I view the Constitution as a firewall. It was written in such a manner to protect the freedoms of each and every person, regardless of age, from the government, or the government granting someone else the “right” to infringe on one’s rights. This is the real “separation of church and state” in that the state has NO right to infringe.
If I could change one thing about the writing of the Constitution, I would use much simpler language, that even a third grader could read it and interpret it correctly.
A simple understanding of FREEDOM might have prevented the 16th Amendment. That was a serious arrow to the chest.
The Framers thought they had done that. Two factors have made it seem not so. First, a deliberate effort by Progressives to 'evolve' the plain meaning of the Constitution to convince people that it means whatever the progressives want. They have done this by sophistry and deceit, willfully obfuscating what everyone knew up 'til the Progressive Era. They have been at this for a century or more. They've found it easier to achieve their goals this way than trying to actually amend the Constitution. Second, a deliberate effort to degrade education so that the first avenue of attack falls on the fertile ground of ignorance thus making it more effective.
The 16th Amendment was an appeal to human vice, that it would only apply to the rich and be a very small tax. It fed envy and the notion of something for nothing, that the burden of government could be placed on a select few. It was a lie then but enough to get it ratified. It was freedom from the burden of taxes for the many at the expense of freedom for the few. The Devil is a crafty fellow indeed.