A different world without Bill of Rights

I thought it amazing that you recently published the letter about Bill of Rights Day. This nation is currently facing many problems, and I would suggest one simple, sweeping, answer to those problems: repeal the Bill of Rights.

Let me start with one of my favorites: consider the Second Amendment. The NRA often argues that any laws restricting a citizen's right to bear arms are unconstitutional, and they are correct. So we remove that from the Constitution. Guns are made illegal. The federal government then can take control of all factories, shut down all gun shops, firing ranges, and conventions, and conduct house by house searches to seize all firearms. Crime would plummet.

Searching houses would now be legal because there would be no Fourth Amendment. The authorities would be able to search computers, houses, businesses, and cars for any and all contraband and illegal activity.

Furthermore, the government would be able to confiscate property for roads, parks, and construction at will, to better the country.

For over two centuries lawyers have been gorging themselves upon the public; allowing criminals to roam our streets at will, sending prices skyrocketing because of frivolous lawsuits, and burdening our judicial system with needless delay.

With no Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Amendments the entire justice system could be streamlined. Citizens could be found guilty until proven innocent, or if caught red-handed like our governor has been, executed on the spot.

We would no longer need to worry about any punishment being cruel and unusual, for the Eighth Amendment would be no more. All the criminals currently in jail could also be immediately terminated, decreasing the world of its surplus population and saving the nation millions in wasted taxes. Furthermore, we would not have to be concerned about the legality of torture. Throughout history torture has been a very effective means of extracting information and confessions; we shouldn't deny ourselves such a useful tool in these troubled times.

This brings us to the most troubling amendment, the First. With the First Amendment gone a great many problems would instantly disappear. There would be no freedom of the press, so the paparazzi would be outlawed. A state run press would keep the citizens in line. Controversial Internet sites, movies, books, and television shows could be censored and banned. People would not be allowed to assemble, so all street gangs would be illegal, as would be noisy demonstrations, useless political parties, and economy-crippling unions.

There would be no freedom of religion, so the feds could seize all churches, temples, and synagogues and put that land to better use.

Best of all, there would be no freedom of speech, so everyone in this nation would be quiet and stop whining for a change.

Timothy Schmidgall

Elgin