LETTER: One-term limit for all federal offices

To the editor:

Duane Mattox’s superb letter to the editor regarding term limits deserves our heartfelt applause (“President should get one six-year term,” Aug. 19 Review-Journal). His remarks are essentially on the mark in describing a cure for our political ills that isn’t worse than the condition being treated.

It is obvious that those who attain public office can no longer be considered patriotic Americans interested in serving our country for a brief time, then returning home. The objective now is to get elected, re-elected, re-re-elected, etc., until the incumbent can retire on a fat pension or die in office of old age. Any good done for our country during one’s term(s) in office is a coincidental collateral event dependent on politics.

Mr. Mattox is right in his assumption that the Founding Fathers never forecast that the effects of greed, ignorance and disinterest would replace patriotism and personal sacrifice for the good of our country. Political parties appear to have no role in our Constitution, as they aren’t even mentioned. The power possessed by these evil inventions has sapped the strength of patriotism from those who sought, and won, election to serve our country.

We would alter Mr. Mattox’s recommendations slightly by removing the 17th Amendment and restoring senatorial election by state legislatures, as originally intended, and also by imposing a one-term limit on all federal elected offices. Moreover, we would encourage the states to adopt comparable legislation to align state constitutions with the U.S. Constitution. The more we tinker with our Constitution, the less liberty we have. Amendments to achieve these changes must be limited, specific and by application of two-thirds of state legislatures, not two-thirds of both houses of Congress.

KENNETH F. HINES

MARY LINDSAY

LAS VEGAS