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The Do-It-Yourself Constitutional Amendment Kit
by Nathaniel Whitten
ISBN: 978-0-9774807-2-2
Price: $8.95
96 pages, perfect bound
Reviews
Amendment Kit site |
"Edgy. Laugh out loud. Like the Daily Show crossed with
Mother Jones."
"Like an episode of The Daily Show crossed with an issue of Mother Jones, this charming little book from Whitten (co-author of Vitally Important's similarly-pitched Secrets of the SuperOptimist) is a winning mix of humor and good citizenship. Based on Thomas Jefferson's assertion that “the Constitution should be revised every 20 years,” Whitten proposes a double-handful of amendments “intended to instigate discussion... [and] inspire your own suggestions,” including: “All candidates for public office... will be required to read at least 20 books determined by a quorum of scholars”; “No more appearances on comedy shows by those running for office”; and a last-word “Fifth Estate” made up of “two people from each of the 50 states chosen at random to serve a four-year term.” While some ideas will strike readers as reasonable (“No driver’s license shall be issued or renewed unless the person in question has voted in that year’s election”), others are sure to rankle (“Fair Tax to be rendered immediately”; “Ralph Nader given consolation prize in exchange for never running again”). Appended copies of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights will help readers get a knack for the assignment, while Whitten's edgy, laugh-out-loud text keeps things in perspective." Illustrations.(Oct.)
- Publisher's Weekly
Summary:
Think your rights as an American are being violated by the big shots of the Beltway? Feeling powerless as our elected officials cook the books, intimidate the populace, and sell us out to the next sovereign wealth fund? Want to chortle at the absurdity of our system and help improve our country’s standing at the same time? The Do-It-Yourself Constitutional Amendment Kit is here to help. Here you’ll find a simple action steps to participate in our democracy, refresh your knowledge about the laws that govern the land, and be provoked by sample amendments designed to inspire and inform. None other than Thomas Jefferson stated that we should revise our Constitution every 20 years in order to reflect our evolution as a species. Based on where the U.S. stands today, we've got some catching up to do. "We the Actual People" are the ones to do it.
Among the issues "The Do-It-Yourself Constitutional Amendment Kit" addresses are the following :
- an excess of power clutched in the hands of the few
- dismissal of diplomacy in favor of fear-mongering and jingoism
- an overwhelming dependency on foreign oil and outsourced labor
- obscene misalignment of wealth and prosperity
- Ralph Nader running again
- Legalization of pleasure drugs
- Fair tax
- Younger people getting involved in government -- as early as third grade.
- ____________ (your suggestion here).
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