Let's elect presidents for six-year terms

Dear Editor,

When America’s Constitution was written, Presidents swore their Oath of Office of March 4th after an election year.

That ended when President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressured Congress to pass a Constitutional Amendment moving it up to January 20th. Hence, FDR’s first inauguration was March 4, 1933; but his second inauguration was on January 20, 1937. It still remains January 20th.

The supposed rationale was to enable a President-elect to get a jump-start on the nation’s business.

If that were true, our even faster-paced world would almost crave an inauguration to be even more timely. Perhaps, Presidential terms ought to start on January 1 after an election year and be a single term of six years.

That would cut down on the endless campaigning, and fundraising, and incentivize a President to work hard during that proscribed time, with no uncertainty. In short, I believe that we cannot (and should not) live in antiquated voting conditions that were made even more confusing in the 1930s.

The time is NOW for change.

Sincerely,

James A. Marples,

Longview, Texas