Unintended Consequences

Why We're Where We Are Today...


Here’s a little history lesson for those of you that are inclined to listen to me this morning. It involves a fundamental issue clearly addressed in the original design of the US Constitution, and concludes by pointing out how we’ve screwed things up since that important document was finally ratified by Rhode Island back in 1790.

It seems to me that very few people know or remember that, prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment in 1913, the US Senators were appointed by the State Legislatures (or the Governors) to represent the States interests at a national level.

As a sideline note, that same Congress also passed this little ditty that same year—1913:

Amendment XVI

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

I’d like to personally grab those stupid assed politicians by the throat, yank them into life again today, and make them live with the hideous monster they created in the form of the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service. Talk about poetic justice...


Taking a big breath…and getting back to my original point, here’s what Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution originally said about the US Senate:

Section 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.

Immediately after they shall be assembled in consequence of the first election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. The seats of the Senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second year, of the second class at the expiration of the fourth year, and the third class at the expiration of the sixth year, so that one third may be chosen every second year; and if vacancies happen by resignation, or otherwise, during the recess of the legislature of any state, the executive thereof may make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legislature, which shall then fill such vacancies

No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state for which he shall be chosen.

This text was modified by the 17th Amendment’s to read:

Amendment XVII

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.”

In summary, the original intent of the writers of the US constitution was to allow the PEOPLE to elect the members of the House of Representatives to protect the interests of the individuals, and allow the STATES to choose the Senators to address the interests of the State Governments.

I guaran-damn-tee you that people like sHrillary Clinton, John sKerry, Teddy (hicup) Kennedy, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi (not to mention Bill Frist, Chuck Hagel, Trent Lott, and John McCain) would not be US Senators today if weren’t for the ratification of the 17th Amendment.

I say that this is true because these non-ideological, shape shifting, chameleon-like political morons experts constantly allow the Imperial Federal Government of the United By-God States of America run roughshod over the rights of the individual sovereign states on an almost daily basis.

And finally…

I guaran-damn-tee you that we wouldn’t be sitting here right now watching the Senate take a two week “Easter Recess” while illegal “undocumented” Mexicans pour over our southern border in anticipation of any tightening border restriction that might be eventually passed by Congress; and not to mention the potential wholesale amnesty of anyone caught standing inside our country when they finally pass said new legislation.

How any sane person can possibly support allowing this so called “immigration” situation to continue is beyond me, but I also recognise that we as an American people have been and continue to be our own worst enemies by passing things like the 17th amendment, electing the current breed of elitist rocket scientists to seats in the US Senate, and allowing the ongoing politically correct public dialogue to facilitate the stalling of immigration reform in the name of not appearing to be insensitive or racist.

I read somewhere that 1 in 10 native Mexicans alive today already reside here inside the United States. I’ve also read that bleading heart liberals justify the situation in the name of some kind of twisted humanitarian cause.

Let’s face it, ladies and gentlemen, this whole issue revolves around the simple facts that the Democratic AND Republican politicians want the future Mexican votes while the poor beleaguered Mexicans simply want the jobs and the money.

In closing, let me remind you that people in Hell want ice water too, but Hell is where we’re ALL going to be living in twenty years, in my considered Redneck opinion, as the direct result of the inaction of our glorious US Senate today.

Why can't we all just get along together, but in our own respective individual countries?