Posted on 09/03/2018 7:52:45 AM PDT by Optimist
I do understand the point of a Convention of States. There are certainly things that have gone wrong constitutionally in this country.
It appears, however, that the issue is not the constitution, but rather ADHERENCE to the constitution. Although there are items that MIGHT be able to correct that problem (term limits? return to the original election of senators by state legislatures? just for example) the real issue is that the constitution is NOT followed by either those elected to serve and protect it nor those appointed to justify the laws based upon it.
I assume if we are taking this as a long term process, it may make sense, but just the passage of any amendments would likely take a very long time and the resulting course correction even longer.
If a goal is returning power back to the states, can we even trust the state legislative swamp to be better than the federal legislative swamp? I personally do not believe any State Legislature would turn out its own party's Senator (still a good ol' boy system). The swamp may change color but it's still a swamp.
Article V ping. Vanity thread asking for opinions.
Congresscritters follow the letter of the law (Constitution) but not the spirit. Okay, I get that.
So, the point of the COS is to address the letter of the law - codify the spirit of it, so it *is* followed. And then some.
Besides, "following" the Constitution should mean following ALL of it. That should and must include the clauses of the 5th article. Okay, so Congress won't pass amendments to fix congress? Well, then the States must do so. And, voila - there is provisions in the original and existing Constitution for the states to do so - via a COS.
First order of COS business is to put the brakes an Congress - term limits - 12 years, any combo of Sinator terms and Congresscritter terms. (Not sure what the proposals do with a 5-term congresscritter vying for a 6-year sinator term, but IMHO that should not be allowed).
I am in favor of a Convention of States.
The group would simply PROPOSE amendments.
Any PROPOSED amendments would still need to be approved
by the legislatures of 38 states.
That means 12 states could stop any amendment from being accepted.
I am not worried that 38 states would approve a bad proposal.
I am concerned that 12 states would block a good proposal.
If a COS ever happens, the 2nd amendment will be abolished. That is why I am against it.
So you’re suggesting that we do nothing about the problem?
There is no magic bullet, and restoring constitutional government cannot be done overnight. But with a CoS, we can enact some measures to help move us back in the right direction, measures which the Swamp will not even propose, let alone enact.
It’s only part of the process, but it is a potentially useful part.
Y O U
A R E
W R O N G !
1. Balanced Budget amendment, with NARROW allowance for deficits. And a spending limitation as well. A budget of $5-6 trillion that is balanced could be just as harmful as our current budgets. It's a spending problem, not a tax problem.
2. Definition of NATURAL BORN CITIZEN spelled out; progeny of one or two US Citizens, birth anywhere in the world; address ‘anchor baby’ issue.
We definitely need to address "birthright citizenship."
3. Term Limits for House (4 terms), and Senate (2 terms).
Term limits are an idea whose time has come. However, the Swampsters will most likely just play shuffle the offices.
Even under your proposal, we're allowing members 20 years on Capitol Hill.
4. Define Presidential Electoral Votes to be cast by Congressional District, for the popular vote winner in the district, and one for each Senator, cast by the popular vote in the State.
As a Tenth Amendment type, I'm not so sure I want to tell the states how they must choose their electors.
1. Balanced Budget amendment, with NARROW allowance for deficits.
And a spending limitation as well. A budget of $5-6 trillion that is balanced could be just as harmful as our current budgets. It's a spending problem, not a tax problem.
2. Definition of NATURAL BORN CITIZEN spelled out; progeny of one or two US Citizens, birth anywhere in the world; address ‘anchor baby’ issue.
We definitely need to address "birthright citizenship."
3. Term Limits for House (4 terms), and Senate (2 terms).
Term limits are an idea whose time has come. However, the Swampsters will most likely just play shuffle the offices.
Even under your proposal, we're allowing members 20 years on Capitol Hill.
4. Define Presidential Electoral Votes to be cast by Congressional District, for the popular vote winner in the district, and one for each Senator, cast by the popular vote in the State.
As a Tenth Amendment type, I'm not so sure I want to tell the states how they must choose their electors.
The COS may represent the only way to restore the foundations of our Nation.
Here’s what I would do.
1. Create a Non-Profit organization whose mission is to educate State Legislators and their constituents about our Constitution and article V.
Be non-partisan, invite everybody.
2. Use the Non-Profit status to raise money, but this may need about 5 or ten million dollars to launch.
3. Consolidate the Constitutional brain trust to develop educational materials/literature.
4. Hire and train a small army of presenters/educators, Salesmen.
5. Target every State and invite everyone.
Article V is an real concept, a real opportunity for change that appeals to every thinking person. It just needs to be presented by a hand full of passionate, dynamic speakers. It needs to be sold.
There are a number of good proposals on the drawing board but it looks like a balanced budget amendment is the first one to be out the gate.
My two favorite proposals are repeal of the 16th in favor of legislation for a revenue-neutral consumption tax with uniform exemption and repeal of the 17th with an inclusion of a provision for term limits and recall.
But I will gladly wait on the above two in order that a BBA get through first BECAUSE ...
It is important that the COS demonstrate they can do it, that they find the pathway to becoming part of the process as the Constitution had planned and accommodated.
The real test will not be that the COS propose an amendment that has a chance at ratification, the real test will be COS holding itself together as Congress sees the writing on the wall and attempts to take over and modify the proposal to its own ends. This happened during the 17th Amendment process, it started as an Article V states grassroots effort and was taken over by Congress when it became apparent the last state to make the proposal constitutionally considered was about to vote in favor.
When half or more of the country thinks of the Constitution as a worn-out relic written by evil white men and relevant only to the 18th Century and decides to abandon it at every turn, we really have an unfixable problem. These people have rejected the Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land and want it to be “malleable, living, breathing” so they can make up law as they go along.
The underlying problem is the cultural marxists took over education starting in the 60s and have indoctrinated probably 80% of the education establishment who in turn pass their malevolent marxist world-view to our children. Some of those kids grow up to question what they were taught and turn conservative, but probably 70% of the kids continue to believe into adulthood in socialism and communism.
Until we take back education and instill love of country, God, duty, honor, patriotism, and integrity, the problem will continue. That will take two or three generations to happen and it will be an unbelievably difficult uphill battle.
I am not hopeful for a good outcome.
I only recently and sadly realized there are just as many non thinkers on the right as there are on the left. Comments in this thread make that all too clear.
We can all have fun preaching to the choir in some chest pounding assertions of righteousness.
But, can you change the Worldview of a Leftist?
Do you know how to change their minds?
Do you know what they think?
Do we know how to undermine their belief system?
The answer to all the above is yes.
What are we willing to sacrifice to convince a bunch of Snowflakes and their media sycophants that there is A truth.
Are we willing to be attacked and ridiculed at work and on social media?
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”
Voltaire.
21st Century Constitutional Amendment:
If you’ve turned your state into a sh#thole you may not move to any other state except California, New York, or New Jersey without statewide voter approval.
You will find over 300 Article V related squibs at ArticleVBlog.com.
For Article V opponents, I analyzed, over an eight part series, a 45 minute speech by Publius Huldah. I recommend starting there.
Just keyword Publius Huldah.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.