The Shadow
Dear Editor,
November 2024 There are quite a few people in the Alleghany Highlands and Greenbrier County who have expressed a desire for the 17th Amendment to be repealed so that the state legislatures can again choose its state’s members of the U.S. Senate. While in principle that makes sense, in practicality and within the current setup of governance, it would not be a viable measure.
There is a reason why the 17th Amendment was repealed. Since the onset of the American Civil War, the federal government set out to achieve its governmental sovereignty. A half century later, it consolidated that status by compelling federal voters to choose members of the U.S. Senate. There is no way that amendment will be repealed unless the federal government forsakes its sovereign status.
The fact is this sovereign status of federal government has actually worked for the nation and American people for nearly 160 years. No rational individual would want to alter that status. The federal electorate will always have to be involved in some manner in the choosing of U.S. Senators. That should not be the case but that is the reality. The federal government should always be the sovereign authority amongst the three levels of government.
Very Truly Yours,
Harsha Sankar
Covington, Virginia 24426
