#18th amendment

December 4, 1933 was the eve of the repeal of the 18th Amendment. Here, Bunny Swanson, embodying the Spirit of Repeal, assists happy art student "mourners" in stowing away an effigy of Prohibition during a ceremony at the Art Students League. This was followed by a processional along Fifth Avenue, where the "remains" were escorted to a ballroom of a hotel, to lie in state during the League's Repeal Ball and Revel the following evening.

I learned quickly that I needed to know everything I could get my hands on and cram into my brain, because drunken bourbon bro types absolutely love trying to "stump" a tour guide. Especially one who they perceive as female. I was constantly reading, watching and listening to things, taking notes and fact checking.

At one point, I went down a two week research rabit hole about why the 18th amendment was proposed, how it got pushed through, how constitutional amendments work and everything that goes into them. I was absolutely fascinated, and the education served me well.

Gotta say, this week I've been really glad I picked up such a thorough understanding of the amendment process and the various guardrails involved. I wish more people had at least a basic understanding of what it takes to amend the constitution. But maybe I can help by passing along what I've learned.

Person A makes a post about how 45 wants to end birthright citizenship (100% valid thing to be scared by). Person B leaves a comment saying that'll take an amendment, which requires a 2/3 majority in both the house and senate (which is factual). Person A replies with "they're going to/want to change it to a simple majority". Yeah, there are some who do want that, and the thought of the republicans having the ability to approve any amendment they want is rightly terrifying.

But guess what? Tiny bit of good news! Changing the legal process for amending the constitution would in itself require an amendment, as the process is clearly defined in detail in article 5. In addition, once a proposed amendment has 2/3 in the house and 2/3 in the senate, it then has to go out to every single state. 38 out of 50 state legislatures have to ratify the amendment in order for it to pass and be certified by the Secretary of state.

Congress can set a time limit on when the states need to vote on it, and of course there are rules about what sort of time limit. Generally, the limit is in *years* rather than months, weeks or days. Just the process of getting it through congress can be a lengthy process, often taking years because of the 2/3 majority guardrail. That's at least a small comfort in this waking nightmare.

Now, I'm no expert in constitutional law, but I am an avid reader of it. My self education on the subject is ongoing. However, as of now, I have found absolutely nothing (even a loophole) that would allow the president to directly amend the constitution. Nothing. There is also nothing that would allow anyone at all to suspend the constitution as seen in The Handmaid's Tale. Not the president, not congress, not the military, not the states, not anyone.

Changing the constitution was made a complicated and laborious task on purpose. A president can rant and rave and demand it be changed all they want - it will do nothing. Even an executive order cannot change the constitution.

tell me which one is your fav :3

then a couple general memes related to this :3

this was not part of the assignment but remember to check your voter registration.

A bit of December 18th history...

1271 - Kublai Khan renames his empire “Yuan” marking the start of the Yuan Dynasty in China

1719 - “Mother Goose’s Melodies For Children” published (pictured)

1892 - Peter Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Nutcracker Suite” premiers in St Petersburg, Russia; now the world’s most performed ballet

1912 - Piltdown Man, later discovered to be a hoax, is found in the Piltdown Gravel Pit by Charles Dawson

1916 - Battle of Verdon, longest of WWI officially ends in German defeat after 9 months of fighting and almost 1 million casualties

1917 - The 18th Amendment to the US Constitution authorizing prohibition of alcohol is approved by US Congress and sent to the states for ratification

1966 - Dr Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” airs for 1st time

2009 - James Cameron’s “Avatar” released, becomes highest-grossing film of all time

The 18th Amendment which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol for beverage purposes was ratified by the states. Movement for prohibition began in the early 19th century when Americans who were concerned about the effects of drinking formed temperance groups. In the late 19th century these temperance groups had become a huge political force. December 1917 Congress passed the amendment which was sent to the states for ratification. 9 months after the amendment was ratified the Volstead Act was passed by Congress. The Volstead Act provided the enforcement of prohibition and created a special unit in the Treasury Department. January 17, 1920 was the day that the Amendment went into effect. Volstead Act failed though to prevent the large scale distribution of alcohol and organized crime in America soon took over. In 1933 the 21st Amendment was passed which repealed the 18th Amendment. 

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