Following Thomas Jefferson

As all the "liberals" or "secular humanists" and their like are so enslaved to the idea of a full separation of religion in all public places as based on President Jefferson's private letter to some Baptists and expanded by Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, a veteran of the KKK's hate philosophy, I offer the following two quotes by Thomas Jefferson upon which to build some further changes in our Republic.

"I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our constitution. I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of our government to the general principles of its constitution; I mean an additional article, taking from the federal government the power of borrowing." (In a letter to John Taylor; November 26, 1798).

I think that there is little doubt that the various abuses of federal power (eg "Pork", "ear marks", election corruption) are all driven by the federal government's ability to borrow money to pay for the special interests represented by such evils. THEREFORE, I follow Thomas Jefferson's suggestion and offer the following amendment.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT #1
"The government of the United States shall not borrow money except during the first year of a declared war and then only for the strict purposes of national defense.

Standing to challenge violations of this amendment are assigned to any of the Governors of the Several States and to such other persons as the Congress shall designate.

This amendment becomes effective five-years after ratification."

In addressing the methods of interpreting the Constitution, President Jefferson wrote: "On every question of construction let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning can be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one which was passed." It is difficult to put this in a legal form to enforce the underlying concepts; But, I will attempt to do so by another proposed amendment to the Constitution.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT #2
"The Supreme and inferior courts of the United States of America shall, in ruling on our laws, first adhere to the exact words of the Constitution and then to the intent of those who drafted and ratified them. Only thereafter may such courts apply other sources upon which to make their rulings. In no instance shall the decisions of foreign courts or other foreign bodies be used for such purposes except as required by such treaties confirmed by the Senate.

The Congress, by a simple majority of votes in its two houses or a majority of the Legislatures of the Several States shall have the authority to overturn any court's decision they deem to be in violation of this amendment."

Of course, I could address Thomas Jefferson's statements on the need to, from time-to-time, nourish the tree-of-liberty with the blood of tyrants; But, I will leave that to another day and to your imagination as to my opinions as how to apply that statement