E ditor Dear Editor, I wonder what would Virginians of 250 years ago think of a constitutional change passed by only 53% of the 1,3-1.4 million voters which is only 25-27% of the eligible of voters — one that effectively sidelines two blocks of voters, Republicans and Independents?

I believe they would most likely say it contradicts the principles they wrote into Virginia’s own Bill of Rights.

In 1776, George Mason, with help, drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the document that later shaped the U.S. Bill of Rights. Its authors believed that constitutions must protect the rights of the entire people, not simply ratify the will of a narrow majority. They warned that when political power can be reshaped by the slimmest margin, the rights of minority groups become vulnerable to the passions of the moment.

A constitutional amendment that passes by three percentage points and immediately disadvantages large blocks of voters runs counter to that founding logic. The framers believed legitimacy requires broad consent — not the bare minimum needed to tip the scales. The Virginia Declaration of Rights was written precisely to prevent abuses of power, even when other governments tolerated them.

So how should Virginians move forward from where we find ourselves: By returning to the spirit of the document that helped define American constitutionalism.

Moving forward means recognizing that constitutional changes should unify the Commonwealth, not divide it. It means acknowledging that a 53–47 vote may be enough to meet the legal threshold, but it does not meet the historical or moral threshold envisioned by the authors of Virginia’s Bill of Rights. Their goal was not victory for one faction but stability, legitimacy, and equal protection for all. That is why it takes a supermajority 2/3 of both house of congress or ¾ of the states, to amend the U.S. Constitution It has only happened 27 times since 1791.

If Virginians want to honor that legacy — especially as the 250th anniversary of the nation approaches — then the path forward is clear: • Seek broader consensus before altering foundational rules. • Ensure that no group of citizens feels written out of the process. • Reaffirm that constitutional power should be exercised with restraint, not opportunism.

The Virginians of 1776 believed that constitutions should protect the people from the excesses of the moment. We would do well to remember that now.

Respectfully, -John Bangs, Heathsville