Term Limits

 

I’m A Man

You think that I'm not human
And my heart is made of stone
But I never had no problems
Cause my body's pretty strong
I'm a man, yes, I am, and I can't help but love you so

When did you become a man?

Children and others may be considered to be wards of the state. They are counted in census and in apportioning representatives, but at some point, they may no longer be wards of the state. Thus a representative for them while them are a ward, e.g., a regent, should have a term that expires when they typically become of age. In the Jewish faith between the ages of 12 or 13,  you have a Bar (or Bat) Mitzvah and declare that “Today I am a (wo)man.” Restaurants and others have a children’s menu /price until typically the age of 12. The driving age is 16.The voting age is 18. The draft age is 18. The drinking age for alcohol is 21. The age of consent varies by state but is typically 16 to 18 years. So clearly there is some leeway on how long the term should be, but there seems to agreement that a regency is less than a lifetime and somewhere between 12 and 21 years.

Then why are some officers of the United States considered to be lifetime appointments. Every officer of the United States is merely a representative of the people, the sovereign f the United States. If elected legislative officers are for a definite term, and most executive officers serve at the pleasure of the elected term limited executive, then should not judicial and other officers also be for a defined term, not a lifetime appointment. To avoid political controversies in the nomination and approval process, that term should be long, for example 16 years, but it should NOT be for life. A lifetime appointment makes it possible for  the officer to be confused that they are more than just a representative. The group that is being represented might be immortal, or at least have a lifespan greater than any representative, but that officer is not immortal, or at least might have a life span less than the group. There is no reason that an officer should not be nominated for an additional term, barring constitutional issues, and service in one office should not prohibit anyone from serving in other offices, but every office ( legtisative, eceuruve AND judicial should be for a definite term because if you represent a man, that man is NOT immortal.)