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Game Changer? The Convention of States Movement Is Building Momentum
https://thebluestateconservative.com ^ | March 14, 2022 | by John Green

Posted on 03/14/2022 5:51:32 AM PDT by Red Badger

A large and growing number of Americans are coming to recognize that the federal government is out of control. Our national debt currently stands at over $30 trillion. Just 2 lonely Democrats stood between us and another $5 trillion in government spending. If we lined up 100-dollar bills end to end, that debt would reach to the moon and back – over 60 times! The average family of 4 is paying more interest (via their taxes) to service the national debt than they are for their own home mortgage.

Our federal government behemoth now reaches into every aspect of our lives. The EPA is no longer assuring clean air and water. It is seeking to regulate the very gas that we exhale, on the basis of unproven climate change theories. The Department of Health and Human Services has forced nonsensical virus precautions on us, breaking the supply chain and triggering inflation in the process. The Department of Education dictates what local schools are and aren’t to teach. As parents have learned from remote schooling, that guidance has nothing to do with reading, writing, or arithmetic.

As if the spending and overreach weren’t bad enough, now our government is working to crush our constitutionally protected rights. The Department of Homeland Security has even issued a threat advisory designating citizens who speak against the government narrative on COVID protocols or the 2020 election as “threat actors.” That is a clear violation of the 1st Amendment. Freedom of speech is protected specifically to allow citizens to challenge the government on such things. Open debate is essential to the health of a self-governed country. Perhaps that’s why free speech is under attack – to kill the notion of self-governance itself.

If there is one thing, we should have learned in the last 50 years, it’s that these problems will not be fixed by elections alone. That’s because politicians are part of the problem. They profit from the system as it is and have little motivation to change it. Hope is not a strategy. Electing conservative candidates, and then hoping that they will fix our broken system has been a failing strategy. Even the best leaders have merely slowed the loss of our constitutional republic – until the next leftist lies or cheats his way into office (looking at you Joe). We need a solution with more durability than the next election.

Luckily, a better solution is available to us. Our state governments are our last line of defense against an out-of-control federal government. Our state legislators live in our communities. They see us every day. One can even meet with them by merely calling their office and asking for an appointment. Try doing that with San Fran Nan, and see what happens. They know firsthand what our priorities are, and how troubling the expansion of the federal government has become.

Our founders anticipated problems with a central government and provided the states with the means to push back. Article V of the Constitution prescribes how the Constitution may be amended. The first clause allows the US Congress to trigger the amendment process. But the never before used second clause, allows the states to trigger the amendment process by calling a convention of states.

Critics of a convention of states point out that it has never been used. That isn’t because it won’t work. It’s because it has never been necessary before. We have never faced a time when our own government was so uninterested in the wishes of the governed – until now.

When two-thirds of the states (34 in our case) pass resolutions calling for a convention to address specific issues, the process is triggered. Congress is required to set the time and place for a convention. That is the only role that Congress plays in the process. The states remain in control.

Delegates to the convention will propose amendments to the constitution addressing the issues identified in the state resolutions. The states will then vote on each proposed amendment, with each state having one vote.

Those proposed amendments which are approved by the convention are then sent to all 50 states for ratification. Three-quarters of the states must ratify any proposed amendment before it becomes a part of the Constitution.

There are a great many critics of an Article V convention of states. There is also a great deal of misinformation about the process. Common Cause, the George Soros-sponsored organization, is the source of much of this misinformation. In fact, Common Cause has mobilized over 200 other organizations to fight against a convention of states.

Common Cause asserts that a convention of states will turn into a runaway convention destroying social security and all of our protected liberties – including the right free speech and to bear arms. Who knew Soros was such a champion of our liberties? Maybe he’s a member of the NRA too.

Unfortunately, many conservative groups have begun parroting the Common Cause talking points.

The likelihood of a runaway convention is remote, given that the states remain in control. But even if this doomsday scenario were to happen, the critics can never explain how any radical proposals would achieve ratification by three-quarters of the states. It’s a bit reminiscent of the Squad being shocked to learn that Trump wasn’t leaving office after he was impeached. They didn’t understand that there would also be a trial. Similarly, convention of states critics don’t seem to understand that the convention does not amend the Constitution. It merely proposes amendments that the states must approve.

When confronted with these arguments, the critics almost always retreat with the statement that, “At best, we’ll waste a lot of time and money to create an amendment that the government will ignore just like it does the rest of the constitution.” When the critics say that, they are asserting that our constitution is already dead, and we are no long a republic. It’s an admission that they have already surrendered. Well, a great many Americans are not ready to surrender on the United States just yet.

Momentum is building for a constitutional remedy for our current woes. Recent polling by Convention of States Action shows that an Article V convention is supported by:

75% of Republicans

55% of Democrats

64% of independents

Clearly, out of control government is a concern that crosses all political boundaries – making a convention of states a truly bipartisan initiative. Is there any other political initiative of the 21st century that enjoys such broad support?

Eighteen states have already passed resolutions calling for an Article V convention to address:

Fiscal responsibility

Term limits

Federal government overreach

Six more states have passed the resolution in either their upper or lower chambers, but not both – yet. It’s not just Republican-led states that are on board. One of the most recent states to pass the resolution is Wisconsin – a state that is blueish purple at best. In fact, 25% of the states currently working towards a convention are controlled by Democrats.

People often ask me what they can do besides voting. My answer is to think nationally but act locally. They need to support conservative local candidates. They can also contact their state legislators and demand that they join the fight to constrain an out-of-control federal government.

Author Bio: John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He currently writes at the American Free News Network and The Blue State Conservative. He can be followed on Facebook or reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Blue State Conservative. The BSC is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any information presented.

This article was first published by the American Free News Network.


TOPICS: General Discussion
KEYWORDS: articlev; conventionofstates; cos
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To: discostu

What “new” constitution? We’re talking about a proposal of amendment(s). Congress would never ever propose term limits. It’s up to us to do so and a CofS is the way to do it.

And what ever is proposed still has to pass muster with 3/4 of the states.

A convention is a way to get The People openly talking and thinking about it. Maybe it doesn’t work, then again, maybe it does.

Why not try? Sitting on our hands isn’t working.


41 posted on 03/14/2022 7:39:59 AM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: ClearCase_guy

+1 on everything you said.


42 posted on 03/14/2022 7:40:51 AM PDT by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: dynachrome

You think 3/4 of the states would support abolishing the 2nd when 22 states have already passed Constitutional Carry with more seriously working towards it?


43 posted on 03/14/2022 7:42:54 AM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: telescope115
who are we going to trust to be in charge of it?

You and me and all people of goodwill who will abide by our Constitution *as written*. Our current political rot is so corrupt that it can't be salvaged.

44 posted on 03/14/2022 7:51:00 AM PDT by JonPreston (Q: Never have so many, been so wrong, so often)
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To: AFreeBird

I don’t think you can get 3/4 of the states to pass anything. I just meant that the marx-o-crats would love to see the 1st and 2nd amendments gone.


45 posted on 03/14/2022 7:54:23 AM PDT by dynachrome ("I will not be reconstructed, and I do not give a damn.")
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To: SgtHooper

Hard to dispute your comments. We have to get some control back from the powers that provide information to the citizens before anything can change or change back from the mess we have. Many know they are miserable but cannot see the root cause(s). Many (MANY) do not know they have inalienable rights or even what that means. Most do not know that the people grant government authority by our consent and anything the governments do without that consent is null and void.

Since they do not know they have these Rights, they effectively do not have them.


46 posted on 03/14/2022 8:00:07 AM PDT by epluribus_2
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To: JonPreston

I agree with you on replacing McConnell and Co., but what system would you replace ours with? Power abhors a vacuum, we’ve seen it time and time again. Iraq and Afghanistan immediately come to my mind, when we left, we’re they better off?


47 posted on 03/14/2022 8:05:23 AM PDT by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: poinq

How many states are under conservative political control?

That would be 23. The left only actually controls 15 states.

Article V of the US Constitution gives states the power to call for an amendment and requires 38 of the 50 states to ratify. There’s no way 38 states will destroy the 2nd Amendment.

Plus, COS is limited to fiscal and term limit amendments by their very charter.


48 posted on 03/14/2022 8:09:34 AM PDT by cyclotic (I won't give up my FREEDOM for your FEAR. Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.)
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To: mosaicwolf

Our Constitution was written by honorable men, FOR honorable men to implement.
Someone asked Ben Franklin, “ what do we call this government?”
He replied, “ A Republic if we can keep it.”
If we can’t keep it, we aren’t the men our forefathers were.


49 posted on 03/14/2022 8:13:26 AM PDT by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: Mr. K

Don’t confuse a constitutional convention with an article 5 convention of states.

That statement alone is proof positive that you have drunk the COS Kool-Aid.

That said, those of us opposed to the use of Article V know that it will not solve what ails the out of control federal leviathan. We are sympathetic with those in favor looking for solutions to most of our Presidents, Congressmen, Senators, and Supreme Court Justices ignoring the Supreme Law of the land.

Amending a perfectly good Constitution, that elected officials and supreme court justices choose to ignore is contrary to common sense in my humble opinion. The Constitution is not the problem. There are numerous solutions that do not involve placing the Constitution in jeopardy to make a point with those not obeying it now.


50 posted on 03/14/2022 8:28:35 AM PDT by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.)
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To: cyclotic

Just which so called “conservatives” are you willing to trust to amend the only document standing between the Republic and what every democrat is seeking, “our democracy”.

You did not address the fact, the Constitution is not the problem. When you determine the real problem you will not be for an Article V Convention as it does not address the problem.


51 posted on 03/14/2022 8:38:07 AM PDT by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.)
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To: telescope115

When the founders crafted our Constitution, they could NOT have anticipated what life would be like all these years later. They couldn’t have imagined the world we live in now.

/

I respectfully disagree.

They were Christian. They knew man’s sinful nature.

Ben’s admonition of “ if you can keep it” showes they not only expected this,

it showes
why
they penned Article V.

.


52 posted on 03/14/2022 8:39:36 AM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: AFreeBird

Still won’t get the 3/4s. All a CofS would do is put a bunch of people in a big room to disagree with each other and not do anything. We already got lots of that.

You want to break the stranglehold, vote 3rd party for state legislatures. It’s the legislatures that make the congressional districts, and through that force the 2 party system. Break that, break the 2 party system, get alternate voices, force the parties to actually stand for something other than themselves. That’s the only path we’ve got.


53 posted on 03/14/2022 8:45:19 AM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: cuz1961

So, all you A. V doom porners,,

You seem to think V should be highlighted with a black highlighter,, ripped out,

,V was penned by idiots ,
who aren’t nearly as smart as you ?

It’s a poison pill ?

Wow.


54 posted on 03/14/2022 8:46:51 AM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: cuz1961

I think at least some of you

are really afraid it’ll end your best chance ever to destroy this country to rebuild a utopia.


55 posted on 03/14/2022 8:50:58 AM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: cuz1961

I think at least some of you

are really afraid it’ll end your best chance ever to destroy this country to rebuild a utopia.


56 posted on 03/14/2022 8:51:00 AM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: wita

Or you could just do nothing but sit in your Easy Chair and whine


57 posted on 03/14/2022 10:08:52 AM PDT by cyclotic (I won't give up my FREEDOM for your FEAR. Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.)
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To: discostu

Working the local issues is all very well and fine but we need to work on multiple fronts, cause let’s face it, we’re surrounded.

Sitting on your hands a wailing about that CoV won’t do anything,
; it is actually doing something.


58 posted on 03/14/2022 11:46:49 AM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: AFreeBird

It’s not about the local issue. It’s about doing something that will actually work.

If you don’t end gerrymandering, you can’t end the duopoly. If you don’t end the duopoly you’re just jerking off.

Vote 3rd party in the state legislatures. End gerrymandering. that is ACTUALLY doing something.


59 posted on 03/14/2022 11:49:14 AM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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To: Red Badger
I've been watching this 'convention of the states' thing for a long time now, with a great deal of trepidation. Does anyone think we have people around these days nearly as forward-looking as the folks who set this country up initially?
60 posted on 03/14/2022 12:00:15 PM PDT by zeugma (Stop deluding yourself that America is still a free country.)
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