Oct 8, 2025 2 min read

Gary Stout’s column, “What’s Wrong with the Constitution?”, published in Sunday’s edition, was very disappointing. It betrayed a lack of understanding that the United States was constitutionally established as a republic, not a pure democracy.

Does he really support taking away the two Senate seats that less populated states have been constitutionally granted to give them a voice against being cut out of decision-making by more populated states? Does that sound at all wise?

The framers of the Constitution made the amendment process difficult so that a majority couldn’t willy-nilly change the Constitution to suit every whim. Making amendments more easy to ratify would benefit one political party that currently controls larger populated states like New York and California.

Stout has found an advocate for an easy amendment process in Jill Lepore’s study to accomplish something that would be very damaging to our republic. Having “the Constitution we want” wouldn’t be the panacea Stout and Lepore envision.

Incidentally, contrary to what Stout claimed, the Constitution didn’t deny “women and minorities their basic human rights” or “protect slavery.” It was silent on those subjects during a time unfortunately when those circumstances existed worldwide. However, the Constitution provided the framework to right those wrongs.

Rick Kauffman

Canonsburg