Is 230 years too long for American greatness?

Question

(Re-posted for more feedback)
I have worked for companies both young and old and I have noticed that the policies and procedures of the older companies are more restrictive and decidedly cumbersome. I believe this is chiefly due to the fact that a company is forced to adopt new restrictions each time a problem is identified.
The longer a company is in business, the more problems they overcome in this manner. At some point, their procedures and policies become so numerous that few, if any employees know them all and begin acting and reacting to situations in the most neutral way possible to avoid a possible conflict with a policy that might be buried in there somewhere. A stronger or more decisive action that they would like to take is set aside due to a latent fear that company policy is more important than their individual achievements and contributions to the company and thus they would probably loose their position if they make the wrong move.

In Constitutional Law this is called a chilling effect. When a law causes people to forgo otherwise legal activities because a law could be misinterpreted to restrict that activity. It is perfectly legal for a company’s policies to have a chilling effect on a workers workplace activities, but the same is not true where government is concerned.
I see this same trend in the direction of our culture and our body of law. The civil courts have people scared to help people in crisis situation for fear of being sued by the victim. People gathering legally run from the cops for fear of getting arrested without cause.
Is it time to rewrite our constitution, or do you think we can salvage our nation?

Answer 1

The real problem is how people interpret the laws and policies.

A law can be put in place to keep an immoral person from taking advantage of the system, but the way it gets interpreted and implemented it will actually stop legitimate business from taking place, while the immoral person continues along unimpeded.

We need people who can interpret the laws and policies without being blinded by partisan agendas. Unfortunately neither major party is willing to do this. Until that point - the chilling effect will continue.

Answer 2

We have too many rules to follow. The feds put out a 200-300 page book of rules and regs every business day in addition to the go-zillions of pages of laws, rules, regs, guidances, and court decisions that are already on the books. And the states all do the same thing as the feds!

The quest for power has twisted the Constitution into an unrecognizable shadow of what it originally was. Here are the amendments I propose

Term Limits: Legislators get a maximum of two terms.

Sunset Amendment: all legislation dies after 5-7 years

Transparency Amendment: legislators must read everything they vote on and disclose all contacts they have regarding prospective legislation (lobbyists, other legislators, etc) and must give a written explanation of each and every vote, all under the pains and penalties of perjury AND violation carries a mandatory 5 year prison sentence for EACH violation.

I'd also do a whole lot with administrative law, but the above 3 amendments would be a great place to start.

Answer 3

"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power." -- Thomas Jefferson

This herein lies the truth of the problem. The people have not been informed, but misinformed. They've not been educated to the reality of the trials and troubles we face.
To point out just one fact; global warming was admitted to and backed by the president and government in the 1950's, the 1960's and even again in the 1970's. They each stated that something needed to be done. But although some recycling and such was begun, no real plan to address this problem was implimented. Dispite there being plans that stated alternative energy sources and other implimentations were availiable.
We have been told that global warming isn't real. We've been fed a pack of lies stating that there wasn't any facts. Yet the truth of it has finally come out. But the truth bashers are still bellowing that it's not real.
It's the same with terror and with many of the problems that need to be addressed. All these new rules, are they really there to protect us? Or are they there to control us?
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." and yet another insight from Thomas Jefferson. "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
"The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object."

What needs clarifying is this; is it too late to recapture our country from those that seek to reduce it to the dictatorship we sought to escape at the birth of our nation? Or will the people find the strength to stand up with one voice and say with pride and conviction. "We are a Free People and this land, this country is Ours!"

Answer 4

Nope..
Our constitution is fine..
Our self-serving Politicians / lawmakers have subverted our
constitution and are turning us into a police state while
robbing us blind as did the Robber Barons of olde...

Answer 5

YA UMM i dont know bc thats alot of words and i got confused

Answer 6

no u just go what u believe in.