Hoàng-Ân
THE CONSTITUTION OF
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(To greet the verified news concerning the return of the United States to Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam:
google search: US Military Returns to Cam Ranh Bay, VietNam.)
Article V in the US Constitution provides the methods to prepare and approve changes to the Constitution. There are two ways to prepare the amendments and there are two ways in which they can be approved. Constitutional changes can be suggested by the Federal Legislature, or if two-thirds of the legislatures of the States request it, the amendments can be prepared in a National Constitutional Convention. Twenty-six Amendments have been prepared by the first method. After an amendment has been passed by two-thirds of the members of each House of the National Legislature. It must be ratified by three-fourths of each State's legislature or State Constitutional Conventions. In the twenty six Amendments, only the Twenty-first Amendment was ratified by State Conventions.
The first ten Amendments are called the Bill of Rights. This Bill protects the rights of the people of the United States of America.
(1) The First Amendment protects religious freedom, the freedom of speech, the freedom
of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition for a redress of
grievances.
(2) The Second Amendment protects the right of the people to bear arms.
(3) The Third Amendment protects the people from housing soldiers against their will in time
of peace.
(4) The Fourth Amendment protects the people from unreasonable search of their private homes.
(5) The Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments give the people the rights to a fair trial whenever
they are accused of committing a crime. No one can force a person into admitting that s/he
has committed a crime.
(6) The Ninth Amendment states that there are other rights belonged to the people. These
rights are to be respected even if they are not mentioned in the Consttution.
(7) The Tenth Amendment states that the authority not delegated by the Constitution to the
Federal Government or not clearly taken from the States belongs to the States or to
"The People".
(8) The Eleventh Amendment says that no State can be sued in the Federal courts by citizens
of other States or by aliens.
(9) The Eighteenth Amendment gives the Federal Governmnet the authority to control the making
and selling of alcoholic drinks.
(10) The Twenty-first Amendment placed the control of alcoholic drinks in the States.
(11) The Twelve Amendment says that the electors must vote for President and for Vice President.
(12) The Seventeenth Amendment says that Senators shall be elected directly by the people.
(13) The Twentieth Amendment determines that members of Congress take office in January
following their election in November.
(14) The Twenty-fifth Amendment (1967) clarifies how the disability of the President shall be
determined so that the Vice President would take over the President office. It also provides
for the filling of the office of Vice President when that office become vacant.
(15) The Thirteen Amendment abolishes slavery.
(16) The Sixteenth Amendment enables Congress to collect income tax without dividing the taxes
among the States according to population.
(17) The Fourteenth Amendment makes former slaves citizens of the United States and of the
States in which they live. The Federal Goverment has the authority to order the States to
give equal protection of the laws to all persons.
(18) The Fifteenth Amendment declares that no State shall take away the right to vote from
people because of their races or colors.
(19) The Nineteenth Amendment declares that a person's right to vote cannot be taken away
because of sex (female or male.)
(20) The Twenty-fourth Amendment gives voting right to peple who have not paid a tax.
(21) The Twenty-Sixth Amendment gives voting right to people who are 18 and older.
(22) The Twenty-third Amendment gives voting right to citizens residents of the Distric of Columbia.
