> a time when white men lived, on average, to the ripe old age of 38

That is a meaningless figure. Those that survived to adulthood had similar lifespans to us.

> I'm tired of treating anything the founding fathers came up with as sacred.

This is a common refrain from people who want to change things as they see fit against the wishes of those who disagree with them. If there were broad consensus to change the law as written then presumably the legislature would vote to do so. You are attacking the credibility of the institution rather than admit that something like half of the country doesn't share your views.