Let’s face it: Americans are irreconcilable. Every now and again, well-meaning but naive politicians attempt to tell us we are basically all the same, that what unites us is greater than anything that divides us.
If only it were so. The truth is far more depressing. Republicans and Democrats really don’t agree about much of anything anymore.
Don’t believe me? Just watch this year’s DNC and RNC.
It would take a miracle to bring those two parties together!
But maybe we’ve had that miracle waiting for us all along. Maybe, it’s as old as our Constitution itself.
Buried within the sacred text of our governing charter, we find the words of Article V, words our nation has longed for generations to hear. Indeed, they likely are more relevant today than when they first burst forth from the minds of our Founding Fathers 237 years ago.
“The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.”
Here, we find hope, something about which we can agree.
Namely, that we do not agree. But the Founders knew that. They who very rarely agreed about anything wisely anticipated their problem might persist. Therefore, they created a federalist system of government that allowed for a wide, irreconcilable range of perspectives.
But what if corrupt, power-hungry men broke that system? What if they transformed the federal government into an overbearing weapon against the American people? That’s where Article V comes into play.
Perhaps the only thing we’ll ever agree on is that we should be free to disagree. No one wants the federal government to tell them how to think, vote, or worship. The very idea is anathema to the American way of life.
As the ultimate check and balance on federal power, the Article V convention empowers the American people, the vast majority of whom must support the process, to push back on government overreach.
This truly is a bipartisan solution. Indeed, recent polling from swing states, including Ohio and Pennsylvania, shows that 82% and 79% of Republicans, 69% and 55% of Democrats, and 77% and 74% of Independents, respectively, support Article V.
This week’s DNC and last month’s RNC may have dashed any hope that the two parties might reconcile. But there is still hope — hope that we might at least unite around a 237-year old constitutional provision.
It’s an unexpected answer. But in a polarized generation, it’s a much-needed silver lining.
To add your name to our growing coalition of Article V supporters, sign the Convention of States petition below. To learn more about how the Article V convention process works, visit conventionofstates.com.
