Is the Constitution up to Snuff?

10/20/2013

Spend some time and read the article below. Throughout this week we have spent time looking at the Constitution. Based on what you have learned so far and your own opinion, what do you think? The document is over 200 years old and the world today is a very different place from the time when it was written by the Founding Fathers. Still many regard our Constitution as the finest document ever written.

Should the Constitution be updated, revised, amended, or completely rewritten? Where do you stand?

Also what are your thoughts on how Iceland is tackling the issue. Is social media a good place to take the lead on revising the most important legal document any nation can have?

Write at least 8 sentences stating your thoughts on the matter. Be thoughtful and take your time with your response.

Is it time to update the U.S. Constitution?
By Fareed Zakaria

We all know how Americans revere the Constitution, so I was struck by the news that tiny, little Iceland is actually junking its own Constitution and starting anew using an unusual - some would say innovative - mechanism.

The nation decided it needed a new Constitution and it's soliciting ideas from all of Iceland's 320,000 citizens with the help of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This social media method has worked. Ideas have been flowing in. Many have asked for guaranteed, good health care. Others want campaign finance systems that make corporate donations illegal. And some just want the country to make shark finning illegal.

There is a Constitutional Council. It incorporates some of these ideas, rejects others, but everything is done in plain sight on the web. As one member of the Constitutional Council said, the document is basically being drafted on the Internet.

Now, why do they need a new Constitution anyway? Well, after Iceland was crippled in recent years by the economic crisis, they all wanted a fresh start. And, anyway, they felt the document was old and outdated, drafted all the way back in 1944.

You might be tempted to say that Iceland doesn't have any reasons to be proud of its political traditions in the manner that the United States does. Well, think again.

Iceland is home to the world's oldest parliament still in existence, the Althing, set up in 930 A.D. The rocky ledge on which they gathered represents the beginnings of representative government in the world. So Iceland has reasons to cherish its history, and yet it was willing to revise it.

By contrast, any talk of revising or revisiting the U.S. Constitution is, of course, seen as heresy. The United States Constitution was, as you know, drafted in a cramped room in Philadelphia in 1787 with shades drawn over the windows. It was signed by 39 people.

America at the time consisted of 13 states. Congress had 26 senators and 65 representatives. The entire population was about one percent of today's number - four million people.

America was an agricultural society, with no industry - not even cotton gins. The flush toilet had just been invented.

These were the circumstances under which this document was written.

Let me be very clear here, the U.S. Constitution is an extraordinary work - one of the greatest expressions of liberty and law in human history.

One amazing testament to it is the mere fact that it has survived as the law of the land for 222 years.

But our Constitution has been revised 27 times. Some of these revisions have been enormous and important, such as the abolition of slavery. Then there are areas that have evolved. For example, the power of the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, is barely mentioned in the document. This grew as a fact over history.

But there are surely some issues that still need to be debated and fixed.

The electoral college, for example, is highly undemocratic, allowing for the possibility that someone could get elected as president even if he or she had a smaller share of the total national vote than his opponent.

The structure of the Senate is even more undemocratic, with Wisconsin's six million inhabitants getting the same representation in the Senate as California's 36 million people. That's not exactly one man, one vote.

And we are surely the only modern nation that could be paralyzed as we were in 2000 over an election dispute because we lack a simple national electoral system.

So we could use the ideas of social media that were actually invented in this country to suggest a set of amendments to modernize the Constitution for the 21st Century.

Such a plan is not unheard of in American history.

After all, the delegates in Philadelphia in 1787 initially meant not to create the Constitution as we now know it, but instead to revise the existing document, the Articles of Confederation. But the delegates saw a disconnect between the document that currently governed them and the needs of the nation, so their solution was to start anew.

I'm just suggesting we talk about a few revisions.

Anyway, what do you think? Should we do this? And if we were to revise the U.S. Constitution, what would be the three amendments you would put in?

54 Comments

LoganS - 1

10/21/2013 06:00:07 am

I think that it is something to be considered, the revising of the constitution, especially with such an untested method. While there is merit in what has been written by our founding fathers, I don't think that it addresses everything that has changed sense their time. It may be best to simply make some revisions to the constitution, not necessarily scrap it. Just like all the times it has ben revised already, I don't think it would be unconstitutional to alter it, and that it may actually improve it by a much greater margin. It could solve past problems that were ambiguous and address new problems. It could fix unclearness with the Judiciary system, and more. It should be revised not only by experts in the law, but I also like the idea of suggestions by the people. Mass media would be an excellent medium for people to suggest revisions to be taken considerations by those who would revise the Constitution.

Noah ganfield

10/21/2013 09:20:36 am

I do not believe that the constitution should be revised. I think that it should stay how it is and be followed more closely. All of the items on the document are well thought out and needent be changed. I firmly believe in our constitution and many others should too. The constitution has stood the test of time and ran this country it's whole life changing it to get what you want is selfish and what one person wants is not what everyone else wants. One person only lives till he is 90 then what we have to change I again. Keep it how it is and follow it.

Deanna K-2

10/21/2013 09:46:15 am

I think a document that important can always be revised. It can always be revised because that's what our founding fathers intended when the Constitution was first written. If I were to revise the Constitution I would increase the funding for education so that my awesome teachers, Mr. Scheel and Mr. Leblanc can have a higher pay. Also so students like me can have the necessary materials to succeed. We are also living in a society that keeps changing rapidly. I do not believe that social media is the most effected way to discuss these issues. I don't that social media is the best way because there are people who just rant and blow off steam. Most people say things without having all the facts, they give their uneducated selfish opinion.

Hannah H-5th

10/21/2013 11:25:56 am

I think that with anything as the times change and generations adopt new ideas and forms of media, things need to change. We live in a world that is constantly changing, being revised, and mostly improved.The Constitution is no different, it is as old as the founding father's themselves and our way of life is very different from there's. I think that Iceland allowing all people young and old to share ideas about the constitution through multimedia options is a great idea to integrate all forms of opinions. Because of so many different voices being spoken the Constitution can be written prominent to our time. I do not necessarily agree completely with rewriting the whole document, I think we need to keep parts of it's historical value and ideas included to remind us how far we've come. The best option for the American people is simply to revise the document anywhere its seems fit. It has been around for 222 years and we have managed to keep it initially the same so there is no need to completely redraft. Our founding father's wanted change, but their and our Country's struggles should not be forgotten altogether.

samuel peruski 2nd hour

10/22/2013 04:43:24 am

I don't think the constitution should be revised. It should be stay the same as it was 200 years ago. We started out as 13
states now look at what the constitution it gave us 50 states. Iceland shared the constitution with everyone. Everyone had there own opinions. We should keep the Constitution the way it is because it's a historical value to the america society. If we did change it all the hard work that people made the constitution over 200 years ago word be almost lost and destroyed.

Ali T - 1st Hour

10/22/2013 07:59:45 am

As times change, I think revising our Constitution could be beneficial. As stated in the article, the founding fathers were revising the existing document when they created the Constitution. If they were allowed to revise it 226 years ago, we should be allowed to revise it now. However, social media would not be an effective way to revise it. Although everyone would be able to state their own opinion, it would be very time consuming for the government to read all of those comments and actually take them into consideration. I also think a lot of people would post uneducated or unrelated comments. Also, unlike Iceland, I do not think we should start all over with a completely new constitution. The Constitution has stood the test of time and has worked very well for the United States. There would be no reason to just throw away all the hard work that the founding fathers put into the Constitution.

Dave C. 2

10/22/2013 09:14:15 am

Documents can always be looked at, rewritten or revised, even the Constitution. A document that is 222 years old can be relooked at from a different perspective. Society now has many down falls rewritten a new constitution or even revising on is not a bad idea. The Constitution has been looked at 27 times who says it couldn’t be looked it again. Over 200 year ago our founding father wrote the constitution. Back then in this early age with the technology and the advices in the modern technology, many people can share their idea and come together to make or revise a new Constitution. The three new amendments that I would make would be the student should be able to get help that they need to succeed. Another amendment would be to stop bullying. For children be able to go to school and to go into a public environment and to feel safe and not be scared to express their feeling. The last new amendment that I would make would be to have a better judicial system. For the court systems to be able to carry out laws fairly and to trial people with justice. Overall our constitution is a historical document and should be looked at with an open mind.

Fiona N-1

10/22/2013 10:09:23 am

The Constitution has surprisingly survived the test of time. Yet, the distinguished document has had to be amended, and I see no reason to once again amend it. Since it has lasted without being completely rewritten, why start now? Our system of government has worked well for us overall throughout the years, and when it hasn't, we are able to amend it. Some policies such as the electoral college should be scraped, but not the entire Constitution itself.
The actions being taken by Iceland make sense it their situation. Iceland is a much smaller country in population. The social media tactic is working because there is not not a complete flood of input, and with less people, each person's say can be more easily heard. The United States has such a large population, though, social media wouldn't work as well. The people's input on a new amendment should be heard, maybe where the people directly vote to pass a new amendment after our representatives have cleared it. A radical new idea for a radically new time.

JoslynN-2

10/22/2013 10:54:34 am

Yes, I think that our constitution could be revised. Times have changed and society is way different than it used to be and things will continue to change. Our needs as a nation are different; for example, financially. I think that because of popular sovereignty, the people should get say in what gets changed in the constitution if needed and as long as majority of the population wants it. If I could add 3 new amendments I would add guaranteed health care,and financial help to the poor. As for Iceland, I think it is a horrible idea to have it all on the internet. The internet is such an open and public and unsecure place that it might be dangerous.

AdamW-1

10/22/2013 11:31:41 am

I believe that the constitution should never be completely rewritten, but it could be revised. The constitution will always need amendments because things change over time. One example of this was slavery, where they added an amendment abolishing slavery. Who knows what the future could hold. The constitution still serves as a very strong document. It protects all of our basic rights, and gives other ideas that are important, such as checks and balances. In the end, I agree that they should add amendments over time, but not completely revise the document.I think it is nice how Iceland is revising the Constitution completely, but I think using social media is very unprofessional.

Christian Goolsby

10/22/2013 11:41:57 am

I believe that the constitution is a great guideline and law of the land; we found a way to fix and revise it with the amendments, yet it depends on how we are approaching this revision. I would personally want to revise the constitution to limitations of the leaders and more power of the people which in some ways may just make the document more basic, or to what it was meant to be. If we were to modernize it that is a completely different story. There are many more people now than there were in the 1700's. In saying this there are also many different mind set's; some are the greatest and progress this country, others are too extreme and bring down the greatness the founders were striving for. I believe with out indirect democracy and federal government we have given a bit too much power to the government, in doing this we have split the country in half. Our elections as stated in the article are always a close tie in the states and it is left to the electoral college to decide. If revisions were to be made I believe it should be directly towards power in government and the power of the people. If we want to maintain the status of democracy we cant keep having a split country, there are obviously people upset about the actions taken, and soon we will have to pay the price for it. Abraham Lincoln knew what was going on, and if he were to see the country today, I'd believe he'd call for a revision. But that's just me guessing. If we are to change it, it should be the people deciding.

BrendanL-5

10/23/2013 03:58:59 am

I believe that the constitution could be revised. Some amendments that I would put in would be that the people do not have to be forced to buy something they do not want from the government (Obamacare). Also I would put in that all people on their 18th birthday be drafted into the army to be trained to handle weapons and fight in the army. I would add that people convicted of a federal felony (murder, arsony, blackmail, etc.) should be publically humiliated infront of the world with the same thing they did. One last amendment I would put in is that all citizens must carry a weapon (over 18) no matter what. I think iceland is doing a good thing because it gives them the opinion of the entire country not just what a certain politicians think. Also it is a different way of getting things passed and gives the people an advantage.

Mitch B- 2

10/23/2013 09:12:26 am

I do believe that it is time to revise or edit the constitution. In the constitution of the United States, their are many flaws or areas that could be looked into. Yes our government has been running fine for many year but in my eyes their is always room for emprovement. Our needs have changed in many ways including economically and socially sense this document has been made. It is time for it to be looked over and not to be changed but its time to find some areas that are due for improvement. For 3 different amendments I would have a more efficient health care, special needs for poor and sick, and increase the education of the students in need.

LindaD- 5

10/23/2013 09:49:43 am

The Constitution has been on going and properly fitting our way of life. But each generation, things change or need updated information. Anything can be improved and I do think the constitution can be improved too. Everything in there works out but theres always room for better or even more limited ideas. The actions in Iceland are understandable and are good actions because social media is usually were people put a lot of information and ideas. Since Iceland has less of a population, I feel like they have more time to look at people's thoughts on social media. I don't think that the constitution should be re-written because it has been working this long, I just think it could be edited or looked at from time to time. The amendments we have already are all things I would keep. All are essential. But time to time maybe if an idea fits in the time frame, it should be put in an amendments.

Kaela K- 2

10/23/2013 11:44:26 am

I agree with the statement that the Constitution is one of the finest documents because it has brought our country this far already. I do not think it is necessary to start over from scratch, but I do believe we need to revise it in order to solve our economic problems like our huge debt. I think there is always something that can be improved and I believe a document created so many years ago should be revised in order to fit modern society. Technology has become so advanced and people have adjusted to the laws and found loop holes. I think the justice system needs to be stronger, we need to find more ways to help the economy, and some method to help reduce the poverty in America. I don't know if social media is exactly the way to go about all of this, but I do agree getting the opinions of the people is a smart decision because this document is for them.

Nicholas W - 1

10/23/2013 01:34:22 pm

No, the constitution shouldn't be updated or revised. There is a reason we have amendments. Any changes that need to be made to the constitution will be made. That is just the fact of the matter, all a new constitution would accomplish is a new piece of paper rather than a 200+ year old one. The only legitimate cause for a revisal/rewriting of the constitution, would be to change current copyright and internet privacy laws. Works are protected for over 10 years after the copyright holders death. This stifles any attempt to make new versions. And copyrights can be passed to corporate entities, making any chum with a business have immortal copyright (this is the problem with the Disney corporation). As far as internet privacy goes, people shouldn't have their basic right to privacy infringed upon by corporations, ISPs, or government/private agencies. That would be the same as me going into your house and wiretapping your phone. These agencies, and corporations selling our information to private persons and the government are way out of line. That is the only reason for a complete reworking of the constitution, but these things can be done, you guessed it, through amendments.

Christian B - 2

10/23/2013 07:33:23 pm

The Constitution should be left alone for the most part because I do not see too many major problems with it right now, and just because Iceland is starting fresh does not mean we have to also. If in the near future some drastic changes happen, then it may be extremely necessary to add more to the Constitution. The way Iceland is tackling the creation of their Constitution is very interesting. I never would have thought that social media could be a method, but it seems that it can produce great ideas. I personally would say that the U.S. should not used this method because our Constitution is still remarkably useful even after being created 200+ years ago.

Xaina Mclearen

10/24/2013 02:14:01 am

I believe that if we altered or changed the constitution that perhaps things would/could be more clear for laws, rights, etc. I think changing the constitution would decrease error in our governmnet while it may/could make people more patriotic. My three amendments would be:
-Men and WOMEN are all equal despite race, religion, or sexual prefrence.
-Gay marriage is legal in all states. Allowing true pursuit of happiness for everyone.
-Legalize marijuana to tax it, increase income to the government, and limit the controversy over it.

These may not be ideal Amendments but in some form I would incorpporate all of these things.

Kennedy D 2nd hour

10/24/2013 05:12:20 am

I believe that our constitution could always be revised. Our fonding fathers looked over and made changes how many times? so with that being said, i guess its time for an update. Americans these days need the latest issue of EVERYTHING from clothes to phones, so why is our constitution the same old thing? hello, this is the 21st century, it can at least be looked upon.

Tyler Z-5th

10/24/2013 07:22:06 am

The Constitution has survived as long as it has for a reason, because it works. I am not against the idea of revision of what has been the law of the land for so long but I do not think we should scrap it entirely. Iceland is making a huge move for their country, and to do it all over the internet is a truly innovative way to let everyone have a say in what they want. I think that if we were to revise our Constitution, we could try something similar to Iceland, where we would use the internet to allow citizens to say whether or not they like a revision, don't like it, or have a new suggestion. The United States have changed a lot in the last 200 years and some of the Constitution can be seen as outdated. That is why the government should allow some type of input through a large source, like facebook, so that the nation can decide what they want as a whole.

Leah N2

10/24/2013 07:22:45 am

I believe that a change in our constitution because things have really changed sense it was written. Today the people are not as easy going and a lawsuit Happens on the daily, people today just are not as kind as back then and just want to fight everything. I believe that if Iceland is making the change that we should keep up to date too. The way Iceland is changing there constitution is so different then the u.s is used to, maybe that's why we find it so strange. The social media is doing a great job in my opinion. Asking for the people's opinion is all everyone wants these days. One thing that I could already name that we need to change is forcing the people to pay for things that not everyone can afford, it makes the rich people richer and the poor people poorer.

Saranda B-1

10/24/2013 07:28:46 am

I believe that the constitution should be revised. There is always room for change including the constitution. Everything is newer now and our constitution be too. Iceland is doing a good thing because its letting everyone decide.

Sean Cowlbelk 2nd hour

10/24/2013 08:16:12 am

I do not think that the constitution is fine just the way it is with the ability to add amendments it has no reason to be rewritten. The entire purpose of the amendments is to change the constitution when necessary. The need to rewrite the constitution is null because of this. The idea of revising it is a mediocre at best idea because it would be a long drawn out process with all of today’s political parties and their corruptions. The amendments are where all of the changes should take place they are a useful tool for the good of the people because the judicial court looks there to see if the laws and bills are well constitutional and that’s where the amendments go. I don’t see how rewriting the constitution would possibly end well with all of the fighting we did over how the budget will be balanced the constitution is just not something we are ready for at this time. In conclusion I think we should just use the amendments for any/all changes.

Kat O-1

10/24/2013 08:22:54 am

Things have changed over the course of 226 years and are bound to change even more as years progress, so yes, I believe the Constitution could be revised and also have a few things added to it. There is no need for it to be completely rewritten though. I agree with the 27 amendments and I think those should all be left alone. I also believe Iceland's idea of putting everything on social media sites is a good idea since it worked for them and Iceland is a smaller country so it gives everyone a chance to state their opinions and ideas.

Jake K -2

10/24/2013 08:56:35 am

I believe the constitution should be revised or completely rewritten. It may have been well built for the structure of the country 200+ years ago, but times have completely changed. It would be more beneficial to the citizens of the United States to add and delete some of the contents of the constitution. We should do something similar to what Iceland is doing with the social medias. Others my believe that our constitution is alright, but we need to look at the big picture and think about the future of the United States.

Jacob domagalski

10/24/2013 08:59:04 am

The constitution is truely an aspect of American history to behold. Although there is alway room for revisions. The constitution in my mind could do something about the government interfering in business affairs. In this world we are taught that it is either sink or swim in the business world. Although the government has constantly bailed out big businesses once for trillions of dollars. Who had to pay for this the people with taxes and it just put our country even more in debt. So I believe that if some one would revise the constitution today it would set restrictions on the government bailing businesses out

cody V -1st

10/24/2013 09:16:36 am

i think that the constitution should be revised or rewritten. it may have been perfect back when it was 1st written but with 200+ years ahead now we have stuff and problems people couldnt even imagine back then. some of the stuff in there is really not needed anymore and theres some stuff that should be in it. if are funding fathers where to see how there perfect government became as corrupt as it is today they them selfs would have made it longer. what im saying is whats in there doesn't mean anything now a day now it is just a way for people to "interpret" what it means when in reality they are "interpreting" what they want it to say. the system is broken and we need a new document to fix it and to form a new government.

Tommy S 1hr

10/24/2013 09:25:21 am

In my purely American opinion the constitution is perfect. If it were flawed how could it have survived the 200 plus years of growth and change that the United States has gone through. Written by a couple of guys in dark room it is surprisingly effective at governing the nation, even today. So why fix what's not broken?
From the point of view of an outsider though, the constitution is a little out of date. Our country is no longer the little collection of colonies that it used to be, it is a major world power with an ever growing and changing population. It makes logical sense that the document governing these people would need to be updated to cater to their new needs.
I don't think the United States could ever do what Iceland did. A complete overall of the constitution would be extremely difficult to do in the complex American society. I do believe we can update and amend the constitution to refit the needs of the people but a total overhaul I don't see happening.

Brandon T-5

10/24/2013 09:26:26 am

I believe that the constitution should be revised if the people want it. Why not always have this option on the internet as an option? When one issue is clearly effecting Americans congress can then decide whether or not it would be a good idea. Now there could be problems with this, imagine the large population of people who may have no idea what is actually going on. Would they ever have an effect on our constitution even if their opinions weee terrible? I like the idea of it being on social media, maybe we should consider it.

MarcelloC-2

10/24/2013 09:49:11 am

I do believe that the constitution needs to be changed in some sort of way. Although most rules that were originally created would still apply, it was not created in the day of age that we currently live in. With technology advancements and different circumstances that we face today it is important to have new rules that could help make situations better instead of sticking to the old ways that may not apply. As i noticed that the Article had stated that Iceland was getting help by "Facebook, Twitter and Youtube" just shows that we are so much more advanced, which means change might just be needed.

JoelD-1

10/24/2013 10:09:25 am

The American Constitution is a great document of liberty, perhaps the best the world has ever seen. I do not think that America should get rid of our 222 year old constitution, but rather to revise it if needed as time goes on. The Constitution today follows most if not all basic principles of liberty. Sure it had to be amended, such as the abolishing of slavery, but in 2013, the Constitution still upholds our basic American principles and in my opinion is still worthy of being the supreme law of the land. As for Iceland, if they feel that they need to create a new constitution, then they should recreate based on the principles that they want as country. I do feel that allowing the people to participate and suggest ideas online is a great idea though, as it offers a wide range of needs that the people need. This is in a way a new form of democracy, except the people have their say electronically.

Lea Z -1

10/24/2013 10:14:37 am

I believe that they constitution should be revised but with certain rules. I think that we should mix the old articles with new ones. We would use the articles of the Constitution that are still within good standing with the modern society. Then we would make new ones that would help better the government for the modern era and the future. We could do the same this as Iceland with the social media, it would help engage others that are not as interesting in politics. This would make it so that more people would want to follow the rules because they were a part in creating them. The old Constitution is just not in good standing with the modern era. It doesn't cover everything that now exists with in this day and age. The old Constitution will work for now but eventually the U.S. will need a new one.

JacobM-2

10/24/2013 10:46:14 am

I feel as though the constitution should not be changed. I feel as though our constitution covers, everything; If not most of all the laws and ways the government is run today. The constitution hasn't been changed in over one-hundred years, and I don't really see any reason to change it now.

MirandaL-1

10/24/2013 10:47:30 am

I believe the consititution should be updated and revised, and amended as times changes, to meet the needs of the American citizens of today. A document should always be a work in progress, and not just status que, so the nation is always improving. I dont believe that Iceland should have thrown out their consitution complety and started over.They could of just made changes to the existing document. No, social media is not a good place to take the lead on advising the most important legal document any nation can have. Anybody can just comment anything and it might not even be relivent to the consitution. Also you dont know who is making the comments, it could be a 14 year old or it could be someone from a different country. On social media you can not really elaberate on your point of view effectivly, or have an educated coversation with a group of people.

Corinn Palmer 5th

10/24/2013 10:57:58 am

I don't think that there must be a revision of the Constitution however I would not be against the idea of revising it either. Some things are outdated and could possibly be improved. Society has changed since it was first written therefore some parts of the Constitution should go along with society and change with it. Iceland is using technology to their benefit and i think it is a great idea. This allows all the people to have a say and do it in an easy way. Maybe this is something we should consider.

Nick H-2

10/24/2013 11:12:22 am

I think we should revise our constitution but not completely change it like Iceland is going to. Our constitution does a great job considering it has been about 200 years since we wrote it. Sure we have made changes to it but these changes have help us be one united country. If we needed to make changes to the constitution I think that it shouldn't all be social media because some people wouldn't give there opinion if some people they knew saw it and had a different opinion. If you think about it we are connect by one document created 200 years ago and that is an unique thing about this country. I think that we should add an amendment in the constitution on gay rights because it is something right now that is had to take a side on and if it was all ready in there know one would be arguing with it. I could see why some people that would keep it because it apart of our history put thing are going to keep changing and we are only going to get farther away from some of the amendment. In conclusion the consitution is something that keep us as one nation and sometimes to keep it apart you have to revise some stuff.

Hannah H-2

10/24/2013 11:13:02 am

I believe that the constitution should've revised. With the ever growing technology it is going to continue to change the way society works. There are many things that are outdated could be changed. However there are some things that still work fine in our society and don't need to be changed. I really like how Iceland is using social media to fix their constitution. It is a good way for everyone to be heard and be resourceful. America should take note and maybe use some of their tricks to fix our constitution. So in conclusion America should revise the constitution and use social media because the constitution is outdated and the internet is a good and fast way for everyone to be heard.

cheyennek-2

10/24/2013 11:20:18 am

I do not believe that the Constitution needs to be completely rewritten or changed significantly. It has, as the article states, been the law of the land for hundreds of years, and under it there have, admittedly, been a few problems, but for the most part America has been fine and there haven’t been any really big issues. If problems do arise in the future, the Constitution should be revised but not rewritten. When we’ve had it for so long it might be a bad idea to get rid of it.
And on the topic of Iceland…in my opinion social media is a great way to get a wide variety of people's opinions and thoughts on important topics, and therefore is a great way to revise a legal document.

Duane K-2

10/24/2013 11:45:42 am

I believe that there is always room for improvement. Meaning that yes the constitution should be thuroughly reread and revised to the consent of the people. The constitution should not be rewritten completely because to many things would change and people effected will be upset. I believe that social media would get alot more people to see what is happening and be more likely to get involved and take action in what they believe in.

Avery G - 2nd

10/24/2013 11:53:52 am

I think certain parts of the Constitution could be made better. I dont think it should be completely rewritten because some of these laws, guidelines and rights are still in effect today. Some of the things in the Constitution are outdated and could be checked over and improved. Iceland is smart because a social media is a good way to let everyone know about the changes because the Internet and other technology resources are widely available. Completely changing the document would not be a wise idea because it outlines our natural procedures of the country. They are still in effect from 200 years ago so obviously they're pretty important.

spencer H-2

10/24/2013 12:12:23 pm

I think that we should revise our constitution if anything for there is only room to improve. If we didn't like what we had added to our constitution we could get rid of it or change it further to make it what we want. This is what makes our country great that we are able to change our constitution as much as we want. But we are not able to do this as much as we should be able to because not everyone is on board but this is a never fixable problem because if we made something in the constitution to get ride of grid lock would never be able to get into the constitution because it would favor one party or idea. Although if this got into the constitution it would never get out of it because the people in control would never be for it being taken out.

Katherine D~1st

10/24/2013 12:17:18 pm

I personally believe in constant moving forward which is something our government is slightly lacking. Times have changed drastically since then, population has boomed, land has increased, and problems that couldn't have crossed our founding fathers wildest dreams are everyday annoyances to us. I don't think there needs to be a total overhaul of our constitution, although afew touch ups are ideally necessary. I believe that we also need to follow through with our constitution as a whole. There is not equality for all yet as a country we preach of our opportunities. We need to fix these problems first then go on to a revision. If given the opportunity to choose three new amendments I would definitely include some more equality clauses aswell as make it easier for the people to get in touch and make their individual voice heard in government as a whole.

Noah R - 2

10/24/2013 01:33:31 pm

I do believe the constitution should be revised, even if it is minimal. That being said, I trust that Iceland is doing the correct thing in letting their people change a system that has been around for centuries. Some changes could be made in our own constitution because obviously some things work well and others not so much. Perhaps a solution would be to follow Iceland's approach and see what the people truly desire by compiling responses by means of social medias. Improbable this is because most people remain complacent, even engrained in their ways and do not see evolution as the best route of action. Many people see our constitution now and can think of no way to improve upon it. I understand that no particular way to govern people is perfect because that is not the natural state of being, but surely we can enhance it. Basically, if we are to keep up with the rapid changes in our present paradigm we can't go off of a document that was drafted for a completely different reality and time frame. That's not to say our whole constitution is fruitless, in fact it gives many liberties and freedoms that many other can not say the reap the benefits from. Finally, I do not think that our government as a whole is ready to change what they have going on, they do, in my opinion, have the upper-hand.

Eliza B. 1st

10/24/2013 02:04:09 pm

Even if the constitution is lacking in some areas, i do not think rewriting it would be a good idea. In our country, the constitution is something we take pride in and it represents the struggle we faced to form our country. It is okay to make amendments, but to change it completely is to wipe out one of our nation's greatest and proudest accomplishments. That being said, it is a different country now than it was in 1787, so in all practicality, we need new and improved guidelines. Although much of the constitution still applies, one thing we need to work on is the corruption in the political system. Government officials are sometimes corrupted by power and money hungry. They can buy their way out of anything. A revision to the constitution should fix that. Another thing is equal marriage rights. The government should not be able to tell a human being who they can and cannot marry, I believe it is morally wrong and should be unconstitutional. Some things could be better in the constitution, but you wouldn't buy a whole new house if the door broke, right? The constitution still stands and should remain standing as a beacon of pride for this country and the people in it, even if it needs a bit of work.

Samantha M- 2

10/24/2013 02:33:24 pm

I personally believe that the constitution should be revised. Though it has worked for over 200 years, people and technology are advancing rapidly. I think that the constitution should be made more update, so it applys more to things in this day and age. There is always room for improvement, revising and adding new things rather than rewriting it completely would be a good choice. Many people rely on the social media for information these days, I think Iceland is smart for using twitter, YouTube and Facebook to spread the word. With so many changes in society, revising the constitution to fit today's needs would be the best choice.

Tyler M. -2

10/24/2013 09:21:42 pm

I believe the constitution should only be updated, revised, or amended because it is a fantastic document that has hold up for so many years and with only 27 changes (amendments) added. If it has hold up for so long with only this amount of changes than why completely over write it? If I knew more about Iceland's history and constitution than I might have an opinion but as of right now I don't have any thoughts on what they are doing with there constitution.

JacobB-1

10/24/2013 09:29:13 pm

I believe the constitution should not be rewritten or heavily revised. I believe the system of amendments is working well, where, as the times change, the constitution can change as well. This allows the document to be molded around the current society. One huge issue with the idea of completely changing the constitution is that, quite simply, no one will agree on it. There is just no way to make everyone in government and every citizen happy. With our current constitution, everyone living in America has only known of the current constitution. We all accept it and for the most part, agree with it. If government tried to write a new constitution, no matter, there will be people upset and no one will agree on it. The constitution is too important of a document to revise and change entirely and not be met with unanimous consent from the people. While the author may think the constitution is outdated and has too many amendments, it's the best thing this country could possibly have. You can't make anything better, or anything that's more accepted by the citizens.

I believe Iceland is taking an interesting step with their idea of creating a new constitution. While the ideas people are throwing out may make them happy, they need to make sure what they do is best for the country. I hope that what they're doing with social media is going to work out well, and it might, but I wouldn't want my own country to do it.

MaggieT- 5

10/25/2013 01:32:11 am

Yes, I think that the constitiution could be revised again because times have changed obviously. Like the article said, its been revised 27 times, but not lately. I don't believe that we should completely change it because for 200 plus years it has seemed to be working fairly well. Even with changing it completely not every person will be satisfied with the way it is, just like today. I think that the United States could do something like what Iceland is doing by letting people comment on social networking sites because like the article states, it is working very well. I also believe that Iceland is making a very smart gesture by using social media because it allows all of the population to be involved and express their ideas. Not just the Congress.

Nick F-5

10/25/2013 01:55:04 am

i think that the constitution should not be revised but i do agree that it could be looked over and make a few updates. There are things that are old and could be looked over and revised and others are fine.Its cool how iceland is useing technology and having the people send in their thoughts. I thnk we should try something like this one day for voteing!

Emily s.-5th

10/25/2013 02:04:23 am

I would have to agree with part of the questions. On one hand I think that using other people's ideas and have other people voice their option would be great to make a change. Also I think there are some subject in the constitution should be changed or updated at least,because it was written longer than 100 years ago and they had such a different type of government back then. So I think that if we did tweak it a bit it would be beneficial for our whole system of government. Although I don't think it is right for Ireland just changing it without letting us know first.

Kennedy DeMeere 2nd hour

10/30/2013 08:39:07 am

i believe its time for a change. Our government has either been spirling down hill, or staying the same. mom always said its good to try new things, so might as well take a risk and revise the constitution. Of course that does not mean re-write it, but maybe just edit it, update it, revise it. i believe our constitution is pretty good. but why settle for good when it can be great? i say more things should be done to benefit the people, but do not let the people have a higher say. Our constitution needs to be revised. Why wait? Later could be never.

Jack Hemstrom 2nd hour

10/30/2013 11:31:39 pm

The Constitution shouldnt be changed although the amendments always do that. Our government acts according to the Constitution but they also can change it in order for the good of the people. This document is a great thing that has defined our nation and will always need to be added to so our country can keep running peacefully and well.

10/30/2013 11:34:37 pm

We should not revise and throw out our constitution since it works great for us and we are allowed to change it and add to it anything that our country needs for the better of the poeple. Id add a few amendments like no party systems, more rights for people, and needs things to help our economy.

Mike Van Valkenburg

10/31/2013 08:24:31 am

No I don't believe we should change our constitution unless were switching government philosophies theirs no need too. We can already ratify it, in my opinion ratification is good enough. Changing the constitution will get rid of our founding fathers thoughts something our country cant forget about. in my opinion adding to it is one thing but changing our old articles is defiantly unacceptable.

Is the Constitution up to Snuff?

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