A group state representatives in Georgia are proposing a resolution that would ask Congress to begin the process of repealing the 17th Amendment, which provides for the direct election of U.S. Senators.
One of the representatives behind this effort, Rep. Kevin Cooke said, “It’s a way we would again have our voice heard in the federal government, a way that doesn’t exist now. This isn’t an idea of mine. This was what James Madison was writing. This would be a restoration of the Constitution, about how government is supposed to work. The fact that this coincides with the 100th anniversary gives us a pretty good snapshot of what has happened to the federal government since then. The federal government has grown exponentially since the amendment was ratified. This would restore the constitution to what it was in 1913.”
Of course, this isn’t really about states’ rights or the intentions of the Founders. The movement to take away the people’s right to directly elect their senators is about keeping Republicans in power. A recent PPP poll of Georgia found that if Max Cleland could be talked into running for his old Senate seat in the state, he would lead each of the top five Republican contenders. If the Democratic candidate is Rep. John Barrow, he would trail the Republican nominee by an average of four tenths of a point. Depending on who the Republicans nominate, the Democrats may have a chance at picking up a Senate seat in Georgia.
The idea of repealing the 17th Amendment is just the latest extreme example of how far Republicans are willing to go in order to hold on to power. Instead of trying to appeal to the changing face of the electorate, a group of Republicans would rather takeaway the popular election of United States senators.
Georgia’s demographics are changing quickly. People of color make up more than 40% of the state’s population. There is also an age gap, as 73.2% of Georgia residents over age 60 are white, but only 46.9% of the state’s school age children are white. The electorate in Georgia is shifting towards the Democratic Party.
Instead of changing with the times, some state Republicans have decided that the answer to their problems is to roll back the constitution to 1913.
Why stop at 1913? If they really want to hold off the demographic wave, they should also seek to repeal the 13th Amendment.
After all, the Founding Fathers also intended for slavery to be legal too.
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AFM
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 5:22 pm
They won’t be happy til they can bring back slavery. It is that simple. How sad. What goes around comes around. When the population because majority african-american and hispanic the white community should remember what they have done. They won’t like it one bit. Because they will be sitting in the miniority boat and you won’t like it either.
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Peter Barnett
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 5:25 pm
Seriously? Slavery. You know it’s normal to bash the other party, but that is well beyond radical. I’ve never heard a single Republican ever mention wanting to bring back slavery. That is overboard. Anyone who disagrees is simply agreeing just because they are of the same party.
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djchefron(Moderator)
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Maybe not wanting to bring it back but sure do look fondly at Americas original sin
10 Conservatives Who Have Praised American Slavery
Republican Rep. Jon Hubbard has deemed slavery a blessing. His position is not as uncommon as you’d think.
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/10-conservatives-who-have-praised-american-slavery
Remember google remembers all
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Peter Barnett
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 8:43 pm
Way to take it out of context. He was saying it was a blessing because it brought them to America, and ultimately gave their posterity a better life. Surely, it was a poor choice of words. But for anyone to think he meant “Slavery was good and we need it back” is absurd.
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djchefron(Moderator)
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 8:59 pm
Are you honestly saying that raping,kidnapping keeping a people in slavery for over 200 years apartheid and Jim crow laws for another 100 years and even today the racial hatred that some Americans still feel today was justified and a blessing?
Please tell me you don’t believe that Please.
Right now you should be condemning that very thought and whoever thinks that way.If not then you believe it and you are the worst kind of racist.One who is in the closet.
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Shiva(Moderator)
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 9:00 pm
Bullshit.
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Peter Barnett
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 10:14 am
Like I said, you’re reading it wrong. He’s talking about the silver lining of coming to America and their posterity having a better life. Yes, slavery was horrible. It was a disgusting cancer in our nation. Yet the silver lining is that in the end, their posterity escaped Africa, escaped the warlords and starvation, and were born in America. Yes, slavery was horrible. But it gave their posterity a better chance at life.
And racism is still alive today? Sure. But let’s not try to pretend there isn’t racism towards white people as well. Hell, as a white male student, do you know how hard it was for me to get my full ride to college? If I had been a black female, I would have been given so many more scholarships and money.
It goes both ways.
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Shiva(Moderator)
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 10:26 am
Not sure where you are getting the starvation and warlord stuff from, but Africans of the 1800′s were not starving. The starving occurred on the ship coming over here.
You may also note that africans immigrated all around the world. Many of the Roman troops that overtook Britain were Africans. They were fully capable of taking care of themselves without being taken into slavery
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djchefron(Moderator)
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 10:34 am
You know nothing about he History of Africa do you?
AFRICA BEFORE SLAVERY
Africa’s History did not start with Slavery
http://www.africanholocaust.net/news_ah/africa%20before%20slavery.htm
This is just a start.If you are interested there are plenty of material out there.
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Shiva(Moderator)
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 10:39 am
The only basic info they need is that their DNA started in the area around Kenya. Much further back then they can think or understand.
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Peter Barnett
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 10:28 am
pos·ter·i·ty
/päˈsteritē/
Noun
All future generations.
We are talking about their posterity. Their posterity escaped starvation. Their posterity escaped warlords. Hello? Posterity! Yes, slavery was horrible, cruel, and unjustified. But the small silver lining is that the posterity escaped the other harsh treatments they would have received.
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djchefron(Moderator)
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 10:51 am
I didnt want to go there but I see you are afflicted with the white mans burden syndrome.You really believe that before Europeans came to civilize the savages we were cannibals, devoid of civilization and without your guidance just little children to be train to embrace western life.SMH
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Peter Barnett
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 11:43 am
What the hell are you talking about? This is the craziest argument I have ever heard. This is becoming silly. Believe it or not, America is a much better place than Africa. The slaves’ posterity now get to enjoy a much better life because they were brought here. Slavery is bad, horrible, disgusting, and inhumane in all regards. But in regard to their posterity, it made them have a better life.
Case closed.
I’m done.
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djchefron(Moderator)
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Thank you
http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/2232/legendarythreadv.jpg
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lm945
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 5:42 pm
Not only do Republicans want to repeal the 17th Amendment, giving them gerrymandered control of the Senate as well as the House, they also want to repeal the 19th Amendment, revoking women’s right to vote.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/20/national-review-blogger-calls-for-repeal-of-womens-suffrage/
It doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to believe they wouldn’t put the 13th Amendment on the chopping block if they could.
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djchefron(Moderator)
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 5:52 pm
I think the 13th is safe for now.Seeing the Miss.finally ratified it this week.Next week not so sure.
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Peter Barnett
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 8:44 pm
Seriously? You take one blogger from a random place and say that constitutes a parties ideas? That’s just sad.
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Sally
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 6:45 pm
Peter,
You remind me of my Fox braindead sister who denies there is ANY war on Women. I mentioned that they want to ban contraception, and she laughed. Seriously, do try to do a little research before you post. I know they refuse to tell facts on Fox, but you are better than that.
Oh, and I’m waiting for the next ALEC laws…stopping women from voting, because you know, we are progressives and want fair pay and freedom from abuse.
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Peter Barnett
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 8:47 pm
Typical. Saying conservatives want to ban birth control. As a matter of fact, they don’t! Surprise! By taking one string of ideas that is mainly relegated to Catholics only and then trying to say that they want birth control banned (which isn’t even a teaching of Catholic’s themselves) is sad. Do some research.
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Shiva(Moderator)
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 8:59 pm
Barnett, you dont know much do you. Look up the personhood bill that Ryan and other conservatives are trying to get through in all 50 states. It will take away birth control. Please do your research. Even the xtian state of Mississippi turned it down in a vote. Ryan has cosponsored 2 of these bills. The gop in the state legislatures are pushing it.
Move along
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gsb
Feb. 22nd, 2013 at 10:14 am
Sally:
Seriously Sally, I think the Rep’s would do just that if,they thought for one split second, it would succeed.
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Linda1961
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 7:37 pm
Maybe the gopers would be content if the blah’s votes only count 3/5 of one vote.
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djchefron(Moderator)
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 7:41 pm
They would love that!
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PSzymeczek
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 11:25 am
Maybe not slavery, but a feudal state, for sure.
Serf’s Up!
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Shiva(Moderator)
Feb. 20th, 2013 at 6:22 pm
Supposedly there is something about the peoples rights to representation. They will not have representation if the senate is appointed. Especially is Koch owned people are appointing.
The GOP just cant cheat enough. In states where blacks and latinos are growing the old fat white man GOP is running scared. Fully not understanding that is the colors will eventually be elected, they should be brought in as republicans. They could be tyhe future republicans. But no, interior inferior racism abounds
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Christopher
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 9:06 am
I’m not enthused about returning, but the truth is there was supposed to be a house for the people and a house for state governments to be represented, which was the essence of federalism. We did lose one of the carefully crafted balances in the Constitution with the 17th amendment.
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djchefron(Moderator)
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 9:19 am
How is selecting Senators more balance than direct election by the people?Have you ever heard of Rob Blagojevich?Why do you hate democracy?
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Sandra
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 9:57 pm
They can look to Canada where the incumbent Government selects Senators on a partisan basis and they get to stay in their job until the age of 75. We the voters have no say and no vote because we have a parlimentary system. Their starting salary is $137K I think plus benefits and additional $$ if they head a committee.
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Shiva(Moderator)
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 9:31 am
in other words, people should not have the right to select the people who represent them.
Rob Blagojevich”:? Rick Scott, Walker in Wisconsin, the Gov. in Michigan? It’s absolutely true the people screw up occasionally but that’s their right.
Senators still represent the people of the state
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Leah
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Repealing the 17th amendment is just conservative speak for, “waaaaaaaaaa we’re loosing elections, waaaaaaaaaaaa we’re not getting enough of what we want because the American people won’t give it to us, waaaaaaaaaaaaa we only think the elite should rule, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa somebody change a diaper!” In the end, the only conclusion we can come to is this, it’s unconstitutional, it’s fascism, and it’s clear that somebody somewhere is full of you know what!
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Maranon
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 12:25 pm
Since we are getting back in the time machine and rolling back, please roll it back to 1492 and we can let Chris Columbus and his Spanish flagship get lost and let the rest of native people live in relative peace without the white fathers that have been messing our lives for do long
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Shiva(Moderator)
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 12:32 pm
You are immigrants here just like everyone else.
Besides there were plenty of people here before Columbus. Maybe it would be better if we jsut let the dinosaurs have it back
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djchefron(Moderator)
Feb. 21st, 2013 at 12:40 pm
Nope we cant do that because their hero will find a way to domesticate them
http://imageshack.us/a/img9/1961/reaganraptor.jpg
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