Abusing the Constitution...

"Back in the year 2005, when it had only 27 amendments, the U.S. Constitution was an austere and revered instrument.

"Now it's 2022, and with ratification of the 78th Amendment, the Constitution is something else.

"Apparently state and federal laws are never enough, not when the cameras are rolling. America just had to amend the Constitution over and over.

"Consider the issue that got the trend on a roll. By 2005 most states across the country had banned gay marriage. An act of Congress had insulated each from what any other state did. But that didn't prevent Republicans from pushing for a constitutional amendment to ban -– no, to double-ban -– gay marriage.

"Though largely pointless and redundant, the Federal Marriage Amendment became an indomitable force. After all, anyone who supported it was 'protecting the sanctity of marriage' and anyone who opposed it was 'denigrating the institution of marriage' or 'advocating bestiality' outright.

"In the years to come the same rhetorical dynamic would be applied to a host of other spurious amendments. Their approval would make the U.S. Constitution less of an austere statement of basic principals and more of a reactionary national blog."

More here... John Young at Waco Tribune-Herald