Is It Time For a NEW Declaration of Independence & Constitution?

FDR had lived maybe this would all be a mute point, freedom with economic security (or at least a fair shot) is no freedom at all.

Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the Congress of the United States on the State of the Union

It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

America’s own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens.

Jefferson felt our or any constitution should be burned every 20 years so that our Children and Grandchildren will not be bound by our mistake's ignorance’s bigotry s and the fact that we may be wrong.(I paraphrase) Our Constitution has served us well but its time to make it work for all Americans unlike when it was written the only free man were the one who owned land if you did not (own land) you could not vote so the founder great men all, but they could never have imagined the complexity of our modern society.

He (Jefferson) said the constitution is a contract with the living, not the dead.

Jefferson thought the dead should not rule the living, thus constitutions should expire frequently, but the fact is that the U.S. Constitution quickly became enshrined by the public and is the oldest constitution in the world,” said Zachary Elkins, a professor of political science at Illinois.

Here is the quote, this combined with the rebellion every 20 years quote makes his views pretty clear.

"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."
T. Jefferson

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Source:
The Public Papers & Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt (Samuel Rosenman, ed.), Vol XIII (NY: Harper, 1950), 40-42

worldreport.com/free-enterpri...

Why would anyone try to change the one we have? The problem is not what we have had for more than 200 years. No other nation has created such wealth (even our poor experience a higher level of living than the rest of the worlds poor; hence the reason they all want to come here), people who are born poor here don't have to remain as such; unlike many other nations.

The biggest problem with our system is the over abundance of attorneys in public office. For some reason, we've given up on the idea of a normal citizen representing his fellow American by holding an office for a short period of time and keeping Americas best interest at heart. We now have representation that only thinks of themselves and views Americans as "the little people", while they give themselves more power and wealth.

The strange part of this philosophy is that it is the American public who really holds the power and if we were to realize that power the poor politician would loose their power. I believe this to be the real reason that Democrats and Republicans keep us divided during elections. Think about it, once in office, they all behave pretty much the same (the Republicans were just as big on spending prior to loosing the house and senate in 2006) and pass laws that really only benefit themselves as they fill their pockets.

I don't believe we need a new Declaration of Independence or Constitution, I do believe we as Americans should stop being so apathetic and allowing the government more and more power. I also believe that we do need an amendment to the Constitution, requiring that any laws passed on the American public MUST also apply to each member of Congress. They should never be allowed to vote themselves a salary increase and there should be no government retirement plan for them; effectively forcing term limits.