[15487] in APO-L
Re: Promises -Reply
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Richard Byrne)
Tue Nov 12 11:41:47 1996
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 11:41:02 -0500
Reply-To: Richard Byrne <RBYRNE@OTIS.STATE.NJ.US>
From: Richard Byrne <RBYRNE@OTIS.STATE.NJ.US>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
My dear brothers,
>>> Yusef Albader <darkjedi@TIAC.NET> 11/11/96 12:15am Wrote>>>
>Using your logic, the United States Government
>can turn around and tell us the people that hey,
>why should they keep a promise to us, made by a
>bunch of people 220 years ago who are all dead,
>suspend the constitution and proceed to do
>whatever the heck they want. A promise is a
>promise, to be kept for all time, not to be
>broken whenever the certain members in the
>fraternity feel that it suits their purposes
>to break this promise.
I have a copy of the U.S. constitution here and according to it, if two thirds of both
houses of congress propose, and three fourths of the states ratify an amendment to the
constitution making it 'suspend able', then in fact, the government could suspend the
constitution and do whatever the heck it wanted.
In article V, there is a limitation on amending specific clauses, but that expired in
1808, therefore the entire document is currently amendable.
As are our by laws. Not written in stone, but on paper, amendable by the supreme
authority, the National Convention.
I suppose you could amend the by laws making certain provisions not amendable in
perpetuity (or amendable by unanimous vote only, or 2/3 super majority).
But it appears in my opinion that the National Convention can do what it wants. Such is
the nature of a legislative body.
Yours in brotherhood,
Richard Byrne
Alumnus, Delta Rho, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
By the way,
If you are male and referring to yourself only, you are an ALUMNUS.
If you are female and referring to yourself only, you are an ALUMNA.
ALUMNI, is plural!
Ain't Latin great!
