A member of the Illinois Convention of States team recently published a letter to the editor on TheHill.com, and it was so good we had to share. Anyone who cares about securing Second Amendment rights needs to seriously consider an Article V Convention of States.
A means for overturning SCOTUS
I'm writing in response to The Hill's March 16 article titled, "Who is Merrick Garland?"
The recent vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court has highlighted the fact that Supreme Court rulings have huge ramifications for America.
Supporters of the Second Amendment are concerned that the nominee for this opening, Judge Merrick Garland, will tip the balance of the court in favor of those who oppose the right to own firearms for self-defense. They're worried that if the landmark D.C. v. Heller decision is overturned, it's the end of the Second Amendment.
What's needed is a way for the states to have the power to overturn Supreme Court decisions and burdensome federal regulations--a constitutional amendment could be written, for example, allowing a three-fifths vote of the state legislatures to challenge court decisions.
That's where an Article V Convention can come in handy. Article V of the U.S. Constitution authorizes the state legislatures to call a convention for the limited purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution. If 38 states ratify the proposed amendments, they become part of the Constitution. Imposing term limits on the Congress and Supreme Court, a balanced budget amendment and the ability to overrule Supreme Court decisions are among some of the reforms that supporters of Article V hope to achieve.
Firearms owners do have an "emergency exit" in the event that the court tries to remove or weaken Second Amendment rights.
Paul Carrozzo, Algonquin, Ill.
