Constitutional Amendments: Article XIII

 

We have been covering the US Constitution line by line.  When Republicans wave their paper props and parrot their vile machinations, we will be prepared to expose the lies.  We have finished the main body of the Constitution.  Now we continue with the Amendments.  You can find the last article on the main body of the Constitution here. It has links to all the others.  The text comes from The US Constitution.  Previous articles in the Amendment series:

Article I

Articles II and III

Article IV

Article V

Article VI

Article VII

Article VIII

Articles IX and X

Articles XI and XII

 

Article XIII

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

The Thirteenth Amendment is simple.  Through this, Lincoln brought slavery to an end.  There is little controversy over this.  Sure, there are a few red state folk that think the Civil War continues to this day and want slavery back, but they constitute a tiny minority of Republicans.  Back in those days Republicans were actually the progressives, and most racists were well entrenched in the Democratic party.  When LBJ passed the Civil Rights Act, Southern Democrats, called Dixiecrats, deserted the party.  The Republican party welcomed them.  Therefore African Americans became Democrats, so the party roles have reversed.  Today’s Republicans no longer want to own slaves.  Under slavery, masters were responsible for feeding and housing those whom they exploited.  Today’s Republicans have learned that economic exploitation without ownership is far more profitable.  As long as they can keep those whom they exploit powerless, they get the benefits of slavery without even the woefully meager responsibilities slavery required.

I shall try to put up a new article in this series almost every day.  It will take some time to cover it all, but when we’re done, we shall be immune to the lies with which Republicans seek to undermine our freedoms.