Constitution’s Twenty-Fourth Amendment: Ending Poll Taxes

After the Civil War, the vote was extended to members of all races by virtue of the 15th Amendment. In the former Confederate states, various laws were passed to inhibit the voting of former slaves.  Among those laws were “poll taxes” requiring a payment to the government prior to voting. Constitution Provided for States to Determine […]

Constitution’s Twenty-Third Amendment: DC Residents Cast Votes for President

The Constitution provided for a seat of government for the United States, as the new government could not depend upon states for its own security.  It did not provide voting rights for those living there. The Constitution’s Article I, Section 8, clause 17 empowered Congress to establish a seat of government, and also to exercise exclusive […]

Constitution’s 26th Amendment: Lowering the Voting Age to 18

“For years our citizens between the ages of 18 and 21 have, in time of peril, been summoned to fight for America. They should participate in the political process that produces this fateful summons. I urge Congress to propose to the States a constitutional amendment permitting citizens to vote when they reach the age of […]

Fifteenth Amendment: Power to Congress over Voting Discrimination

The Civil War had been won by the North, but there was still much to do, as both legal and extra-legal means were used to prevent freed slaves from voting. Between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and 1870, the US Constitution was amended three times. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments are collectively known as […]

Byron Donalds,The Talk: Part II, The Same Mistakes by the GOP

The second of a three part look at the 2012 elections and beyond. Read Part I Here! The GOP is a party in shambles. There is no solid leadership or sense of direction. There is internal fighting and jockeying for position. The same forces that have resulted in electoral defeat in 2006, 2008, and 2012, are […]

Byron Donalds, THE TALK Part I: What Happened in the 2012 Elections?

The first of a three part look at the 2012 elections:  What happened? What’s next for the GOP? Who is the next leader? Part I: What Happened? It’s been three months, so enough time has passed since the November elections. It takes time to get over heartbreak, but time in politics goes fast and the […]

The 2012 Elections: What happened? Why? What now?

The November elections must serve as a wake-up call for those who love limited government, individual liberties, and the principles of free enterprise – as embodied in America’s founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Understanding the Republican 2012 Election Loss Romney and the GOP did not lose on principles, nor because of […]

A Mom’s Note, A Son’s Vote and the Nineteenth Amendment

Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution guaranteed the right to vote for women across the United States.  Constitutional studies usually focus on the Supreme Court and its opinions.  This approach often loses the personal stories of the real people behind the Constitution’s every word.  The tale of Febb Ensminger Burn and her […]