JESS’S RANT

AT THE CORE OF OUR DISCONTENT

WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE ANGRY; WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE DEPRESSED; WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE DISSATISFIED; WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE DISAPPOINTED; WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE DISGRUNTLED. WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE DISCONTENT.

NUMEROUS POLLS SHOW THAT A MAJORITY OF WE, THE PEOPLE, ARE DESIROUS OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE; POLLS SHOW THAT A MAJORITY OF WE, THE PEOPLE, DO NOT FAVOR PERPETUAL WAR OR ASSASSINATION BY DRONE; POLLS SHOW THAT A MAJORITY OF WE, THE PEOPLE, WANT AFFORDABLE COLLEGE COSTS AND RELIEF FROM STUDENT LOAN DEBT; POLLS SHOW THAT A MAJORITY OF WE, THE PEOPLE, WANT DECENT SCHOOLS FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FAIR SALARIES FOR THE TEACHERS OF OUR CHILDREN; POLLS SHOW THAT A MAJORITY OF WE, THE PEOPLE, WANT OUR DAMAGED AND DECAYING INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRED AND RENEWED; POLLS SHOW THAT A MAJORITY OF WE, THE PEOPLE, WANT SAFE, AFFORDABLE AND CONVENIENT MASS TRANSIT; POLLS SHOW THAT A MAJORITY OF WE, THE PEOPLE, WANT THE ABOLISHMENT OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE – WHOSE ONLY FUNCTION IS TO DENY THE POPULAR WILL OF WE, THE PEOPLE; POLLS SHOW THAT A MAJORITY OF WE, THE PEOPLE, WANT THE PROBLEM OF GERRYMANDERING ADDRESSED AND CORRECTED. WE, THE PEOPLE, WANT CITIZENS UNITED OVERTURNED AND DETERMINED THAT MONEY IS NOT SPEECH.

THESE ARE BUT SOME OF THE CAUSES OF WE, THE PEOPLE’S DISCOMFORT. OUR DISCONTENTMENT COMES FROM OUR GOVERNMENT’S UNWILLINGNESS OR INABILITY TO ADDRESS OUR DESIRES.

AT THE CORE OF OUR DISCONTENTMENT IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE ONE OF THE MOST UNDER-REPRESENTED DEMOCRACIES IN THE WORLD.

WE HAVE ONE REPRESENTATIVE FOR EVERY 700,000 PERSONS.

WHEN YOU DO THE MATH AND DIVIDE OUR POPULATION OF 325,000,000 BY 435 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, IT SHOWS THAT EACH MEMBER OF CONGRESS REPRESENTS 747, 126 PERSONS!

COMPARING THE UNITED STATES WITH OTHER BICAMERAL GOVERNMENTS PRODUCES THE FOLLOWING RESULTS:

COUNTRY…. POPULATION…… POPULATION/SEAT

• SWITZERLAND………… 8,061,516 …. 32,770
• UK…………… 63,742,977…. 44,173
• ITALY………….. 61,680,122…. 64,858
• FRANCE………….. 66,259,012…. 71,631
• SPAIN………….. 47,737,941…. 78,646
• CANADA………….. 34,834,841…. 84,346
• AUSTRALIA…………. 22,507,617….. 99,591
• GERMANY………….. 80,996,685…. 104,109
• JAPAN…………… 126,451,398…. 178,856
• MEXICO…………… 120,286,655…. 191,539
• RUSSIA…………… 142,470,272…. 231,283
• UNITED STATES…………. 318,892,103…. 596.060

THE ABOVE DATA WAS RETRIEVED FROM “https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_legislatures_by.number_of_members&oldid=876745922”

(U.S. population as of 2018 was 326,766,748; if divided by 435 it equals 751,187.9)

ARTICLE 1, SECTION 2 OF THE US CONSTITUTION STATES “THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES SHALL NOT EXCEED ONE FOR EVERY THIRTY THOUSAND.”

WE NOW HAVE ONE REPRESENTATIVE FOR EVERY 700,000.

INCREASING THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES WOULD RESULT IN A CONGRESS THAT MORE RESEMBLES WE, THE PEOPLE AND WOULD BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE’S DESIRES AND WOULD ADDRESS THE CORE ISSUES OF OUR DISCONTENT.

TRIPLING THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES WOULD RESULT IN A TOTAL NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES OF 1305 AND A RATIO OF 1/233,333, WHICH WOULD STILL BE LESS REPRESENTATIVE THAN THE AFOREMENTIONED BICAMERAL DEMOCRACIES.

THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS HAS BEEN FIXED AT 435 SINCE THE PERMANENT APPORTIONMENT ACT OF 1929, RESULTING IN THE CURRENT RATIO OF ONE REPRESENTATIVE PER 700,000 CITIZENS.THIS WAS NOT AN AMENDMENT, THIS WAS JUST AN ACT OF CONGRESS AND CAN BE CHANGED BY CONGRESS.

BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT STATE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND TRAVEL, THE CONSTITUTIONALLY MANDATED RATIO OF 1/30,000 MAY BE UNREALISTIC AND UNNECESSARY, BUT A THREE-FOLD INCREASE WOULD BRING US CLOSER TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE FOUNDERS’ WISHES AND THE CONSTITUTION.

ONE ARGUMENT AGAINST CONGRESSIONAL EXPANSION AND HOPEFULLY IT IS A FACETIOUS ONE, IS THAT THE BUILDING CAN’T ACCOMMODATE MORE REPRESENTATIVES, AS THOUGH THE BUILDING CAN’T BE ENLARGED OR REPLACED, IF NECESSARY. ARE WE TO BELIEVE THAT A TRUER DEMOCRACY IS TO BE HELD HOSTAGE TO THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING?

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THOSE WHO MAKE PEACEFUL EVOLUTION IMPOSSIBLE, MAKE VIOLENT REVOLUTION INEVITABLE.

LET US PRAY THAT EVOLUTION TRIUMPHS.

REFERENCES:

1. U.S. CONSTITUTION
2. WIKIPEDIA – LIST OF LEGISLATURES BY NUMBER OF MEMBERS
3. WORLD ALMANAC AND BOOK OF FACTS – 2018
4. THE BOOK OF RULE – HOW THE WORLD IS GOVERNED.