How I Would Fix the U.S.
I rant and rave on this site a lot, probably because I like to see myself typing. But after the holidays I fell a need for a change. Enough complaining, I'm going to offer some constructive ideas for fixing the problems in the United States of America. Not that anyone's going to listen to me.
Don't get me wrong. I realize that there are worse places to live than the U.S., but I'm starting to wonder if there aren't also better places to live than the U.S. And since this is my country, and I theoretically have a stake in it, this is what I would like to see.
First on the list is mandatory voting. Most people look at me like I'm a lunatic when I say this, but I'm used to that. Besides, there are other countries in the world that have mandatory voting. Even some that are actually democracies.
The first objection I usually hear is that some people don't vote because they have to work all day. Well that's easy to solve: make election day a national holiday. Hell, make it the Fourth of July. If we are going to celebrate our freedom, I think it's appropriate to be reminded that freedom comes with responsibility. So switch all elections to the Fourth of July. Also make a federal law that no one can work more than a half day on that day, or at least mandatory work breaks so that people can vote.
The second objection is that some people don't vote because no one's worth voting for. Well that's actually the reason I want to have madatory voting. Because in adition to mandatory voting, I want every ballot to have "None of the above." If no one gets the majority, the election has to be reheld with new candidates.
While we're at it, lets have all the polls close at the same time. Not the same hour, but the same time. Sure, it won't allieviate all of the influence the west coast has over ellections, but it's a start.
Next up is corporations. Like most Americans, I don't read the Constitution too often. I'm still pretty sure that it doesn't start "We the corporations, in order to form a more perfect business opportunity." Limit all contributions to private citizens. That's including contributions to lobbying organizations. Anyone who has access to government should be a citizen, not some fictional creation of the business world. If this is really government by the people, give the power back to the people.
I'd also like to see a ceiling on contributions. This government by the rich has got to stop. The rich don't need tax breaks, they're RICH! Of course, the way campaigns are run these days you need a lot of money. Maybe something could be worked out with the TV companies. Anybody with a certain number of signatures gets a certain amount of free TV time. Hey, if we got them out of government with my above suggestions, we could ram it down their throats!
Once those problems are solved, I'd like to see changes to the Constitution itself. The Founding Fathers were an okay bunch of guys (for the most part), but they couldn't see the future any better than the National Enquirer. The right to bear arms is one thing when you have to wait a minute between each shot to reload, it's another when you can fire your whole clip in that same period. If this country is going to survive in a rapidly changing world, we need a more flexible document. The possibility of ammendments was a step in the right direction, but I think it's losing it's ability to adapt.
I propose that certain sections of the constitution be set in stone. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, seperation of church and state, the democratic process, protections from unlawful search and seizure, the basic forms of government, and the guarantee of due process. The rest should be flexible, and every 100 or 200 years, it gets reviewed and redone. That way we can have a truly living document to guide this country into the future.
That's what I want. Of course, if wishes we're unicorns I wouln't play leapfrog, so if anyone from Australia could tell me if it's any better down under, I'd appreciate it.
Last Modified 6/8/99
Created 1/10/99