Posted on 12/14/2019 3:05:15 PM PST by yesthatjallen
Convention of States
Almost everyone knows that our federal government is on a dangerous course. The unsustainable debt combined with crushing regulations on states and businesses is a recipe for disaster.
What is less known is that the Founders gave state legislatures the power to act as a final check on abuses of power by Washington, DC. Article V of the U.S. Constitution authorizes the state legislatures to call a convention for proposing needed amendments to the Constitution. This process does not require the consent of the federal government in Washington, DC.
The Convention of States Project; a national effort to call a convention under Article V of the United States Constitution, restricted to proposing amendments that will impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit its power and jurisdiction, and impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress.
Nope. The states will send delegates with strict commissions and limits to what they can approve.
I suspect the first COS will not find 51% support for any amendments, and thus disprove the “runaway” fears.
Isn’t there a danger of the radical left taking over the Convention as they are prone to take over by force on every issue?
Of course not, what could possibly happen./s
“I originally was in favor of CoS, but since then our County D’s have started having a ‘Constitution Day’ event every summer to ‘educate’ people on the Constitution, and that makes me wonder if they have a preparing to take it over if it’s ever held. Changed my mind.”
You can guarantee a takeover of any COS effort by the left. The event will be the same circus we are viewing now with the impeachment “hearings” and in the end they may not win, the first time, but they will not stop.
If it takes three, ten, or whatever number of COS events to win, you can bet they will persevere till they win the day or they are eliminated as a threat. When you own the media, you own the narrative. Win lose or draw, you win.
“The states will send delegates with strict commissions and limits to what they can approve.”
“I suspect the first COS will not find 51% support for any amendments, and thus disprove the “runaway” fears.”
Your first sentence will be nullified by the rules of the Convention. Rules committee will be committee number one and will nullify any supposed protective legislation passed by a State Legislature hoping to limit what delegates are capable of doing at a COS.
I suspect you are correct with comment number two, but it certainly does not address the media runaway which is sure to be the real problem of allowing the Constitution to be the focus of such an event.
Tell me the Constitution is the problem.
You know it is not the problem.
People in the Congress, and the Courts ignoring the Constitution IS the problem. Knowing what the problem is might help you focus on why a COS is a very bad idea.
You might also know that Article V was placed in the Constitution to fix problems with the Constitution, not problems external thereto.
IMHO COS is on a course to nowhere as long as Mr Trump, or someone like him is serving as President.
Do you trust your State Legislature?
2 + 2 = V
I spoke with a couple of strong advocates of this last summer. They could not satisfactorily answer this question?
You can’t control your state legislators.
You can’t control your Congressmen.
You can’t control your Senators.
You can’t control your governor.
So how are you mysteriously going to control the delegates to this convention? If none of us ordinary people can become presidential delegates to the conventions, or if we can’t shape the primaries so the right people win, how are you going to control who gets to this convention?
My friends argued that it was in the “structure” of how everyone is chosen, etc. But it was in the “structure” of the Articles of Confederation that it required a unanimous vote to change them-—yet the Founders changed them anyway IN SECRET, first thing!
I know people are deeply committed to this idea, but if this were to happen today, I guaran-damn-tee you that among the delegates would be people like John Kasich, Minion Romney, and every single party “fixer” and insider you’ve ever seen.
“Well, we just wouldn’t ratify it.” You might not have a choice. THEY would set the rules, not you.
It would do everyone well to remember Benjamin Franklin’s warning about the Constitutional Convention: “For God’s sake, be careful who are those men!” We lucked out once. It won’t happen a second time.
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.