Why the Article V Convention of States? What is all this talk recently about the convention of states and why to support it?
My reasons for supporting, I admit, are perhaps too simple to qualify me in the ever-growing field of expert political punditry, you know, all the whiz kids on TV and on-line. However, even though I may be slow and oversimplifying things, I'm like an old Kentucky rifle---most times deadly accurate.
My life's work was in mining, and specifically mine rescue and recovery. In doing gas analysis to ascertain what was going on during a mine fire or after an explosion, analysis is done through a series of boreholes drilled into the mine. This is a complicated process. However, the most critical decision is always-when can we re-enter with rescue teams without overwhelming imminent danger to the would-be rescuers?
In that decision, we learned never to over interpret individual gas readings, but rather to watch closely for TRENDS. Trends will lead knowledgeable leaders to make the best call and literally life or death can hang in the balance. Hence, I am trained to look for trends and supporting data.
In studying the history of America, what has been the "trend" in say, the last 100 years? The supporting data, I'm afraid, is overwhelming.
Starting with the income tax amendment in 1913, the march toward socialism, and increase in the size and scope of the federal government has been constant. Sometimes the march has been slower, other times faster. In the end it hasn't mattered much who was president, or who controls congress, the march has continued unabated.
The bigger and more powerful a bloated and ineffective central government, the less individual freedom exists, is a sad fact of life. The federal government has grown and grown and then grown some more and seems mainly in the business of creating problems as an excuse to create agencies to solve the problems which never seem to go away. All that is the trend I doubt any rational person would argue with.
Next, I am almost ashamed to admit, I actually did a 10-year tour as a senior executive in the Department of Labor. One would think that advancing from a laborer on midnight shift in a remote coal mine to this position would be a source of great individual accomplishment--it is not.
For what I saw and was privy to are things I cannot un-see. Waste, upon waste, layers upon layers of frustrated bureaucrats accomplishing next to nothing. There seemed no end to the madness or the funding.
I came to realize two things in short order; one was I could not change this system, the other was, if those being governed ever really knew what took place in DC, the general public would be apoplectic. The whole experience marked a sad chapter in my life and thank God I escaped and recovered.
Next, I read a book by Mark Levin titled "The Liberty Amendments", which to me and my simple mind could easily be distilled down to a single sentence. "It is irrational to believe or expect those that benefit from the money or the power in DC to EVER voluntarily vote to lose it." Wow, a very simple sentence that speaks volumes.
Hence, I came through a series of life experiences and study to understand---something other than what we have been doing for 100 years must be done. Thankfully, it appears the founders anticipated just this eventuality, and provided a way to take power away from a central government and place it where it was intended, Article V Convention of States.
I know this short vignette may be direct and to the point, but I firmly believe at this point without an Article V Convention of States, the Republic will collapse under the weight of the oppressive central government, and a one size fits all philosophy. The phrase "liberty or die" could easily be changed to “Article V or die”, and it would accurately depict the present crisis for the Republic.
Please visit www.conventionofstates.com to sign the petition and learn how to volunteer your skill sets to save our Republic for ourselves and our posterity.
