#father of constitution

[tarunias-official]

On 26th November 1949, the Constitution of India was passed and adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India, and it became effective on 26 January 1950.

The constitution was drafted by the Constituent Assembly, led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (known as the father of Constitution of India).

Today India is celebrating National Constitution Day.

[bitchfitch]

first @yeehawgust prompt was 'gather the posse' and since I'm using this challenge as a way to explore new characters I just took that to mean "design the fuckers"

anyways, Whiskey and Tago. Tbh this pose was meant to be more a metaphor thing than literal, but it's making me strongly consider changing Whiskey to being a they/them(plural) instead of a they/them(singular).

[deadpresidents]

This may be a goofy question for someone who’s blog is dedicated to the Presidency, but do you think that the U.S. Presidency is ultimately a net good for the country and the world? Should the US try a system without such a powerful executive branch?

That's not a goofy question at all, especially in 2024!

I think the American system as originally envisioned by the Founders -- with three truly equal and balanced branches of the federal government with a definitive separation of powers -- was brilliant and effective. But that's not the country we live in anymore. The three branches not only don't respect the powers of each other, but they often don't respect the powers of their own branch, which means there is no balance of power. If there's no true balance of power amongst the separate branches, the entire design flat-out doesn't work.

The problem is that this is the system and has been since 1789, so you can't really put the toothpaste back in the tube. But there are certainly many aspects of the Westminster system or even a dual executive republic like the French government that would be a more efficient and genuinely democratic way of governing a modern democracy. There are drawbacks, too, but I don't think our system is ideal when it's challenged by the petty and destructive politics of the United States in the 21st Century, which is dominated by this awful determination to actively obstruct government. There are scores of American politicians who run for office on the idea of NOT doing things and literally keeping the government progress derailed.

[contemplatingoutlander]

In the New York Magazine article, “The Future of Trumpism: The greatest threat to Donald Trump’s hold on the GOP comes from Ron DeSantis, who may be more MAGA than the MAGA king himself,” Jonathan Chait discusses some of Ron DeSantis’s more disturbing beliefs about the U.S. Constitution and wealth.

Basically, DeSantis seems to believe that the Constitution was designed to protect elite wealth from being redistributed to the working classes. If DeSantis were to be elected president, there’s a good chance he would try to undo every progressive social safety net program we have created since the New Deal, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the ACA, SNAP, and TANF.

Below are some excerpts from DeSantis’s 2011 book Dreams From Our Founding Fathers: First principles in the age of Obama:

[Benjamin] Franklin and other Founding Fathers believed that respect for individual property rights was the sine qua non of a free society, and regarded the so-called “leveling spirit,” which seeks to equalize property through government action, as a danger that American institutions needed to check…. How to craft a government based on popular consent that did not devolve into popular majorities voting themselves the property of others was one of the main concerns for Madison and his colleagues at the Constitutional Convention. [...] Madison pulled no punches about specifying the particular types of faction that a republican form of government needed to guard against. “A rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project”…. Madison…also viewed these “wicked projects” as inimical to fundamental notions of justice and individual liberty. As a matter of first principle, the republic needed to be constructed to prevent such projects from ever coming into being.

[emphasis added]

--Ron DeSantis (2011, pp. 123, 128-129)

If Ron DeSantis wins the White House in 2024 and has a GOP Congress, and a Federalist Society dominated Supreme Court, he will be able to dismantle the social safety net in the U.S. with impunity. We cannot let that happen.

[edited]

____________________

Ron DeSantis Photo-Illustration: Eddie Guy & Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images (before edits & title caption); Maya Angelou quote image source (before edits & a newer version of Maya Angelou’s signature) 

[if-men-were-angels]

[skin-slave]

Rip to the founding fathers. They would've loved Doritos.

[black-deaths-babygirl]

God I love being on “let’s slutshame the manwhores that wrote Constitution” side of tumblr

[whatudottu]

Hmmmm if Annie fell and how would the Andromeda 5 react :))

Like what, she tripped? Fell out of bed? Jumped off a cliff?

Annie while being an adopted daughter to 5 aliens that don't know humanity inherently, she's a 16 year old who's first introduction to the 5 was through P'andor which I will state (if you're a long time follower, this is a reminder, if you're new, this is some context) she was immediately trying to mug him with a knife. He also probably looked like his human ID at the time which is... well, the picture of a large Slavic man who takes no shit.

But I'll indulge, I'll indulge, but prepare to be underwhelmed.

So if Annie fell (in the tripped context, maybe she fumbles a dance or just falls ass over teakettle on something), P'andor already has the impression she can take tougher shit than the ground. Might bark a short laugh especially if she gets right up and brushes the dirt off herself, depending on the dramatics of the fall he might jokingly award points for style, but not unless she got genuinely hurt P'andor does the quick 'You good' and move on when Annie starts walking as usual. Bivalvan would disapprove of P'andor's dismissiveness but less out of instinctual parental response and more from the fact he's grown up as a species with an exoskeleton, and Annie being human she has an endoskeleton which the soft fleshy bits on the outside. He takes a glance at whatever skin deep lesions Annie gets and puts in a bit too much stock than necessary into them, but his big main problem with that would be that Annie damaged the parts of her that would have been well protected under armour that humans don't have, and trying to associate the damage to scrapes in shell is building up his ability to cope that Annie would know what hurts or not.

You might expect that Galapagus would immediately baby Annie, but I don't think that would be the case. Aside from having the same instinct as Bivalvan (squishy shell-less human got skin damage), as a species with an unconventional method of flying, that being literal air propulsion, well there's a little bit of his cultural mentality that views children as baby birds or what have you. You could piff a geochelone aerio child (not in the least because they can be held in one human hand like Earth turtles and tortoises) and while still being an asshole, not an irredeemable bastard, the shell doing a lot of lip service (it's built in naturally to compensate for a fall, especially with all the weight of the shell itself contributing to the intensity of said fall) thanks to the inherent learning curve of 'oh yeah you're going to have to fly' children are gonna fall over anyway and heck, an adult too who would be much heavier is going to inevitably drop out of the sky like a rock. Not to say Galapagus wouldn't at least still hover over Annie for a hot sec or too, but if anything given that geochelone aerios have at least some areas of endoskeleton, so long as Annie isn't actively bleeding or straight up broken a bone he's not going to get too worked up about it.

The person that will really get worked up about it would be, of course, Ra'ad. Having absolutely no bones to actually break (his gladius doesn't count and his beak is hard to break at all) you might think he's the most prepared in dealing with skin lesions, but this is the man that grew up in an ocean and lived on land floating around like no one's business, people just don't get hurt by gravity! Not to mention, injuries in the sea are bound to attract predators, or injuries in stagnant water are bound to attract infection, or injuries are (in his culture) the first sign that you will be the next to die and dying isn't a thing his people are concerned with WHY AREN'T THEY CONCERNED WITH DEATH! It's only really his mind reading that tells him to stop right before he panics over Annie ensuing she dies... from embarrassment. If she fell and she's fine if slightly humiliated, Ra'ad will suppress his anxieties and kind of explicitly change the subject to hopefully make it clear he isn't thinking about her falling anymore (if it works it works, if it doesn't well...). And if she's legitmately hurt, Ra'ad would be actually the first to clock it since Annie like to be tough and infallible even if only for herself instead of being someone's stone, so if mentally she's wincing and grumbling etc Ra'ad will be the one to ask 'Are you actually okay?' and attempt (keyword: attempt) to be as low key about it as Annie is.

And finally I think out of all the Andromeda 5 I think Andreas is the only one who has experience with children, both in raising them and with the [alien] to human comparison to what a child is. I've mentioned my piece a whole bunch about making talpaedans ant inspired, and part of that is because Andreas would be the 'male' of an ant colony or the tradie of a talpaedan, which would mean Andreas grew up learning to parent the children of the colony's Queen and other architect/tradie pairings, expecting to in adult do the same in the colony Andreas had been married to if Aggregor didn't cause a divorce instead. So unlike Bivalvan who would claim with 100% certainty he was a father but only because he's a broadcast spawning species, Ra'ad who would claim complete opposite else he'd be actually dead to a herd of zooplankton young, Galapagus who would really be in human translation in his early 20s only remembering being a child, and P'andor that doesn't even know what sex is because prypiatosian-bs literally don't have sexual reproduction, Andreas would have nearly a life's worth of knowledge of childhood development (which is still only the equivalent of being 25ish years old, it's just Andreas being essentially a male ant) and have the most experience with a child falling over.

Which - because Andreas has experience - Annie falling over is not a big deal and if in arms reach, Andreas would lift her back up and brush her shoulders a little bit before letting her run off again and move on from the whole thing. The worst thing any parent can do is coddle their teen like a toddler and damn, Annie falling over is not as bad as what happens to talpaedan youth, it's a breath of fresh air.

This is hardly a 'P'andor exposes Annie to radiation' moment, but I did use this as an excuse to shoot forward some brief biology and culture headcanons about the Andromeda 5.

[illm4nn3rd]

Proposal for a Renewed Constitutional Convention: Celebrating Tradition, Embracing Tomorrow

Invoking Article V for a Future-Ready America

To: Whom it may concern

Introduction:

As we stand on the cusp of a new era, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that our cherished Constitution, crafted by our Founding Fathers, remains vibrant and responsive to the challenges of our time.

Purpose:

Utilizing the provision of Article V, we endeavor to create an inclusive platform that harmonizes our time-honored principles with the pressing demands of the modern age. We seek to breathe fresh life into our Constitution, ensuring its enduring relevance.

Core Topics for Discussion:

Digital Rights & Privacy: Navigating the balance between modern technology and our cherished personal freedoms, and the responsibilities large corporations hold to the customers they serve. Right to repair being of great importance.

Stewardship of the Land: Upholding our duty to the land that may yet nurture us for future generations.

Universal Rights: A renewed commitment to justice and equality for all.

Election Integrity: Refining our systems to better echo the people's voice.

Addressing Grievances: Evolving our mechanisms for a neutral mediation in dispute resolution.

Science, Ethics, and Human Dignity: Charting the interplay between innovation and moral values.

America on the Global Stage: Revaluating our shared space on the global stage while upholding our core principles.

State-Specific Issues: Highlighting the unique challenges and strengths of each state.

Costs of Responsibility: Debating and reconciling the responsibilities of individual citizens, state governments, and the Federal government amongst one other, and the costs required for upholding said responsibility. Balancing the cost of living for working class citizens while keeping the burden with in reason for all Americans.

Convention Dynamics:

Commencement: A momentous kick-off on July 4th, paying tribute to our democratic roots.

Duration: A two-year journey, dedicating two weeks to each state based on their Union accession, to allow deep dives into regional concerns.

State Representation: Five delegates from each state: two from state legislatures, two chosen by popular vote, and one appointed by the governor.

Oversight:

An Oversight Committee comprising nine distinguished individuals will guide the proceedings:

Three nominated by the federal government to represent national interests.

Three chosen by collective state governors to voice state-centric concerns.

Three elected by the popular vote, ensuring the citizenry's voice remains at the forefront.

Public Involvement:

Transparency: A steadfast commitment to open discourse, with deliberations documented for public perusal.

Engagement Platforms: Town halls and digital forums to capture a myriad of views.

Educational Endeavors: Initiatives to deepen public understanding of pivotal topics.

Post-Convention Action Plan:

Documentation: Archiving outcomes for public review and historical records.

State-Level Engagements: Encouraging states to participate in cooperation and bridge building, regardless of ratification.

Community Mobilization: Aiding local movements to use authentic language while promoting civil debate.

Review Mechanism:

8 years post-convention, the Oversight Committee will reconvene as a Review Council and will:

Assess: Examine the real-world impact of the convention's resolutions.

Recommend: Make recommendations to Federal legislatures on any further corrections or changes that may yet assist in creating a more perfect Union.

Provide Guidance: Offer insights for future conventions, drawing from encountered challenges and gained experiences.

Financing:

Funding will be sourced judiciously from federal and state treasuries, accompanied by rigorous oversight mechanisms to ensure transparent and neutral allocation.

Conclusion:

In reimagining our Constitution, we embark on a journey that honors our past while crafting a beacon for our future. We invite you to join hands in this noble pursuit, shaping a legacy for generations to come.

With profound respect and hope for our shared future, A Patriot in Service to the Republic.

[pedgecalmdown]

Making A Splash - p.p.

summary: you and your boyfriend, pecker, go to the pool on a hot summer day.. let’s just say things got way hotter than you thought they would be! 😁🙂

word count: 2.2k

warnings: highchair use, tantrums😜, pool sex, public sex, hairy hog on the loose, four toed foot, pecan as a shark, pool filters, messy popsicles, learning to swim like a baby falling in water with hand snapping😌

it’s a sunny summer afternoon, and you’re sitting on your porch with your cute little hubby, plague. He got a little frisky earlier, so you had to put him in his high chair to calm him down. Luckily, it worked, and you’re both eating popsicles in a nice summer breeze while he kicks his messy camo crocs from his high chair. You could see that Pilfer was globbering down on his popsicle, his mouth and fingers getting sticky from the mess. Once he’s done, he starts getting upset and smacks his hands on the surface of his high chair. “babbeee im all dirtyyyy and there’s nothing to clean me uuuppp!!!” He says in a whiny voice. You ponder for a moment, and come up with a solution to this debacle. “How about we go to the pool?”

As you rummage through drawers trying to find piston some trunks to wear, he’s putting on his water socks so he doesn’t hurt his tootsies on the rough surface of the pool. “Are you sure I’m ready? I’m a little bit nervous..” pelaton asks. He had always had a fear of swimming and of big bodies of water, and you had always wanted to get him more used to it so he could overcome his fear. “You got it baby, I know you can do it. Remember when you wouldn’t eat your veggies because you thought they would taste bad but when you ate them you realized you loved them? I’m sure it’ll be a peace of cake, just like those!” You cheerfully replied. You kept searching in the drawer until you found the perfect pair of trunks for thanksgiving to wear to the pool. They were bright orange, and had dinosaurs on them. They looked a little small, but you were sure they would fit.

You left the room for paleontology to change, and once you came back in you were surprised as to what you saw. Your honey buns was leaning against the doorframe with a sly smirk and then gestured to his trunks with his hands. “You like what you see?” He questioned with a cheeky tone. “I love what I see.” You replied, replicating the tone. Powder put on sunglasses and walked over to the mirror and started doing finger guns at himself. “Hey there good lookin, what are you up to today?” He couldn’t stop smiling at himself and you couldn’t hold back your smile at his happiness. You remind him, “Before we get in the pool, we need to put on your swim gear like the big boy you are!” You grabbed a snorkel, arm floats, a donut hip floaty, and flippers, and helped put them on your giddy boyfriend. Once all of plaintiff’s gear was on, he was ecstatic and pulling you to the door by your arm. “Come on! Come on! lets gooo!”

As you walk into the sign-in in front of the pool, you can’t help but take in your pumpkins appearance. He had all his gear, but the donut floaty caught your eye and reminded you of the tantrum he had thrown hours earlier at target.

He stomped his flip flopped feet on the ground as the expression on his face grew angrier by the second. “I WANT THE DONUT FLOATY!! THE PLAIN ONE IS UGLY!!” You stared at purchasing. “Pedge, calm down. The plain blue floaty is cheaper, it’s your favorite color, and they both work the same!” “I DONT CARE. I WANT THE DONUT NOW. NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!” You looked him in the eyes and you caved in. How could you say no when he looked so good? “Fine. But if you act like this again, I’m making you eat DOUBLE your veggies and no dessert.” You picked up the donut floaty box and headed to the cashier. Peddler’s flip flops flipped and flopped behind you.

The memory made you chuckle. What a little goober porridge was! Your hot shot’s flip flops were clapping against the floor as he was walking to the sign in. You found this quite chucklesome. Pork eagerly wrote his name on the check in sheet and rushed to the pool, tripping over his feet as he struggled to walk in his flip flops. He stopped in his tracks right at the pool ledge and looked back at you with concern. “It’s okay my stud muffin, if you learn to swim like the big boys do then I won’t make you eat any veggies at all!” You reassured. His eyes immediately lit up and he did a heel click in his excitement. He then started rubbing his palms together and put on a sinister smile. “Let’s do this.”

You take off all of his floating gear so that when he falls in he really has to work to float. You can see the nervous look spreading across his face. “Don’t worry poopsock, you’re gonna do so well.” “If you s-s-say so..” You sat plorpus down at the edge of the pool with his feet dangling in the water. He lightly licked them as you slowly walked in right in front of him. “Ok, you got this” you told him. He quirked an eyebrow and nodded once. You started snapping in front of his face. “Here, here, come on, this way.” He slowly leaned forward and made a huge splash as he fell in. He thrashed around in the water, limbs flying everywhere. You stepped back to give him some space, and he floated to the surface, belly up and limbs in the air. The look on his face looked like he was about to cry. “That was so scaryyyyyyyheeeeheee” his sentence turned into a wail. “You did so well, punctuation.” You floated to the top, just like I said! Come on, let’s do that a few more times.” With that, he stopped crying. You supported his weight as he floated to the ladder, and once he got out he practiced falling in a few more times. Each time you practiced, he cried, but once he got on the ladder and sat on the edge again, he totally forgot what was happening and was eager to do whatever you said.

Eventually, he had gotten used to falling in the water and floating up to your snapping hand, and now you decided that he was ready to go into the deep end. “well, here goes nothing!!”, preston yelled as he jumped in. “Here, here, come up.” you directed him as he thrashed around in the water, not quite used to the lack of floats. After a few seconds, he emerged from the water and squealed in excitement. “That. was. AWESOME!!” “That’s my talented hunk!! no veggies for you tonight!!” “yesss!!” he exclaimed as he pumped his fist in the air. You were so proud of him, and you allowed him to play on his own for a bit while you tanned on a chair nearby. After a bit, pussy called your name. “Babe, babe, babeeee!! look!!” You turned your head to look at him. “what is it my dream boat?” He was grinning from ear to ear. “Watch me do a handstand” He immediately dived below the water and you saw his hairy legs and four toed foot aimed towards the sky to fall forward immediately after. His head reappeared on the surface, and he was swallowing water that got caught in his throat. You started clapping for his performance. You were so proud of how far he has come today.

He lifted himself out of the pool and awkwardly fell on his stomach on the pool deck. He ran around the side of the pool until a lifeguard blew a whistle. ‘WOOOOOOOO’ “please do not run on the pool deck.” He shouted. “Ugh, fine.” Pedro’s 4-toed feet speed walked to the diving boards. “Babe, babe babe, babe, y/n look I’m gonna be like a shark! Come look!” He yelled to you. He climbed onto one of the boards as you started walking towards him. You sat yourself on the edge of the pool that was on the left of the diving boards. “Go ahead, pillsbury.” You looked at him with admiration as he jumped and flailed into the water. He bobbed back up and started slowly swimming to you with his hand vertical on his head. He started singing the theme from Jaws. “Duh nuh. Duh nuh. Duh nuh. Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh!!” He swam faster and faster until he reached your tootsies. He started playfully gnawing on them as you giggled. “Peter, stop!! It tickles!” He came up for air and laughed. “Alright, my turn to jump in!” You said, getting out and walking to the diving boards.

You did a cannonball in the water and Poland started snorting from the water that went up his nose from the splash. You swim up to him and peck him on the mouth and he gives you a sly grin. “do you still like what you see?” Below the water he gestures to his tight swim trunks, which appear to be getting even tighter with his growing red rocket. “Oh my boo boo nugget, I am obsessed with what I see”. You didn’t break eye contact with pectoral, who kept occasionally dipping below water, swallowing it, and aggressively kicking his feet to resurface. You continued to take off your bikini and throw them to the pool ledge. He watched you intently, and you could see him start licking his lips in yearning. You reached towards his dinosaur trunks which contained his still growing hose and pulled them off his long fuzzy legs, revealing his incredibly hard cock and balls. He awkwardly enters your warmth and goes ham, occasionally slipping out from loss of balance. Both of you are a moaning mess. Both of you were being flung all around the pool from the sheer force of plart’s thrusting, and in the corner of your eye, you see yourselves getting closer to a pool filter..

“Wait! Wait wait wait hold on, stop!” You suddenly stop your movements just as Pedestrian does. With his gym dog still inside you, he starts trying to move the two of you away from the pool filter by flailing his arms and feet. In his attempt to move away, he actually pulled the two of you closer, causing him to panic. “NOOO!! AAAAAAHHHH” Pestable lets out a bloodcurdling scream that alarms you. “PESHMERGA, STOP! IT'S OKAY CALM DOWN!” You start gracefully swimming the two of you in the opposite direction of the pool filter. “Sorry.. I was just.. scared.” He says, looking away. “Why were you scared? It’s just a pool filter.” “I know, I know, but.. what if it.. started sucking me up?” You giggle as you see his face growing redder by the minute. “It won’t suck you up, don’t worry. Lets just stay away from it anyways.” And with that, pegetable is continuing his hard thrusts into you. “Ahh, babe I’m- ughhh- close!!” He says. Not more than 10 seconds later, hes painting your insides with his warm juices.

“OOOOHHH SAINT HEAVENS” palatable bellowed as he climaxed. Immediately after, you orgasmed too, and you just floated in the water with your num nums in sweet relief. President then said breathily, “wowie.. that was bonkers!!” He then glanced at his deflated balloon and started hurriedly looking around, getting more panicked by the minute. His little buddy was floating around in the water as he swam. “What is it platitudinous?” You curiously asked. “Where are my dinosaur trunks?” He replied with a worried tone. Your lack of response made his eyes tear up. “NOOO!! NO NO NOO!! THOSE ARE MY BIG BOY TRUNKS!!!” He started angrily slapping the surface of the water and swallowed the droplets of water that was being splashed. “I WANT MY TRUNKS NOOWW! NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!!!” You recognized this tantrum to be very similar to the one he had earlier, and you rushed to comfort Powerline. “There there, poverty, since you’ve been such a brave boy today, I’ll let you skip your veggies AND get you a new pair of swim trunks.” This seemed to help him calm down, and he wiped off his snot with some pool water. “okay” he said quietly. “That’s my good tater tot, now let’s go.”

You got out of the water and grabbed a towel. You walked back to the ladder and handed it to poop so he could cover up as he got out. He stepped out and grabbed the towel before wrapping it around his waist lazily. He started waddling slowly, hunched over to the chair where all of your things were placed. He picked up some things just as you did, and you both started walking back to the sign in to leave. In the middle of the trip, the towel fell, but portion didn’t notice. You watched his flat, high ass waddle as he slapped his feet against the pool deck. “Uhh, penetrant? Looks like you’re forgetting something!” You start giggling to yourself as phlegm starts looking around, oblivious as to what he’s missing. His gym dog is flailing about until he realizes his towels fallen off. “Oh brother, silly me! Looks like there’s a hairy hog on the loose..” Protestantism smiles and starts chasing you around, gym dog wagging with each movement. Who cared about the lifeguard? All you cared about was your perfect poo poo puppy, and that was it.

THE END.

————————————————————————

A/N: This could be our naughtiest one yet! What do you think? 🤔🧐 Leave a comment and a like if you enjoyed 🙂 Make sure to like, subscribe and hit that that bell!🛎️🔔🔕💁‍♀️

[bethanythebogwitch]

I think one thing we could do to help in this country is to stop treating the founding fathers like infallible gods and admit that some things they set up were bad ideas or have not aged well. Fixing those mistakes isn't some kind of blasphemy, it's just improving on what they set up. America's democracy was one of the first of its kind so its not surprising that mistakes were made. In fact, some of those mistakes have been fixed, slavery and women's suffrage being the two most prominent examples. Some more that need fixing:

The 2nd amendment either needs to be repealed and replaced or a new amendment needs to be made clarifying limitations. It was specifically made to ensure a militia could be formed in a time before we had a standing army. Now that we have an army, it is unnecessary. It is currently being used as a right to murder. We cannot allow just any civilian to gain a weapon of war the FFs could not have foreseen with absolute impunity.

The electoral college needs to be removed and a direct vote needs to be implemented. In a time when it was very unlikely that a majority of people in the country could get to a polling place, it may have been a bit more sensible. Now, all it does is ensure that (for example) if you are a democrat in Texas, republican in California, or 3rd party supporter anywhere, your vote is meaningless. It also ensures permanent minority rule by hinging the election on a few swing states. Any system that allows the loser of the popular vote to win needs to be replaced. Ideally, we would switch to a national ranked-choice voting system instead of a first-past-the-post system so the president would be someone over half of the country would actually prefer to see as president.

Term limits on everything. Every-fucking-thing. The lack of term limits on elected positions is bad enough but on unelected positions like the supreme court it is inexcusable. It effectively gives us monarchs, something the founders explicitly wanted to avoid. It also ensures that laws will drag behind what the majority want because old people always end up keeping positions when they are out of touch with what people want.

The senate either should not exist or should have much more limits on power. Having a senate where every state gets 2 and a house where members are based on state population was a compromise between small states (favored the senate) and big ones (favored the house). Because the senate gets 2 people per state regardless of population it effectively gives permanent minority rule. A voter in a very populous state like California effectively matters less than one in a less populous state like Wisconsin. In a functioning democracy, all voters have equal say.

Ethics requirements. I get that at the time they couldn't predict a lot of the ethics problems that happen today, but they could have at least put something in. Something like "a supreme court justice, representative/senator who accepts gifts from somebody and fails to recuse themself from a case/law/whatever involving that person will be immediately fired" would have solved a lot of problems.

I won't blame them for not banning corporations from participating in democracy because I don't think they could have reasonably foreseen that, but that, along with lobbying, is a major problem we need to fix.

We as a country need to get over this view of the infallible founding fathers and fix their oversights, mistakes, or outdated ideas. I won't say this would solve all our problems, but it would be an incredible start.

[widowshill]

austen heroine of a man

[taraross-1787]

This Week in History: The Constitutional Convention

During this week in 1787, the Constitutional Convention is scheduled to begin—but nothing happened! The Convention couldn’t get started, because only a handful of delegates had arrived in Philadelphia. A quorum of seven states was not present until May 25.

Did you ever wonder who had the idea to hold a convention in the first place?

It all started with the Potomac River. At the time, some thought that the river would be one of the main navigable routes toward the interior of the country. Indeed, in 1785, Maryland and Virginia were embroiled in a dispute regarding navigation on the River. A conference was held at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon to reach a settlement, but that meeting proved to be so much more.

The story continues here: http://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-constitutional-convention-origins

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Thursday filed a brief defending Illinois’ assault weapon ban, arguing the weapons restricted by the newly enacted law aren’t commonly used for self-defense and that large capacity magazines are accessories — not “arms.”

It also argues the country’s founding fathers owned guns that could only fire a single shot before reloading — proving assault weapons and large capacity magazines weren’t in “common use” when the Constitution was ratified.

“The assault weapons restricted by the Act are not commonly used for self-defense; by design and in practice, they exist for offensive infliction of mass casualties,” the brief states.

It also argues the term “arms” refers to weapons and not “accessories,” and that large capacity magazines are therefore not protected under the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms.

Those are among the key arguments in a 72-page brief filed by Raoul, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly in the Southern District of Illinois — in response to challenges to the ban in four federal lawsuits that were consolidated on Feb. 24.

Pritzker on Jan. 10 signed legislation that bans the sale of assault weapons and caps the purchase of magazines at 10 rounds for long guns and 15 for handguns. It also makes rapid-fire devices known as switches illegal because they turn firearms into fully automatic weapons.

Two key U.S. Supreme Court decisions are shaping the legal arguments around such bans. Thursday’s brief references them both, known as the Bruen and Heller decisions.

In the 2022 Bruen case, the high court’s 6-3 ruling required judges to rely on the Second Amendment’s text and the history of gun regulation to decide the constitutionality of gun laws — and not on the strength of the public safety purpose of those laws.

And in the 2002 Heller decision, the Supreme Court found that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to “possess and carry arms in case of a confrontation.” That ruling struck down a ban on handguns in Washington, D.C.

The brief filed Thursday states that Heller acknowledged handguns are “the quintessential self-defense weapon” and called M-16 rifles “weapons that are most useful in military service.”

“The Act regulates weapons and accessories like those categorically marked as unprotected in Heller,” the brief argues in its defense of the Illinois ban. “That is why it does not infringe the Second Amendment.”

In the Bruen ruling, whose opinion was written by Justice Clarence Thomas, restrictions on weapons must be limited to dangerous and unusual arms that aren’t commonly used. Opponents, including the National Association for Gun Rights, have argued the weapons banned by the Illinois law are “unquestionably” in common use.

The state’s response argues otherwise.

“The Second Amendment’s text protects only arms in common use at the time the Second or Fourteenth Amendments were ratified, or those commonly used for individual self-defense today,” the brief says. “Plaintiffs cannot show the Act violates the Second Amendment because it regulates weapons designed for war, not self-defense.”

The federal suits, now consolidated, were filed by Illinois residents who own assault weapons and large capacity magazines, businesses that want to continue selling those items and gun rights and advocacy organizations. They are seeking a preliminary injunction prohibiting the defendants from enforcing the act, specifically limitations on the purchase and sale of assault weapons and large capacity magazines.

A number of state lawsuits have also challenged the ban, with most claiming it violates the Illinois Constitution. Some of the suits have resulted in temporary restraining orders — but only blocking enforcement of the ban against the gun owners and other plaintiffs who filed the suits.

Thursday’s brief notes that the only Court that has considered whether the ban infringes on the Second Amendment has already ruled that it does not. U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall on Feb. 17 ruled that the Illinois and Naperville bans on selling assault weapons are “constitutionally sound.”

[deadpresidents]

Is it true that the requirement to be born in America to be president was placed because the founders didn't want Alexander Hamilton to be president?

I'm sure it eventually crossed the mind of some of Hamilton's rivals once the Presidency was established, but no. None of the Founders were actually born as American citizens; eight of the first nine Presidents were British subjects at birth. So if Hamilton had sought the Presidency and his opponents had attempted to bar him from running because he wasn't a natural-born citizen, there would have been a pretty solid argument against them.

Plus, don't forget that the dominant voice of the Federalist Papers -- the case for ratification of the Constitution (which is where Presidential eligibility was determined) -- was Alexander Hamilton. So, he was an extraordinarily influential advocate in the formation of the Presidency, the powers of the Executive Department, and the mechanisms for electing a President.

[pub-lius]

GET HYPE GET HYPE GEORGE WASHINGTON PART TO

@thereallvrb0y I LOVE YOU /p

FUCK the Revolution is happening and the Continental Congress commissioned Washington to take command of the Continental Army in Boston in June 1775. He wrote to Martha wrote that he should return in the fall but motherfucker was LYING, he came back 8 years later in the winter like bro.

Bro was NOT prepared for this, he only had experience from the Virginia frontier thing with only a few hundred men. He was figuring that shit out as he went and mf was STRESSING. I'm not retelling the revolution, there's no time, but specific questions are welcome bc Washington and his staff during the Revolutionary War are the biggest part of my specialty.

During the Revolution, the Congress assholes wrote the fucking Articles of Confederation, which sucked, and Washington thought that they sucked bc he had to experience why they sucked constantly. He wrote to James Madison that they needed an energetic Constitution, bc that's a thing ig.

He went to Philadelphia in 1787 for the convention to amend the articles after being sufficiently peer pressured by Madison and Alexander Hamilton, who you might have heard of. He was unanimously chosen to provide over the convention, but spoke little in proceedings.

"My wish is that the convention may adopt no temporizing expedients but probe the defects of the Constitution to the bottom and provide a radical cure."

vvgfthyvcrt45 -my mom's puppy

Washington's reputation and support were essential to the Ratification, and he helped the federalists gain support. He hoped to finally retire for real, but recieved a vote from EVERY ELECTOR in the first presidential election. While this is impressive (and inconvenient), it was manufactured, and the fact that he's still the only unanimously elected president is also manufactured.

He served two terms as president. His first term lasted 1789-1793. It was occupied mainly by organizing the executive branch and establishing procedures. He had several principle advisors, such as Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Knox, and they all got along really well and liked each other very much. (you can tell I'm lying because I'm about to mention the financial plan)

Washington adopted a series of measures proposed by Hamilton to resolve the national debt. He also concluded peace treaties with southeastern indigenous tribes and designated a site on the Potomac river for a permanent capital.

His first term ended with a war against indigenous tribes continuing on the northwest frontier, which was encouraged by the British, and this would be one of the issues that would cause the war of 1812. The Spanish also denied Americans use of the Mississippi River. These issues limited the westward expansion Washington really wanted.

Washington was also very concerned by partisan politics, highlighted by severe divisions between the Democratic Republicans and the Federalists. A lot of people say that Washington was a federalist, but that is entirely missing the point. He didn't align himself with either political party bc he recognized that they are dangerous and damaging to governments. This point is annoying as shit and doesn't even MATTER.

Washington reluctantly agreed to a second term (1793-1797), which was dominated by foreign affairs. For example, the fucking French Revolution, and I'm going into fight or flight at just the mention of this in relation to foreign affairs.

Washington believed neutrality was key for US policy, since they couldn't afford a war, and he believed the country's future depended on increasing wealth from commerce and westward expansion. One of his greatest accomplishments was keeping the US out of the war.

Partisanship continued to grow within the executive branch. The department heads "agreed" that the US should remain neutral, but did they really? They disagreed over foreign policy, with Hamiltonian federalists siding with Great Britain, and Jeffersonian Democratic Republicans siding with France. This heavily deepened the partisan divide.

Also, he had a tumor at some point as president. It was benign, but he had to have surgery.

Opposition to federal policies developed into resistance to law in 1794 when distillers in West Pennsylvania rioted and refused to pay taxes. Washington directed the army to restore order. This action was applauded by Federalists and condemned by Republicans.

The war against indigenous tribes was a victory for the white people, Britain surrendered some (*FORESHADOWING*) of it's forts in the Northwest, and Spain opened the Mississippi River. This opened the west to settlement. Washington concluded his second term with his famous Farewell Address and yippee!! he can retire!!!!

Sike again, he had to be commander-in-chief again bc Adams is a pussy.

But it's fine, he got to go home for the next two years.

On December 12, 1788 he was supervising farming activities from late morning until 3 in the afternoon. The weather shifted from light snow to hail to rain. When it was dinner time, someone was like "hey man, your clothes are pretty wet, you should probably cha-" and Washington was like "would you make Hamilton and his autism go against his daily schedule? no you wouldn't. so if you wouldn't be ableist to him, don't be ableist to me" and then went to eat dinner in his nasty ass clothes.

He noticed that he had a sore throat and became increasingly hoarse. He woke up in terrible discomfort at 2 am, and Martha went to get help. And this... DUMBASS (Washington). REQUESTED that the doctors used bloodletting. AND THATS PROBABLY WHAT KILLED HIM. in addition to that the group of doctors tried induced vomiting, an enema, and "potions' of vinegar and sage tea. He still got worse. He called for his two wills, and directed that the unused one should be burned.

He died between 10 and 11 at night on December 14, 1799. Happy Anniversary, Hamilton and Eliza. He passed peacefully by people close to him (Martha, Dr. Craik, Tobias Lear, his enslaved housemaids Caroline Branham, Molly, and Charlotte, and his valet Christopher Sheels). He was not buried for three days by his request. His body lay in a mahogany casket in the New Room. His funeral was held on December 18, 1799 at Mount Vernon where he was laid to rest in the family tomb. He was moved to a better tomb, and thank fuck bc i went to the first one and it was janky as hell.

Okay, Washington is done. Now, we've just got my holy trinity: Burr, Lafayette, and Hamilton. Also, if you couldn't tell, Washington's death is a micro-special interest of mine LHFSKJFHSK anyway i hope you enjoyed. I still have more shit to do so if you see me floating around, tell me to get back to work.