Constitutional Reform

Your report, “Constitutional reform a Baptist issue, says Samford’s Corts,” April 18, cannot be limited to Baptists. Indeed all Alabama citizens should be informed on the status of our Alabama constitution.

I write to offer a word of caution to look before we leap into a complete overhaul of our constitution.

The statement by Dr. Corts, “The current constitution has 707 amendments, making it the most amended and the longest constitution in the world,” leaves me to believe that Dr. Corts is unaware that our Alabama Legislature passed JR88, authorizing a recompilation.

All obsolete, irrelevant and unconstitutional amendments are being removed.

Plus all local amendments (70 percent of the length of the constitution) are being arranged and listed by the counties where they apply.

This recompilation will comprise some 148 pages — not an unreasonable length.

It is worthy of note that Louisiana revised its constitution in 1974 and has amended this same constitution 150 times, essentially the same rate our constitution has been amended. We cannot expect, nor would we want, a static document.

It is true that our present constitution does invoke almighty God for His favor, and I expect Alabama Baptists to be the very first to find this laudable. Would a convention change this?

I don’t know, and considering some of the moral positions taken today, I would rather not take a chance.

A consideration I find vital is the fact that every word, comma and period of our present constitution has been litigated.

The expense these days of repeating this process makes this taxpayer clutch my purse.

Indeed, let us educate ourselves on the pros and cons of a constitutional convention. Certainly, anything can be improved, but let us look before we leap.

Frances Wideman
Birmingham, Ala.