What is an Amrndment?

     This particular email was received, appropriately, on Halloween, 2010. The gist of the message plays at the heart strings of responsible Americans as a call-to-arms to put self-serving politicians in check. Research on the 28th Amendment (proper spelling) reveals a Snopes article that refutes the claim in the email and other web pages that offer different proposed 28th amendments.

THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

TIME HAS COME FOR THE 28th AMRNDMENT [title copied directly from the email]

"The big question for the election next month is whether the voters keep their
eye on the ball and judge candidates by what policies they advocate or whether
they can be thrown off the track by red herrings. We have already seen in 2008
what can happen when voters fail to pay attention to a presidential candidate's
track record, and let themselves be dazzled by rhetoric, symbolism and media
hype." --economist Thomas Sowell


The Time Has Indeed Come!

Governors of 35 states have already filed suit against the Federal Government
for imposing unlawful burdens upon them.  It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to
convene a Constitutional Convention.

This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, please pass it
on.

An idea whose time has come!

For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many
citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay
after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the
laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution
for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The
latest was to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform ... in all of its
forms.Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above
the law.

I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever.
The self-serving must stop.

A Constitutional Convention - this is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose
time has come.  And, with the advent of modern communication, the process can be
moved along with incredible speed. There is talk out there that the "government"
doesn't care what the people think.  That is irrelevant.  It is incumbent on the
population to address elected officials to the wrongs afflicted against the
populace...you and me.  Think about this...
The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3
months & 8 days to be ratified!  Why?  Simple!  The people demanded it. That was
in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.


Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to
become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

I'm asking each addressee to forward this Email to a minimum of twenty people on
their Address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the
message. This is one proposal that  really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States
that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and,
Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives
that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."


You are one of my 20+.

Keep it going.  

SLAYER'S RESPONSE:

If I were sending out a call-to-arms in a serious email, I may use spell check, an editor, a person to look at the title, or even a seeing-eye dog to make sure the title conveys the proper gravity I was looking for. However, what on earth is an Amrndment? Were you not able to afford more vowels for the title person-who-wants-to-make-big-changes?

Aside from the title gaffe, the article seems to be well written and uses facts to warrant the claim. Facts, though, are generally true by nature, which helps to make them, well, facts. Snopes helped me to see that the claim of one-term Congressional retirement with full benefit is not possible and that the Healthcare Reform exemption is also not a true statement. In this game, two strikes, you're out. Unless you count the title, which makes at least another two strikes. My final word is to try spellcheck.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/28thamendment.asp

http://www.egreenway.com/28Amendment.htm