The missing "13th Amendment...

Do you know what the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America states? Of course. Everyone knows, or can research it and see that it is the "slavery prohibition" amendment.

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Well, there you have it. No problem. Really? How about the "original" 13th Amendment, which was secretly removed somewhere around 1876, "lost" in the confusion of the Civil War.

It has been argued that the original 13th Amendment was never ratified because 13 states had to ratify it and as the Civil War ensued, only 12 were recorded as having ratified the amendment. However, Virginia completed all the requirements for ratification on February 9, 1812, thereby making Amendment 13 part of the Law of the Land. But the document was lost when the British burned Washington and Richmond during the War of 1812. However, there are many records showing its ratification, and interestingly, it has never been repealed. So what did this controversial amendment contain. Here it is in its entirety:

The Original Thirteenth Article of Amendment

To the Constitution For The United States

"If any citizen of the United States shall accept, claim, receive, or retain any title of nobility or honour (sp), or shall without the consent of Congress, accept and retain an present, pension, office, or emolument of any kind whatever, from an emperor, king, prince, or foreign power, such person shall cease to be a citizen of the United States, and shall be incapable of holding any office of trust or profit under them, or either of them."[Journal of the Senate]

Rudy Giuliani has stated that we are in violation of the 13th Amendment. But, were the original amendment recognized, Giuliani, George H.W. Bush, Norman Schwarzkopf, and even Bill Gates would lose their citizenship because all have been granted honorary knighthood from Britain.

Further, a large part of our government would be in danger of losing their citizenship, as many attorneys use the title Esq. or Esquire -- a European title given by the International Bar Association. Can you imagine what an effect this would have on the country? Hmmm... I wonder. Thoughts?