Spoilers: It looks oddly familiar!
In case you haven’t heard, the U.S. Constitution was made for and only protects “rich, old, white men” from the 18th Century.
Or, at least that’s what a number of students at the University of Florida believe. Campus Reform asked UF students their thoughts on the Constitution, and many of them gladly signed a petition to ditch our Constitution.
One such student said: “The time period was rich old white men and that’s exactly what that document says, and stands for and vouches for.”
That’s a pretty big assertion, but We The People listened and decided to take an honest look at the Constitution to see if the document our nation was built on really does belong in the past.
To avoid tossing out the baby with the bathwater, let’s walk through the Bill of Rights and see what should stay and what should go.
1st Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
So many of our most valued freedoms are encompassed in the First Amendment. We look down on countries that do not have a free press, the freedom of assembly, religion, or free speech. Rescinding these freedoms leads to injustice every time.
WTP verdict: We better keep this one.
2nd Amendment
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
According to the radical left, the second amendment is probably the most controversial. Ignoring debates on murder rates for the moment (because unfortunately, mass stabbings are a thing), the point of the 2nd Amendment is to prevent tyrannical governments from subjugating their people without recourse. Venezuelans are now living with the reality of not being able to defend themselves. Australia banned firearms in 1996 and they now, for all intents and purposes, live under a police state.
It all leads us to ask: Could this happen in America?
WTP verdict: Frankly, we don’t think anyone wants to find out. WTP votes to keep the second amendment.
3rd Amendment
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
You know what? We can see how this one would seem outdated.
However, we highly doubt that anyone would want their home commandeered for any reason. And don’t forget– the English government maintained this practice well into the Second World War.
WTP Verdict: This one isn’t hurting anyone. So, better not risk it.
4th Amendment
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Now we are moving out of the Amendments that might need historical context. Think back to 2020: the Black Lives Matter protests were not only sparked by the death of George Floyd, but also that of Breonna Taylor.
The importance of legal warrants, conducted correctly, are still a cornerstone of our society, and legislation is in the works at the state and federal level to ensure that our freedoms under the 4th Amendment remain intact.
WTP Verdict: If even in our divided government, politicians can reach across the aisle to uphold this Constitutional Right, it’s pretty important. This one stays.
5th Amendment
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
The 5th Amendment enshrines several of our freedoms within a court of law. It was the basis for Miranda V. Arizona, which gave us the ever-quotable Miranda Rights. It also allows us to “plead the 5th” and not incriminate ourselves in court.
WTP Verdict: We may not need to consider these freedoms in our day-to-day life, but they are absolutely critical to maintaining a fair and just legal system.
6th Amendment
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
Lo and behold, more protections under the law! Again, these may not be the first things we think of when we consider essential Constitutional freedoms. But, considering that Americans, many of whom are poor, are currently being denied their Constitutional right to a speedy trial, it seems pretty important to us.
WTP Verdict: We need this one now, more than ever.
7th Amendment
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Who would seriously argue against more protections under the law? In fact, the 7th Amendment is not even applied to the states (though the majority of states do have their own provisions). So, we say that this Amendment doesn’t go far enough!
WTP Verdict: It stands to reason that we should go the extra mile on this amendment and apply it to all of the states.
8th Amendment
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
We can’t imagine anyone on the radical left would want to ditch this Amendment. In fact, the 8th Amendment is the basis for most arguments against the death penalty. Perhaps those University of Florida students were not thinking of this when they signed the petition–but, your guess is as good as ours.
WTP Verdict: If even the radical left uses the 8th amendment as a basis for their arguments, we don’t think they would mind if this one remains in WTP’s revised Constitution.
9th Amendment
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
The beauty of the 9th Amendment is that it recognizes the limitations of the Constitution and its ability to remain relevant. It seemingly satisfies the radical left’s desire for a Constitution that can be applied to the 21st Century.
And, of course, we won’t mention that the 9th Amendment was among the Amendments used as the basis for Roe V. Wade. So, maybe it is best to keep this one so no one has to get caught up in any kind of hypocrisy.
WTP Verdict: We haven’t heard anyone on the left calling to abandon Roe V. Wade, so we can only assume this amendment is good to stay.
10th Amendment
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
We The People just wrote a whole blog post on the importance of this one.
WTP Verdict: The separation of powers has saved our nation on more than one occasion. Check out our blog on the 10th Amendment for more.
In Summary…
So, let’s return to our question: Is the Constitution too outdated to apply to our modern time?
We don’t claim to be math whizzes, but it looks like all of the Amendments in the Bill of Rights have made the cut— which begs the question of why these young people believed it should be abolished to begin with. Perhaps these students have bought into the liberal ideology of the university.
Or, more likely, they don’t have to worry about their freedoms on a daily basis and they have taken them for granted.
The freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution as a whole, go far beyond protecting the rights of rich white men. It’s a radical document, based in enlightenment philosophy that firmly states that people have inherent rights and actions should never violate them.
It’s almost as if the UF students that signed the petition had never read the Constitution. Weird, right?
So, what is We The People’s verdict? The Constitution doesn’t need to change. The ideals of the enlightenment are not inherently exclusive. And, our nation continues to remain a beacon of hope because of our nearly perfect founding document.
If you agree there is nothing wrong with our Constitution and you find this content interesting, please consider DONATING to We The People today. You can also opt-in to our email list below and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.