They aren't changing the Constitution. They're just hiding it.
Imaging waking up one morning to find part of the Constitution missing. That morning was *this morning.* Seriously, you can see it for yourself.
This may change at any time, but currently, Congress’s official website for the U.S. Constitution (constitution.congress.gov) has some very concerning omissions. While the remainder of the site is intact, 649 very important words (and their corresponding explainer pages) have been eliminated. Those important words are Article 1, Sections 9 and 10 (and a portion of Section 8).
So, what is in these sections? And if they were removed intentionally, what would be the motivation?
These sections protect you by limiting what Congress and the states can legally do. It’s important to note that they are, clearly, still part of the Constitution. But on the official site for its analysis and interpretation? Gone.
These aren’t obscure clauses like “you can’t wear a curly wig unless you’re conducting official business.” They protect your basic rights:
Congress can’t pass laws that punish you without a trial (called bills of attainder)
They can’t make laws that punish you for something you did before it was illegal (called ex post facto laws)
They can’t throw you in prison without giving you the right to challenge it in court (called habeas corpus)
There are some omissions that are especially concerning given the amount of executive overreach that is occurring today:
States can’t print their own money, form their own armies, or sign secret pacts with foreign powers
States can’t declare a monarch (no state shall grant any Title of Nobility)
States can’t keep troops in times of peace without the consent of Congress
Only Congress may authorize militia to enforce laws and suppress insurrections
Only Congress may exercise “exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever” over the Seat of Government of the United States (Washington, D.C.)
There are more provisions, but I believe these are the most relevant given our current situation.
If this was an accident, it was an extremely timely and relevant one. The kind that our current president would likely not want to fix. But thinking back to “Sharpiegate,” the rewriting of so many government websites to eliminate “woke ideology,” the ongoing effort to erase history, and the fact that the DOGE team has the password to go in and mess around with stuff… does an intentional, unauthorized change seem that far-fetched?
Here are several key ways that the current administration could benefit from everyone conveniently “forgetting” that this part of the Constitution exists:
The executive wants to control our National Guard
The executive wants to claim control of D.C. (actively being discussed)
The executive wants to have a regular military presence in our communities (already starting)
The executive wants to continue deporting people without trial/without the ability to appear in court (this has happened to hundreds, if not thousands, of people already)
The executive wants to prosecute people for things that were legal when they did them (i.e. attaining residency and moving to the U.S. “the right way” before having the laws changed in order to meet deportation goals)
Florida could start its own army (just imagine…!)
Thankfully, people are still paying attention, despite developments happening at a breakneck pace (a purposeful tactic called “flooding the zone.”) Even Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks the GOP has “turned its back on ‘America first,’ the workers, and regular Americans,” which has caused me to question my grip on reality. D.T. now has a 38% approval rating. Amid the controversy and unprecedented lawless acts being committed by the executive branch, the tide appears to be changing.
Now is not the time to look away or become discouraged. Now is the time to get louder, and in the words of our Supreme Leader, be ready to “fight like hell.”
Perhaps they wanted to eliminate the 'woke' parts of the U.S. Constitution.