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Can’t fix our nation by shaking its constitutional tree
Southern California News Group via Orange County Register ^ | June 17, 2017 | James Poulos

Posted on 06/17/2017 8:27:34 AM PDT by EveningStar

Often people can only take so much pressure before they seek to release it in rash and sudden ways, throwing caution and a careful consideration of consequences to the wind.

There were good signs when President Trump was elected that many Americans were entering into that kind of moment. And now, with millions realizing just how widespread and deeply rooted are the problems cool-and-collected President Obama had helped us emotionally paper over, the urge to find release in rash words and deeds is kicking into overdrive.

There’s talk of a “cold civil war,” a bitter longing for “national divorce,” and now, fresh interest in a “convention of the states” to add several big constitutional amendments. However gratifying the fantasy may be of renewing our founding charter’s virtue in this way, it’s ultimately unwise and misconceived...

Although organizers and supporters feel sure that they would control the tempo of change and define the content of the changes, the truth is that nationalist and populist sentiment today tilts more to the left than it does to the right. Once the constitutional seal is broken, pro-liberty convention supporters would be stunned to discover how quickly the initiative could be taken away from them and delivered into the hands of socialist-leaning reformers ready to hardwire permanent general entitlements, under the language of fundamental rights, into the law of the land...

(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: articlev; constitution; convention; conventionofstates; cos; demint; jimdemint; numskullsconvention
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To: EveningStar

One representative for every 30,000 persons! Senators elected by the state governments! These two changes would fix everything!

I enjoyed this thread very much and am so thankful for the benefit of the thinkers here on FR.


41 posted on 06/18/2017 6:51:12 AM PDT by BDParrish (One representative for every 30,000 persons!)
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To: gibsonguy
"a terminator AG who would go after the renegade Judges"

The AG has no such authority. Federal judges are appointed for life and can only be removed via impeachment in Congress.

42 posted on 06/18/2017 9:59:39 AM PDT by Da Bilge Troll (Defeatism is not a winning strategy!)
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion; Art in Idaho
He ridicules a balanced budget amendment, and I tend to agree. Because it is hard to control spending but only too easy to “balance" the budget by arbitrary increases in tax rates.

A balanced budget stricture would only be effective if it limited prospective spending this year to revenue in hand from last year. In effect, a one-time borrowing of the same amount of money that you took in last year - and spending only that money this year. Rather than raising tax rates and assuming that the revenue next year will be proportional to last year’s revenue. Which, in the case of the capital gains tax in particular, has been disproven whenever it has been tried.

Here's a proposal from one of Art In Idaho's links amendment booklet.pdf:

Proposal
Section I
The power of Congress to regulate the value of money is hereby rescinded; the unit of money of the United States is the Dollar.

Section II
The value of the Dollar shall be one fifteen-hundredth avoirdupois ounce of gold of which impurities do not exceed one part per thousand.

Section III
To guard against Congress using its authority over weights and measures to bypass Section I, the ounce in Section II is approximately 28.3495 grams (SI).

Section IV
The Secretary of the Treasury shall annually report the gold physically in its possession; this report shall be publicly available. Any five states may commission a third party audit to confirm this report at their own expense.

Section V
The power of the Congress to assume debt is hereby restricted: the congress shall assume no debt that shall cause the total obligations of the United States to exceed one hundred ten percent of the amount last reported by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Section VI
Any government agent, officer, judge, justice, employee, representative, or congressman causing gold, money, or real estate to be confiscated from a citizen shall be tried for theft and upon conviction shall:

  1. be removed from office (and fired, if an employee),
  2. forfeit all pension and retirement benefits,
  3. pay all legal costs, and
  4. restore to the bereaved twice the amount in controversy.

Section VII
The federal government shall assume no obligation lacking funding, neither shall it lay such obligation on any of the several States, any subdivision thereof, or any place under the jurisdiction of the United States. All unfunded liabilities heretofore assumed by the United States are void.

Section VIII
The federal government shall make all payments to its employees or the several states in physical gold. Misappropriation, malfeasance and/or misfeasance of funds shall be considered confiscation and theft.


43 posted on 06/18/2017 11:51:02 AM PDT by Edward.Fish
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To: 867V309

Ridiculous statement. It is a legitimate way to amend the Constitution, in accordance WITH the Constitution, and by bypassing the idiots in Congress: term limits, allowing states to override ridiculous Federal Cort Decisions, and a balanced budget are chief objectives.


44 posted on 06/18/2017 12:33:43 PM PDT by ZULU (DUMP THAT POS PAUL RYAN!! HE KILLED OBAMACARE REPEAL AND WILL KILL TAX REFORM!!)
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To: Jacquerie

Congrats. You are two for two. Enjoy your ignorance.

You were on the Government School debating team?


45 posted on 06/18/2017 12:34:10 PM PDT by 867V309 (Lock Her Up)
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To: 867V309

It is.


46 posted on 06/18/2017 12:36:09 PM PDT by sport
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To: EveningStar
I'm constantly amazed at the energy people put into debating this issue instead of doing something that might actually matter: building support for the changes that they want.

COS is a process - a tool - to enact change. What change? Well, everyone has their own vision. Levin has his, individual states have theirs, and most of the debaters I've encountered have their own.

What most supporters seem to have in common is the notion that a COS would naturally enact their version of salvation.

It seems to me that the cart is way out in front of the horse. If we don't have consensus on exactly what changes we want to the Constitution, and I don't mean vague value statements but actual language of the type that Levin proposed, the process won't matter one whit and a COS would be a farce.

47 posted on 06/18/2017 2:19:23 PM PDT by semimojo
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To: Jacquerie; 867V309; Liz; EveningStar; A Navy Vet; gibsonguy; Yosemitest; Publius; Edward.Fish; ...
For those who think the Article V process is too risky, I ask, "What other options do you see?"

To summarize from a previous post by GraceG:

1. Elect More Republicans - Failed due to RINO/Uni-party confluence.

2. Article V Convention of States to propose Amendments - Needed to try to take power from the federal government back to the states and reel in the federal leviathan.

3. State Nullification - Last ditch effort to try to take power back from the federal monster, though by this point it may be too late.

4. State Secession - Could either end up peaceably like the breakup of the Czechoslovakia in 1993 or a brutal:

5. Civil War II like the first one.... The longer we wait on #2, the more likely #3, then #4 and finally #5. .

So, do we do nothing and just wait for # 5?

Quick review: We need 34 states to pass an application, then Congress shall, by law, call a Convention of States as soon as it receives applications from 2/3 of the State Legislatures. That's 34 states.

As of now there are 12: AL, AK, AZ, FL, GA, IN, LA, MO, ND, OK, TN, TX. For a Convention of the States dedicated to Georgia's application language which would rebalance state and federal powers, the count is now 12 down, 22 to go.

So far, 36 state legislative chambers or bodies have filed or passed resolutions. Amendments are proposed and voted on at the convention. Each Amendment must be ratified by 3/4 of the states in order to become part of the US Constitution. That's 38 states.

There are multiple arguments against a COS. Do not be dissuaded. In reality, there are so many checks and balances against a runaway convention that the risk is near zero. As nathanbedford said, “It requires only 13 statehouse legislatures from 13 different states out of 99 legislatures in 50 states to block an amendment. The problem is not a runaway convention, the problem is getting any amendment through."

"There are far more political and legal constraints on a runaway convention than on a runaway Congress." - Robert Natelson

Most FReepers are aware of these links, but I post anyway for review and for people new to Article V. It is our responsibility to make Article V the most understood aspect of the US Constitution.

****Please see this summary video from Alabama first: Convention of States - Alabama Way to go Alabama! A great introduction!

***Another good introduction video Convention of States: The Plan to Restore America

Utah Rep. Nelson: The Constitution Hangs in the Balance A good five minute review

Utah's Merrill Nelson: The only way to check federal power is with the power of the states

***For the Young People Overview of the COS Project at Washington Freedom Summit Laura Fennig, a COS Grassroots Coordinator, describes the COS Project plan and how you can get involved!

Rep. Bill Taylor introduces a Convention of States

Convention of States Live! with Mike Farris

The Case for an Article V Convention. Great explanation of an Article V convention to the Massachusetts State Legislature.

**** Convention of States Lots of information here.

**** Article V Blog by Jacquerie. Excellent and worth following.

**** Mark Levin, Constitution Article V, and the Liberty Amendments A great overview of Article V.

Learn about the Convention of States The Problem, the Solution and the Strategy

Can We Trust the Constitution? Answering The “Runaway Convention” Myth For those who are worried about a runaway convention.

A Convention of States - Part 1 Answering the "They're not following it now" Argument

A Convention of States - Part 2 Answering the "Runaway Convention" and other Arguments

Exposed: George Soros launches campaign against Convention of States If Soros opposes Article V, it must be a great idea!

The Convention of States Article V Application

Missouri state senator delivers amazing testimony (video) Reasoned speech on why we need an Article V Convention.

The Indiana Statute: Duties of Article V convention delegates.

Article V Project to Restore Liberty Another good source.

Mark Levin’s Liberty Amendments: Introduction

Mark Levin’s Liberty Amendments: The Federalist I

Mark Levin’s Liberty Amendments: The Federalist II

Article V and John Locke

Mark Levin’s Liberty Amendments: Part IV

Cultural Marxism and the need for an Article V COS by Hostage

Convention of States model Resolution

A Summary of Mark Levin’s Proposed Amendments by Jacquerie

Chapter 1 of Mark Levin’s Book, The Liberty Amendments

Mark Levin, Constitution Article V, and the Liberty Amendments

Mark Levin: "The Liberty Amendments" - Complete Sean Hannity Special + other Links

List of Mark Levin You Tube Videos

Citizens for Self-Governance: Convention of States Project Youtube hub - Lots of educational videos here

Mark Levin Article V, Liberty Amendments youtube video hub

Three hour video of C-Span interview with Mark Levin

*** Mark Levin's ALEC Speech, Dec 4, 2014

Gaining Steam? Nearly 100 Lawmakers Descend on Mount Vernon to Talk Convention of States The beginning.

Curing Federal Dysfunction by Constitutional Amendment: A Primer Professor Rob Natelson

Our American Constitution, Article V Rob Natelson's Article V articles

We can fight the uniparty! States, the Natural Second Party by Jacquerie

Convention to Propose Amendments to the United States Constitution

The Other Way to Amend the Constitution: The Article V Constitutional Convention Amendment Process

Amendment Booklet.pdf

Friends of Article V Convention Links

Congress' Present Duty to Call a Convention:

Congress' Present Duty to Call a Convention. (Part I)

Congress' Present Duty to Call a convention. (Part II)

Congress' Present Duty to Call a Convention. (Part III)

Congress' Present Duty to Call a Convention. (Part IV)

Congress' Present Duty to Call a Convention. (Part V)

Congress' Failure to Call an Amendments Convention. (Part VI)

The 17th Amendment – A Mistake That Keeps on Giving

Ulysses at the Mast: Democracy, Federalism, and the Sirens' Song of the Seventeenth Amendment by Jay Bybee. Repeal the 17th! Shorter Abstract here: Ulysses at the Mast, one page Abstract

****For those of you that still have doubts about the Article V process, please review: Responses To Convention Of States Opposition My initial concerns were resolved after reading these articles. My attitude now is Go For It!

Sarah Palin: Debunking the myths of a Convention of States

A Single-Subject Convention Addresses the "runaway convention" fear.

John Birch Society Denies Its History and Betrays Its Mission The original Birchers were for an Article V Convention.

Publius Huldah vs. Article V: Introduction by Rodney Dodsworth

Convention of States Gaining Momentum

Article V Latest News

Assembly of State Legislatures – Article V

***Indiana Statute - Duties of Article V Convention Delegates A good example for other states and one of the safeguards.

****Proposing Constitutional Amendments by a Convention of States - An Article V Handbook for State Legislators An important resource.

****State Initiation of Constitutional Amendments: A Guide for Lawyers and Legislative Drafters The Bible on Convention of States

**** State Legislators Article V Caucus State Legislators, Join up at this site!

Most State Legislatures are in session now. Send this list of links to your State Representatives and Senators here: Contact your State Legislators.

Sample Letter to state Representatives regarding the Convention of States Project and also, Talking Points.

Excellent Article V Letter to a State Assemblyman by Jacquerie

From Rodney Dodsworth at Jacquerie’s Article V Blog: “We are the many, our oppressors are the few. Be proactive. Be a Re-Founder. Join Convention of States. Sign the COS Petition

I end this list of links with one of my favorites: Real Answers to Article V Questions By Rita M. Dunaway, J.D. A masterpiece. From the article:

”Our forefathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor when they fought a bloody revolution to secure for us the right of self-governance. They knew a day would come when we would need a way to restrain a power-grabbing federal government. So they gave us Article V’s convention mechanism.”

”Once we understand the truth about Article V, there is one question that remains. Are we really so fearful a people that we will stand by and watch our federal government mutate into a socialist regime rather than “risk” sending our state representatives to a meeting?”

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke.

Let’s all work together to get this going!

48 posted on 06/18/2017 2:49:41 PM PDT by Art in Idaho (Conservatism is the only Hope for Western Civilization.)
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To: Art in Idaho

Bump!


49 posted on 06/18/2017 3:52:40 PM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: semimojo

The language of proposed amendments is for state delegates in convention to figure out. For the time being, it is enough to know that free government cannot emerge from those who profit so well from the status quo.


50 posted on 06/18/2017 3:55:55 PM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: Jacquerie
The language of proposed amendments is for state delegates in convention to figure out.

Oh, I understand the concept.

If a convention were to be convened without all of this being buttoned down it would be the biggest circus the country had ever seen.

Wall-to-wall media, protests, every special interest in the country running ads, etc.

50 state delegations trying to negotiate this stuff in that hothouse environment would be a spectacle all right, but most likely a total failure as far as substance.

Entering into this without pre-built consensus would forever discredit the idea of a COS.

51 posted on 06/18/2017 4:45:19 PM PDT by semimojo
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To: semimojo

What is the solution?


52 posted on 06/18/2017 5:44:34 PM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: Art in Idaho; All

Fascinating thread. Thanks for the ping/post/links; discussion.

Choices / options BUMP!


53 posted on 06/18/2017 7:16:59 PM PDT by PGalt
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To: Jacquerie
What is the solution?

The solution is what it's always been in America - hard work and blocking and tackling.

Organize, educate, and vote. I know it's slow, frustrating and discouraging but it's the only enduring way.

Counting on a new generation of inspired founders to come in and save us isn't a solution.

More to the point, the COS as envisioned today is fundamentally undemocratic - in fact that's its real appeal. But while it may get some things through they would never last unless there was majority support.

54 posted on 06/18/2017 9:50:15 PM PDT by semimojo
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To: semimojo

The solution is to restore the Framers’ Constitution, which can only be done through an Article V COS.


55 posted on 06/19/2017 1:33:25 AM PDT by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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