With all the controversy surrounding Convention of States Action, the COSA PA Communications Team has prepared a concise presentation to explain the Article V convention of states process, the history of why the Framers included it, how it has been used in the past, the court cases that have affirmed the historical record about it use, and how the liberal establishment has intentionally used disinformation and fear to mislead well-meaning people into inaction to keep the status quo in place.
Let's be very clear: there is a tiny core of leftists who hate our Constitution and have been working behind the scenes to eradicate the checks and balances that limit government; so far, they have successfully convinced many conservatives that this process is untested and unsafe. The COSA PA Communications Team wished to shine the light of truth, dispel these fears, and correct the misconceptions many believe are valid.
An Article V convention of states for proposing amendments is a very sophisticated topic that, as with most aspects of law, requires a careful and detailed study to understand fully. The subject matter is crucial to the survival of this Republic; therefore, it is everyone's duty to invest the time necessary to comprehend the process. All we ask while you read this series of articles is to keep an open mind and check the points we claim are facts yourself. Prove to yourself who is telling the truth and who isn't.
First, what exactly is a Convention of the States?
A convention of states or interstate convention is nothing more than a meeting of authorized agents from three or more states to discuss and resolve a problem to each state's mutual satisfaction.
The historical record is clear - there have been 42 Conventions of States successfully held in this country; the deliberate smear campaign used by the liberal elites to scare "We the People" from utilizing the remedy the Framers gave us to restrain the Federal Government when it usurps powers and abuses its authority is nothing but a taradiddle.
The Article V convention of states solution is not new; it has been tried numerous times throughout history. In many of these cases, the movement was so popular and had massive public support that Congress acted before the requisite number of state legislatures calling for a convention could be met.
The 27 amendments ratified and appended to the Constitution have all been proposed by Congress. However, what has been left out of the liberal propaganda is that many of these amendments were preceded by a grassroots movement to call a convention to propose amendments. Some of the more famous examples:
- 1788 - the adoption of the "Bill of Rights."
- 1832 - clarification of the 10th Amendment
- 1861 - final resolution of slavery
- 1901 through 1909 - direct election of Senators
- 1925 through 1931 - Anti-prohibition
- 1943 - Presidential term limits
There are many petitions from state legislatures calling for an Article V convention to address other topics that have not reached the requisite two-thirds threshold but are still open:
- 1913 - anti-polygamy
- 1939 - limit on income tax
- 1949 - revenue sharing
- 1957 - balanced budget
- 1957 - judicial term limits
- 1960 - limit federal power
- 1963 - Proportion Electoral College
- 1964 - school management
- 1975 - right to life
- 1989 - term limits on Congress
- 2014 - Fiscal restraints on the federal government, limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limiting the terms of office of federal officials, including members of Congress
Governor Gavin Newsome (D, CA) has just proposed a new Article V movement to call a convention to debate proposed amendments for gun control.
Everyone knows Washington D.C. is broken; the only question is how do we fix it.
This government is upside down; D.C. is not in charge! The states are; the states created the federal government when they ratified the Constitution. For the past century, the elites, through collusion protected by judicial fiat, have recreated the aristocracy we fought to get rid of in 1776.
The corruption in Washington D.C. is bipartisan; both parties have been erasing the checks and balances in our written Constitution to create this nefarious system so they could usurp power left to the states and concentrate it in D.C. for their benefit.
In 2010, we had one of the most significant wave elections in this country's history; 86 freshman legislators were elected by the Tea Party and sent to change Washington, DC.
What happened? The corrupt, illegitimate system occurred.
Some Tea Party leaders realized that changing D.C. from inside the Beltway would never happen. They decided that any change had to come from outside the influence of the corrupt decision-makers. Eureka, a new movement, was born.
This Article V convention of states to propose amendments will allow statesmen of today to debate the proper role of government in the 21st century and beyond. It will also allow us to redefine the 18th—and 19th-century words used that have been twisted by the courts to allow this unchecked growth with modern language that will better convey the original intent of the phrase or clause.
Over the next 18 weeks, the COSA PA Communications Team will present a slide from the presentation accompanied by an article to explain the premise of the slide in more detail. Once the series of articles is complete, we will make the slide presentation available in full along with a guidebook to help you get prepared to use the presentation to properly educate your legislator or a group you wish to help understand the truth about this method the Framers gave us to save our Republic.
It is up to "We the People" to take our power back, and the framers gave us the tool to do precisely that - an Article V convention of states to propose amendments; the solution as big as the problem!
