Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. has a novel idea for ending poverty: make it illegal. He explains in this short video of a speech he gave on the House floor:
The Constitution should be amended to guarantee everyone the right to a decent home. That way, everyone will get one. In a speech he gave on the House floor, he asks, “What would that do for home construction in this nation? What would that do for millions of unemployed people?”
The Constitution should also be amended to guarantee the right to decent health care. Jackson implores, “How many doctors would such a right create?”
Education needs an amendment, too. “How many schools would such a right build, from Maine to California?” Jackson goes on to wonder how many jobs would be created by giving every student and iPod and a laptop.
If ending poverty really is as simple as passing a few laws, then Jackson isn’t going nearly far enough. If we want a truly prosperous nation, then the Constitution should guarantee everyone not just a decent home, but a mansion filled with servants to take care of every need.
Everyone should have the right to not just a doctor’s visit every 6 months, but a cadre of specialists with access to the latest technologies and tests. This would be a boon for life expectancy.
And why only an iPod and a laptop for children? They deserve supercomputers! They should have the right to a Ph.D from Harvard in the field of their choice. Such a law would guarantee that America’s population will be the most educated in the world. And it won’t even be close.
If legislation really is the only thing keeping every American from enjoying Bill Gates’ lifestyle, then Jackson is being far too moderate. Don’t just legislate a decent lifestyle. That doesn’t go nearly far enough. Congress should pass a law that guarantees an above-average lifestyle for all Americans.
Inertia Wins! 