have their cannabis charges dropped and expunged from any criminal records. 

The possession and usage of drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and other opioids, is hereby decriminalized. The distribution of these substances remains unchanged in legality.

Those found to have addiction to such substances shall be provided a free path to rehabilitation.

The purpose of all prisons shall be first and foremost to reform individuals into productive members of society, by identifying and humanely removing barriers leading to criminal activities and to provide those detained avenues to successfully reforming their lives.

For-profit prisons shall be reformed to provide profits not off of number of inmates detained, a process hereby declared illegal, but instead receive profits only off of those released, with exceptions made only for those ineligible for parole.

Prisons are required to provide services designed to reform prisoners into productive healthy members of society, preparing them for a civilian life outside of prison. Failure to provide these services adequately may incur fines, or if found egregious, result in the shutdown of the prison. 

If a prison is found to have released an inmate who then relapses and commits the same type of offense, they will incur penalties if it is found they are in any way liable for the repeat offense. 

Prisoners are owed all basic human rights as defined by the Constitution, including but not limited to:

Clean drinking water;

Food meeting their dietary requirements;

Usage of bathroom facilities;

Right of privacy;

Access to Healthcare. 

These services are to be provided without the inmates needing to perform any service, and shall not be denied to those detained for any reason. 

While prisoners may be provided the option of performing labor, it shall never be mandatory. Should labor be a recommended sentence, the sentenced individual may opt for other forms of rehabilitation or punishment.

(Work in progress)

Closing Declaration 

It is the fundamental right of every American to be owed all of the liberties in life outlined by this Constitution, and the duty of every government official from judges to congressmen to senators to governors to department heads to the President to uphold this Constitution and ensure the liberties and justices within are provided to all within the United States of America. 

As such, it is the duty of all people to hold these individuals accountable. Should the system of checks and balances fail to accomplish this to the satisfaction of the American people, then the Constitution declares those holding those positions to be in violation of their oaths, their offices invalidated, and the people in the right to mandate a removal of those in power who have failed to abide by their constituents in their Constitutional duties.

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with each other, a decent respect to the opinions of humanity requires they should declare the causes which impel them to do so.

It is self-evident truth that all humans are created equal, and are endowed with unalienable Rights. Among these include Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. To secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among the people, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Whenever any government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such a form, as to best set the path for their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, dictates that Governments long established should not be changed for light, nor for transient causes. Experience has shown humans will suffer while evils are sufferable, in acceptance with a fear nothing better can be done in clash with a demand of instant perfect change. To right themselves and abolish the evils to which humans are accustomed is a task to be taken seriously.

However, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, when there is a gradual rise in all forms of Despotism and Fascism, it is the right, it is the duty, of the People to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

A rule by the people, for the people, demands a Government which serves the people and responds to the people, not to any corporate or foreign entities. For the Government should respond to the needs of the People, not have the People respond to the demands of a Government.

It is the duty of the Government to listen and follow the will of the People, and if they instead ask the People to listen and follow the Government, it is the right of the People to call for the removal of their Government and reform it. 

The Government is hereby abolished from deploying armed forces, including any paramilitary organizations, to intimidate, threaten, control, or otherwise influence the populace. 

The right to replace those who have been found by the people to have abused and misused their position of power is hereby guaranteed, for those who choose to be a part of the Government are mandated to serve the people and must be removed if they fail in this duty.

A Preamble to Reform

Thank you for hearing me out, and listening to these ideas. I personally don't think many of them are actually at all radical. In fact I think a lot of these are things most of us can get behind regardless of belief. Yeah, the implementation of them would have disagreements and challenges. Yes, it wouldn't be something we could make happen overnight. Yes, there are currently some very strong barriers to implementing this change.

Notably, everyone in power would not wish to willingly give up their existing power to pave the path for the new generation. To implement these changes would require such a generation, a collective rise of all regardless of their political background and beliefs to implement a wide-sweeping change not seen in over half a century. It would require the majority of Americans to band together and to, through representatives actually representing the people rather than a political party, unite behind this common faith and belief we are in fact able to truly govern ourselves collectively without the need for oligarchies.

To achieve this dream would take time, and lots of it. But I believe it can be done, in our lifetime, if enough people can get behind enough of these ideas. We needn't agree on everything. We just need to agree on enough. And the most fundamental of things, we by and large already do, even if we don't realize it.

Everyone wants to afford the cost of living.

Everyone wants to receive help from others without barriers, obstacles, or guilt.

Everyone wants to help others, without barriers or obstacles.

Everyone wants to have the freedom to choose how to live their lives.

Everyone wants to have their future secured.

Everyone wants to pursue their dreams and ambitions.

Everyone wants the best for their loved ones.

Everyone wants to leave the world a better place than it was before.

Everyone wants to leave a lasting legacy.

Or at least enough people want enough of these things that we can all commonly agree upon them being such universal desires, wants, and truths that we can band together in the name of ensuring those wants are made possible, free of the current obstacles which block us from achieving them.

I might not be the best at writing words. I might not have the platform to share my words and beliefs. I might not have the best of ideas. But I still have them, am sharing them, and want to work towards them. And if you share enough of my stances, if you hold enough of my beliefs...maybe you can take my work and improve upon it. Maybe you can fix the flaws in my message and make it your own. Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter who spreads the word of these ideas--it matters that the ideas are given the momentum to be implemented.

​And that's the dream of dreams I want.