Time for Loud Support of the 14th Amendment

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The Bill of Rights is celebrating its 225 birthday at the end of 2025, but the list of rights would not guarantee much without the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

Take a look at the 14th Amendment, the longest of them all, at the official Constitution site which offers an explanation of each article.

It is at the core of our freedoms, and echoes the Declaration of Independence guarantee of life and liberty, while adding due process of law.

It is also in some ways an addendum to the 1st Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government to redress grievances.

I don’t hear too many who were so vociferous about protecting their 2nd Amendment Rights issuing a single peep for our rights under the 14th Amendment.

Here are the core promises of the 14th:

Citizenship: It grants citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States," which notably included formerly enslaved people.

Equal Protection: It prohibits states from denying any person "equal protection of the laws," meaning states must treat all individuals equally under the law.

Due Process: It prevents states from depriving any person of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law," ensuring fair legal procedures.

Apportionment: It addresses how states' representation in Congress is determined, and it contains provisions regarding the right to vote.

The current administration, top to bottom, would do well to look to the Constitution before accelerating new edicts like a drunk ice skater flying down a steep slope. The results will not be good.

America has proven resilient, outliving every other attempt at democracy, and it will likely survive the most recent assault on the Constitution if citizens exercise their right to vote and protest.

In South Carolina and across the country, representatives are getting an earful from constituents not pleased with the “we have to act in haste” actions going on in Congress. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has refused to hold town hall meetings because “I don’t need a town hall to know what to do.”

It’s up to citizens to make clear they expect to have some personal access to their representatives in Washington. Lack of such leaves only protests as a vehicle for citizens to be heard.

Protests were key to civil rights for all Americans and for ending the Vietnam War. They can still make a difference, but only if the 14th Amendment survives.