Timothy Moynihan
In Motion Staff Writer
On Nov. 8 the state of Florida was involved in the time-honored tradition of voting for whom each and every one of us thought would be the best fit to lead our country. Not only did we vote for the presidency, but we also voted for new state amendments.
There are a number of ways to amend the state Constitution. In fact, there are more paths to amending the Florida Constitution than are available in any other state. The five methods are laid out in Article XI.
But when it comes to Florida amendments sometimes the language is not only unclear, but is also crafted in a way to beguile even the brightest voters. As Amendment 1 went to the ballot this voting season, it was worded in a way as to confuse even the most seasoned voters. Since the days of our forefathers, language has evolved in the everyday American’s vernacular, but has stayed stagnant in our constitution, so much so that only a select few of the majority have any inkling of what some of the jargon means.
As language evolves, it needs to be updated to the present day in every form, up to and including both the creation of laws and the amending of the constitution. That way, more than just an educated elite has a grasp on something that will impact their lives.
On the ballot this year, was Amendment 1, a seemingly pro-solar power initiative. Although it received 51 percent of the affirmative vote, that did not meet the 60 percent majority now required, thanks to another amendment that passed numerous years ago.
It was billed by the utility companies as something that would benefit the average solar power user in the state of Florida, which misrepresented the reality, which would have given utility companies carte blanche over controlling usage and profits from solar power users. For that reason alone, Amendment 1 bordered on the perverse in technical terms. We as a people need to get more control over our own constitution and seek ways to ultimately rewrite everything from the constitution to the formation of laws, so every American can understand how this country truly works without needing a law degree.
And to leave readers with a thought — Before the King James version of the Bible was written in English, the common man relied on church officials who had the ability to read it in Latin, Greek, Hebrew and a few other languages. The church, of course, has its own self-serving interpretations of what was written in those pages. It is not far-fetched to say voters today, while they can read and write, are at as great a disadvantage as were the illiterate masses of yesteryear.