In 2017, David Yancey and Shelly Simonds squared off in a battle for the State Assembly seat in Virginia’s 94th House District. At stake was whether the Democrat or Republican Party would have a majority in the Virginia House of Delegates. After the votes were tallied, each candidate had received 11,608 votes. A tie. How would the victor of the contest be determined? Both candidate’s names were placed in separate film containers; the canisters were placed in a white ceramic bowl and one name was drawn. It happened to be that David Yancey’s name was drawn and the Republican Party retained a majority in the Virginia House.
Do you think there was at least one person in the Virginia 94th District who intended to vote but just didn’t make it to the polls?
“We the people are the rightful masters of both the Congress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” – President Abraham Lincoln
These words by President Lincoln are a call to action for every American citizen. Our Founding Fathers established a country where the “just powers of the government” are based on the consent of the governed. Freedom and our Constitution cannot survive unless they are defended by you and me – each of us.
The word “duty” was often used in the 1700 and 1800s. Webster’s Dictionary defines duty as a “required action or service.” Fair enough. In our Founding Era, duty meant a legally binding contractual obligation. That definition captures even greater importance today, and places more responsibility on our shoulders to serve. You could even say that it compels action.
When this blog is published, the election will be 22 days away. “This is the most important election of our lifetime” is often a throwaway line to capture the viewer’s attention, to generate clicks or shares. But, I think it’s an appropriate description for this election.
2024 has been a year of turmoil. We have a continued mass invasion due to the Biden Administration’s open borders policy. War is looming in the Middle East. Personal debt continues to soar. We’ve gone from legitimate discussion of our nation’s shortcomings and history to many people rejecting our history and some even calling for complete destruction of our Constitutional system. We now live in a country where polls show more than two-thirds of Americans do not believe there is a fixed standard of right and wrong. It’s impossible to maintain a civil society this way.
And yet, there still is great news to tell! The United States has a good track record of getting things right. Sometimes we do so immediately. Sometimes we do so eventually. The march to where we are today began in the early 1900s. The fact that we’ve been able to undergo so much adversity and still be the greatest source of freedom and opportunity is a testament to the wisdom of the Founding Fathers and The Framers of the Constitution. This validates the principles upon which our country was founded.
The driving force behind our results has always been We The People. Whether it be 77 colonists battling 700 British Troops on the Lexington Green, a President restating our principles and resolve in Gettysburg, American troops storming the beaches of Normandy, first responders putting themselves in harm’s way after a terrorist attack, or neighbors helping neighbors after a natural disaster. We The People have consistently responded in a positive manner. America has consistently been a force for good because of WE THE PEOPLE.
We are called to fulfill this duty again. We are called to satisfy our legally contractual, binding obligation on November 5th. The mission of the Convention of States Project has always been to form the largest team of citizen activists who are committed to the principles of self-governance. That citizen activism begins with voting!
With the extraordinary circumstances involved with the election’s process of mail-in voting, early voting, court battles over validating ballots and even how ballots are to be counted, it’s not sufficient to make sure we vote. It’s our duty to ensure our liberty-minded, pro-Constitution friends vote as well. Perhaps you know someone who is registered to vote but doesn't always make it to the polls. It’s our responsibility to make sure that does not happen this time.
If you are a Convention of States leader or volunteer, we will have coordinated ‘get out the vote’ efforts in key legislative districts throughout the country. Our efforts will not only preserve the Constitution and promote liberty. They also will demonstrate to our elected officials the influence our grassroots Convention of States volunteers have in moving elections and affecting public policy. This will make your efforts more effective when discussing The Framer’s solution to defending the Constitution found in Article V. Contact me at Brett.Sterley@cosaction.com and I will connect you with our Missouri Team for more information.
In liberty,
Brett
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