> a time when white men lived, on average, to the ripe old age of 38
That is a meaningless figure. Those that survived to adulthood had similar lifespans to us.
> I'm tired of treating anything the founding fathers came up with as sacred.
This is a common refrain from people who want to change things as they see fit against the wishes of those who disagree with them. If there were broad consensus to change the law as written then presumably the legislature would vote to do so. You are attacking the credibility of the institution rather than admit that something like half of the country doesn't share your views.
> If there were broad consensus to change the law as written then presumably the legislature would vote to do so.
The legislature does not represent popular interests any more and hasn't for years [1]. This is widely studied and accepted. You can see it plainly even in its demographic and socioeconomic composition.
We don't have enough of a shared reality here to come to agreement and should agree to disagree.
That's a cute study you've linked: "opinions of average citizens don't matter, it's the money and power that make the law." This must be the greatest revelation since Ancient Greece.
That is a meaningless figure. Those that survived to adulthood had similar lifespans to us.
> I'm tired of treating anything the founding fathers came up with as sacred.
This is a common refrain from people who want to change things as they see fit against the wishes of those who disagree with them. If there were broad consensus to change the law as written then presumably the legislature would vote to do so. You are attacking the credibility of the institution rather than admit that something like half of the country doesn't share your views.