#33
View attachment 436919
June 2018
Antiques Roadshow, taped in Duluth, Minnesota
“It’s an interesting item, though it may not look like it. It’s just an ordinary copy of the US Constitution, right? The Government Printing Office’s pocket US Constitution; you can go online an order one yourself today. But what makes this one special is that we can tell you exactly which date it was printed on, and it was February 9th, 1984. And that’s because…”
Turns to the amendments
“...As you can see we have the 27th Amendment to the Constitution listed here, but not…”
Pointing to the next page
“...The 28th Amendment. There was only one day separating the ratification of the two amendments, with, I believe it was the Nebraska legislature approving the 27th on February 8th and then South Dakota ratifying the 28th on February 9th. When the news came down at the GPO, most of these were immediately pulped and the rest recalled without being delivered. But as legend has it, one truck making a local deliveries in DC and Virginia wasn't caught in time and a few made it out into circulation. Now, there are only something like thirty or forty of these left that have made it through the years. And so this edition has become sort of a favorite novelty item for collectors in some circles.
“Well, why did they do a print run of these at all, you might ask? My understanding is that there was a legal question and the head of the GPO at the time felt they needed to at least start the run in case the effort in South Dakota failed…”
----
January 1984
John Palmer is delivering the news on the Today Show
"The US Constitution could soon see not one, but two new amendments.
"You've probably all heard of the Equal Rights Amendment; it's a major priority of the president and he has been actively lobbying for it for much of the past three years. This, in addition to a vast array of interest group and celebrity support, has led to untold column inches being spent on the amendment by every major news outlet.
"But another constitutional story has been flying under the radar: the possibility of full congressional representation for the District of Columbia.
"It’s not an issue being heavily lobbied for by any of the national party leaders, and yet it is the case that an amendment was sent to the states for consideration in 1978. While it doesn't have the celebrity endorsements of the ERA, one celebrity in particular may have played an outsized role in its imminent adoption."
Cut to footage of Marvin Gaye singing "What's Going On" for the Motown 25th Anniversary Concert. Palmer's voiceover continues.
"Motown superstar Marvin Gaye has emerged as a success story for drug rehabilitation over the past year, becoming something of an evangelist for holistic drug treatment after his own three-month stint in a recovery center starting in June of 1982. It was there that he met former Washington DC mayor, Marion Barry, who was himself suffering public fallout over revelations of drug use and other illicit activities, which caused him to withdraw from the 1982 elections.
"Gaye, a native of DC, struck up a friendship with the former mayor, and the two made plans to spread their message of recovery and empowerment. This has resulted in the advocacy group, 'What's Going On,' named after one of Gaye's biggest hits. Gaye is the face of the organization, while Barry runs things behind the scenes. They have partnered to create drug education and rehabilitation programs in underserved communities and lobbied on behalf of criminal justice and drug policy reform to the federal government. Gaye even testified before congress this past year on the need for compassion in the nation's criminal code. Along the way and likely at the urging of his partner, Gaye has become an outspoken advocate for the DC Voting Rights Amendment.
"An interview given by Gaye in Ebony Magazine caught the eye, or rather the fingers of freshman New York state legislator David Paterson."
Cut to interview footage of Paterson, his support cane clearly visible:
“We all knew the ERA was coming up for a vote, you know, the party leaders were pushing it, there were rallies, there was a letter writing campaign, we were all very aware. And then I read this interview with Marvin Gaye where he mentioned another amendment that hadn't even crossed my radar. So I went to speak with one of the veteran clerks one day, and I learned that the New York legislature was stalled on taking up the vote for DC voting rights; it’d been waiting since 1978. So I thought, why not clear our constitutional docket at one go, and promote democracy for half a million disenfranchised American voters?”
Cut back to Palmer in the studio:
"He wasn’t the last to have the idea, and as the ERA has been making its way through state houses across the nation, we have seen the DC Voting Rights Amendment taken up not long after.
"And so as lawmaking bodies from Juneau to Tallahassee begin their latest sessions, a little-discussed amendment finds itself on the verge of becoming a part of this nation’s highest law. Back to you, Bryant and Jessica."
----
7th and Euclid
“EXTRY! EXTRY! Constitution amended twice in two days! Voting rights for DC! Equal Rights the law of the land!”
Hashim isn’t reacting. Al looks a little disappointed.
“Wow, that’s pretty exciting, huh?”
Hashim doesn’t even look over.
“EXTRY! New oil fields opened for exploration on federal lands! Anderson promises more to come! Read all about it!”
Hashim huffs, but doesn’t look up.
“Hey...Hashim, did you uh, you hear what I was saying? About those new oil fields? That’s...uh, something, huh? And uh...solar power! You see they’re building solar demonstration homes on the National Mall? Huh? Pretty neat. Um...EXTRY! Uh. Solar...
power...
on the Mall…”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“Why?”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“Are you still mad about the vacation?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I don’t know what you’re so mad about. I thought we had a pretty good time.”
Hashim slams his hands on his counter and glares at Al.
“You said your brother lived with Michael Caine!”
“He does! We met him!”
“We met a
guy named Michael Caine but not the real one!”
“He seemed pretty real to me…”
“He owns car washes!”
“Really nice car washes!”
“I don’t even think he spelled it the same as Michael Caine.”
“Those were really impressive car washes, I thought. All those automatic brushes.”
“Why did we have to visit so many of them…”
“He was showing us the sights.”
“I can look at car washes here, I don’t have to go to California.”
“Well now you’re just looking for things to complain about. We got away from the rat race, we saw the ocean, we ate pizza with...like...pine nuts on it, okay that was not the best, but I think we made a pretty good team! Whaddya say? Travel companions forever? Be my Bing?”
“Be- what?”
“Be my Bing! You know, I’m Bob Hope, you’re Bing Crosby.”
“Nonono, if anything I am Bob Hope. Okay?”
“Fine. Whatever you say.”
There is silence for a moment.
“
I’m dreaming...of a whiiii-”
“Oh...god…”