Why I Support an Article V Convention of States
Whenever I talk with someone about the Convention of States movement, I lead with the question,
“Wouldn’t you agree that there seems to be a disconnect between We the People and our representatives in Washington DC?”
There is usually an initial agreement, which is almost always followed by a despairing sigh of resignation that nothing can be done about it. That is when I switch from Introduction mode to Education mode.
I come from the generation that was required to begin taking Civics classes in the 9th grade and American History and Government classes through my high school years. I remember asking my Civics teacher, Mrs. Vest, why we had to study ‘all of this government stuff?’
“So, hopefully, when you finally get old enough to vote,” she replied. “You won’t go into the voting booth and elect an idiot that knows less than you do about how the government is supposed to conduct the People’s business.”
According to her, the limited role of the federal government was to arbitrate disputes between the individual sovereign States and to represent the interests of the United States on the world stage.
I realized that having Mrs. Vest as a Civics teacher was a rare and precious gift as I progressed on my journey into adulthood. Too many of my friends and peers don’t really have a fundamental understanding of how the federal government is structured and the truly limited role that it is supposed to have legally. That is what the unelected minions in the federal bureaucracy are counting on. As long as they can keep most Americans ignorant about how the government is supposed to function, they can continue to expand the reach and scope of their prurient interest into the everyday affairs of the American people.
For those of you who instinctively are attracted to the idea of a Convention of States, but don’t know how it could be done; I have a recommendation. For the last three decades, Robert G. Natelson has built a reputation as the recognized authority on the amendment procedure for the U.S. Constitution. His scholarship on the subject has “been cited repeatedly by Justices of the U.S Supreme Court, by federal appeals court judges, and by the highest courts of at least fifteen states.”
Natelson has written a book entitled “The Law of Article V: State Initiation of Constitutional Amendments,” published by Apis Books. It is a short book of only 134 pages, but it is packed full of plain language explanation, case law precedents, historical anecdotes, and explanatory text with expansive footnotes. This book is an easy-to-read explanation of why we desperately need an Article V Convention of States if we are to remain the preeminent federal republic in the world
I urge you to buy your own copy and read it. Then read it again and underline in red ink the important passages that resonate with your heart and mind. Then read it a third time and make a list of all the supporting books and other writings that support and illuminate the unique and historical significance of our nation’s founding document.
Once you understand WHY we are a unique and different nation, you will never allow ignorance or ulterior motives to dictate the political conversation again.
