As it should well be known, the United States was formed as a Republic and NOT as a democracy. During the past 60 years, the term "democracy" as been erroneously tossed around and touted as equivalent to Republic. The distinction is more then a matter of semantics. It is time the citizenry of the United States recognize that we must take the next step toward "democracy", and amend the United States Constitution to provide for an "initiative-referendum" process common to many States. The "initiative" process gives registered voters the right to directly participate in the Federal Government and laws that affect every citizen regardless of your State of residency. The proposed Amendment that follows gives each U.S. citizen the right to participate in the Federal Government ( Washington, D.C. ), a right that no individual citizen or group of citizens has under existing provisions of the U.S. Constitution.
AMENDMENT #___ ( proposed ), to the Constitution of the United States:
SECTION 1. All political power is inherent in the citizenry.
Government is instituted for their protection, security, and benefit,
and they have the right to alter or reform it when the citizens
may require; further, prior provisions of this Constitution that are inconsistent herewith are specifically repealed and superseded hereby, including, but not limited to Article V of this Constitution of the United States.
SECTION 2. No person shall be deemed a citizen until they attain 18 years of age. Corporations and other artificial entities are not persons
and are not entitled to the privileges and immunities of citizens. Only persons who have attained 18 years of age, and are otherwise qualified to vote, shall be entitled to the privileges and immunities of citizens.
SECTION 3. Citizens who are qualified and duly registered to vote in any State of the United States inherently have and shall forever retain to power to directly change, modify, adopt, reject and/or repeal any statute, law of the United States or provision of or to this Constitution, or to adopt a new Constitution, by citizens initiative.
(a) An initiative measure may be proposed by presenting, to the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, a petition that sets forth the text of the proposed statute, law and/or amendment to this Constitution and is certified to have been signed by one hundred-thousand citizen registered voters whose signatures and citizenship are confirmed by the respective Governors of the State or States where such citizen voters are duly registered to vote.
(b) Once a citizens initiative petition has been lodged with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, without amendment, it may be voted on by the full House of Representatives, and if passed by 60% vote of the Representatives, it shall immediately become and be the law of the United States.
(c) In the event the House of Representatives fails to pass the citizens initiative, then in any such event, the initiative shall be placed on the ballot for the next general election, and if passed by 60% of the citizens who vote at the general election, it shall, within 30 days of such general election, become the law of the United States;provided further, each Representative who voted against said initiative in the House, shall be immediately terminated and removed as Representative for the respective Congressional District, and the vacancy thereby created shall be filled by appointment by the Governor of the respective State, for the remainder of the term of the Representative so terminated and removed.
SECTION 4. The House of Representatives shall have the power to submit any matter or issue directly for vote by citizen registered voters at a general election or special election. This shall be known as a referendum, to be voted on by the citizenry, to approve or reject statutes or parts of statutes that the House of Representatives may not agree on or be deadlocked on. The Senate shall not have the power or authority of referendum.
(a) A referendum measure may be proposed by 60% affirmative vote of the House of Representatives, after which affirmative vote the referendum shall be placed on the next general election ballot or on the ballot of a special election called for such purpose. Special Elections of referendum issues, shall only be called, if an emergency is declared by the President of the United States. Any Declaration of War, or for the deployment of troops on foreign soil, shall be submitted to the citizenry for vote, by referendum, at a special election called for such purpose.
(b) Referendum issues voted for by 60% of the citizens who vote at a general election, shall, within 30 days of such general election, become the law of the United States without further vote by the House of Representatives, Senate or signature of the President of the United States.
(c) Referendum issues voted for by 60 % of the citizens who vote at any special election, without further vote by the House of Representatives or Senate, shall become the law of the United States when signed by the President of the United States.
SECTION 5. No court, including the United States Supreme Court, tribunal or officer, shall have any power or authority to review, alter, suspend, enjoin or modify any law, statute or Constitutional provision or any part or parts thereof passed by vote of the citizenry by or through the initiative or referendum process.
