Dear Editor,
During these uncertain times, I'm reminded of a quote I read by John Adams: "We are a government of laws, not men".
This forces me to humbly place my biases aside, turn off the noise of social media echo chambers, and focus on the understanding of balance, social equality, and a difference between a constitutional republic and a democratic civil society.
I propose we look toward the very document that our laws were built upon. The United States Constitution formed our nation's government, and now we can call upon it for healing.
Article V of the United States Constitution reminds us that we can gather without the consent of Congress and hash it out amongst ourselves. All of us need to act like grown-ups, again.
We have before us an opportunity through due process to call for an Article V convention. So far, 15 states have passed the proposal through a grassroots movement. This convention of states is not to be confused with a constitutional convention. This is not the same thing. A constitutional convention has already been done, while an Article V convention makes specific proposals which would be sent back to the legislatures for ratification.
A convention of states would be the process of gathering the union together in one room and finding compromise by building upon and furthering the very thing that defines who we are through the United States Constitution. Congress may have thrown this out the window, but the people shall not.
As seen at conventionofstates.com/polling, a Convention of states gives us the detour for non-partisan compromise, where the future of our nation doesn't have to depend on who wins between left or right, but how the states can work together through due process. The ultimate objective of a convention of States would be an open forum based on the three planks of the COS Action Article V proposal: term limits, limits on federal power, and fiscal restraints.
I am compelled to patriotically urge all my fellow North Carolinians and all Americans to visit www.conventionofstates.com and sign the petition. Please contact your state representatives to pass the resolution calling for an Article V Convention of States.
Thank you for reading.
