Constitutional Amendments

BBC NEWS | Americas | Bush calls for gay marriage ban:

I took a quick read through the Twenty-seven Constitutional Amendments and came to an interesting conclusion. The existing amendments can easily be grouped into 3 types:

1. Enumerate rights to the people (1st, 2nd, 5th, 9th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 21st, 26th)
2. Regulate government actions. (3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th,10th)
3. Clarification of judicial and representative processes (11th, 12th, 17th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 27th)

There are two constitutional amendments that do not fit in these three categories. One of them was championed by religious conservatives and is the only amendment to have been repealed.

Do you know which one it is?

The Eighteenth Amendment which prohibited the manufacturing, importing, and exporting of beverage alcohol. This is the only amendment that actually stripped rights away from the people and the states. It only lasted 14 years before it was repealed.

A constitutional ban on gay marriage also strips away rights from the people and the states and is championed by religious conservatives. Let's reserve constitution amendments for regulation of the government, expansion of peoples rights and clarification of government processes.

Oh, did I forget to mention the other constitutional amendment. The Sixteenth Amendment (Income taxes). Don't get me started.

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