- As online discourse surrounding the
Third Amendment has intensified due to military presence in Washington, DC and around the country in response to police brutality protests, Third Amendmentmemes are popping up on social media. - Memes joking about the long-ignored amendment's moment in the spotlight are going viral on
Twitter and being shared in Third AmendmentFacebook groups. - The online discourse has also made its way to
TikTok where creators are celebrating the amendment's time to shine. - Legal experts told Insider's John Haltiwanger that the Third Amendment will probably not actually come into play in the coming weeks, but memes persist.
While the discourse surrounding the Third Amendment once seemed reserved for John Mulaney's SNL jokes (as he so eloquently stated in February, "THE ARMY CAN'T LIVE IN YA HOUSE"), the amendment designed to guarantee that the federal government couldn't force citizens to house US soldiers has become newly relevant, largely due to increased National Guard presence in Washington, DC and across the country.
Amid nationwide protests in response to the killing of George Floyd in police custody, the National Guard, Business Insider's John Haltiwanger reported, was deployed to over half the country.
Last week, 4,500 National Guard troops were deployed to the nation's capital alone, where many were housed in hotels. On Thursday, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she wanted troops removed from the city altogether.
"The very first thing we want is the military — we want troops from out-of-state out of Washington, DC," Bowser said at a press conference.
Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah took to Twitter to call the order and resultant "eviction" of troops "unacceptable" — an opinion that sparked online discussion (and comedy) surrounding the presence and housing of the military.
—Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) June 5, 2020
—Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) June 5, 2020
As the online discussion intensified, Third Amendment memes began popping up on Twitter.
Despite legal experts telling Haltiwanger that the Third Amendment will probably not actually be in play around the protests, a number of viral memes are celebrating the recent uptick in interest around the amendment after centuries of ceding the limelight.
—The Cheese is Old and Moldy (@pal_read) June 5, 2020
—Comrade Lucky (@ComradeLuckyX2) June 5, 2020
—Mark Martinez @ BLM + ACAB (@MarkElDude) June 5, 2020
—Bruce #BLM (@The_Bruce1) June 5, 2020
Other memes address the apparent win for James Madison who authored the long-ignored amendment.
—GLADIO Nation (@SchrafftVortex) June 5, 2020
—Arizona (@arizonagarbage) June 5, 2020
Others, naturally, addressed the apocalyptic nature of the amendment's sudden relevance.
—Dani K (@dani_kerley) June 5, 2020
—. ✊✊✊ . (@darthcab) June 5, 2020
While a variety of creators have received online attention for their memes, the most prominent Third Amendment Twitter presence is undoubtedly Jim Amendments, who has, according to his bio, been "using the First to defend our Third" since starting his Twitter account in 2019.
Long before the online discussion took off, he created and shared memes heralding the wonders of the Third Amendment.
—Jim Amendments III (@jimamendments) May 13, 2020
—Jim Amendments III (@jimamendments) March 27, 2020
—Jim Amendments III (@jimamendments) March 27, 2020
"The Third Amendment is so valuable every day that we live in our homes without the threat of unconstitutional quartering," he told Insider. "The fact that the Third rarely comes under attack is part of the beauty and simplicity of James Madison's words, but we must remain vigilant in our support of this deeply important civilian right."
Naturally, he jumped at the chance to respond to Lee's criticism with a meme.
—Jim Amendments III (@jimamendments) June 5, 2020
As the Third Amendment comedy has multiplied on Twitter, he continues to share relevant memes, often cross-posting his content on Facebook.
—Jim Amendments III (@jimamendments) June 5, 2020
—Jim Amendments III (@jimamendments) June 6, 2020
Ultimately, the content creator is happy not to be having the discussion alone.
"I'm so glad people are speaking up and finding creative ways to share knowledge about the freedoms we have in this country," he said. "It's always great to have more fans of the Third and I hope this elevated awareness helps empower people to live their lives free from fear of soldiers quartering in their homes without consent, alongside the other freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights."
Third Amendment pages on Facebook are also flourishing amid the renewed interest.
The Third Amendment Rights Supporters Facebook group, founded by Kurt Bihler, has found itself flooded with memes — and newfound support for the cause — in the last week.
"There are many groups set up to support specific articles of the US Constitution. We have 1st amendment groups promoting free speech, 2nd amendment rights groups to preserve the right to bear arms, and so on," the group's description reads. "I have felt the 3rd amendment to our Constitution has been left out with virtually no supporters. I for one, think this is unfair, and have started this group to show support for the least used, underdog of amendments."
The Third Amendment, according to the page's meme activity, seems to be an underdog no more.
Rohan Gandhi, one of the page's three admins, says that the group has seen a spike in both member requests and posts in the last week.
"It caught us a little off guard," he told Insider. "In the last week we've grown by about 2,000 members which is a 50 percent increase, so this is definitely a big moment for the group."
The memes, Gandhi explained, are opening the door to more serious conversations about legal precedent and the future.
"There has been a lot of discussion in the comments on the case law and legal precedent around the Third Amendment," he said. "I think the memes help people engage with the legal content in a way they wouldn't otherwise. The memes also help the group remain active and get people to join and think about their 3A rights."
The Third Amendment is also receiving the TikTok treatment.
While Third Amendment memes are flourishing on Twitter and Facebook, TikTokers are also jumping in on the trend. Thanks to recently added videos, the #thirdamendment hashtag on the platform generated 1.1 million views.
Emma Hoss, an actor pursuing a career in Los Angeles, was scrolling through Twitter during her lunch break when she discovered that the third amendment was "FINALLY applicable" and having its moment online.
"I burst out laughing because I've had so many conversations with people in the past about how seemingly random the Third Amendment is and how it was a great example of how things that the founding fathers prioritized were no longer of importance in today's world," she told Insider.
Hoss' coworkers, however, were not equally amused, so she decided to take her passion to TikTok.
@emmmmmah IT’S THE THIRD AMENDMENT’S TIME TO SHINE!! LET’S GOOOOO!! ##thirdamendment ##politicalmeme ##dc ##history ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage
♬ original sound - kasey.smo
In 3 days, the video been viewed nearly 150,000 times, and The Washington Post's resident TikToker Dave Jorgenson shared the clip on Twitter.
More surprising than the video's moment of viral fame, Hoss says, is the number of men "jumping in the comments section" to argue that she doesn't understand the Third Amendment.
"It's ironic because the Third Amendment has never been applied in modern times so none of us truly understand the intricacies of the amendment," she explained.
Memes and satirical content, Hoss says, are critical in the current political moment because they can be disseminated quickly — thanks to online platforms' algorithms — and open up a dialogue.
"Funny content tends to disarm people's natural defenses so they are more willing to learn about a new topic instead of instantly putting up a shield or scrolling away," she said. "I think one of the best things about TikTok is that once you start liking and sharing videos with specific hashtags, the algorithm will then show you more videos with those same hashtags."
This applies beyond the newfound online enthusiasm for the Third Amendment. Hoss says she's been following the Black Lives Matter hashtag in order to further educate herself about the movement — and, as a result, her For You Page on the app features Black creators sharing their experiences.
Pitzer College student James Karsten was also perusing Twitter when he discovered the "surprising" trending conversation about the Third Amendment.
"I had always thought the Third Amendment was pretty insignificant, especially in the 21st century," he told Insider.
After spending the last month on TikTok, however, he recognized the potential for a video.
@jekarsten who would’ve thought ##fyp ##foryou ##thirdamendment ##constitution ##billofrights ##apush ##history ##military ##blm ##america ##washington
♬ YOUCANTGETRIDOFME - dre_is_
The clip has racked up 50,000 views in three days.
Karsten echoed Hoss' sentiments about the power of TikTok and satirical content.
"It can help to make serious topics more accessible by combining informational content with humor, which can educate people and start important conversations that might otherwise not happen," he said.
Karsten and Hoss aren't the only ones embracing the Third Amendment's newfound relevance online. Other TikTokers are taking the opportunity to discuss the Third Amendment's importance and viral fame.
@katebonavich there is no war in Ba Sing Se ##thirdamendment ##avatar ##aang ##katara ##upcycling
♬ original sound - txx_mxx
@thicccy_vicky I been WAITING for this one. TURN IT UP!! ##blacklivesmatter ##blm ##protest ##thirdamendment ##history ##trump ##anonymous ##2020
♬ original sound - wooffisisdoofis
@kicitok ##greenscreen ##thirdamendment ##billofrights ##dc ##quartering
♬ original sound - ashnicole115
Most viewers seem to be both amused and horrified by the relevance of the amendment. For many, it seems to represent yet another unexpected turn in a chaotic year.
As one commenter wrote, "Me, 10 years ago: why do we even have the 3rd amendment? When will it be useful? Level 6 of 2020."
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