In the years prior to the Revolutionary War, the American colonists were largely compliant in following the rules imposed on them by Great Britain.
Whether it was stamp taxes or quartering soldiers in homes, many future Americans held their tongues and went along with what good ol' King George III dictated.
As the years went by, the colonists became fed up with being treated like second class citizens, with Britain's harsh conduct inspiring acts of defiance to break out amongst the people. This would include noteworthy events like the Boston Tea Party and the protests proceeding the Boston Massacre.
It wasn't until 1776, however, that the Americans put their largest act of defiance on display for the whole world to see, when fifty-six men wrote their signatures at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence.
The ideals of this document are best summed up in one, simple word: no.
The Founders weren't simply saying no to British rule; they were saying no to the tyranny that came along with it.
By simply saying no and refusing to bow to the British monarchy, our Founding Fathers blazed the trail for America's ultimate victory in the war for independence.
As we flash forward to the present, we find ourselves in a similar predicament. No longer is the tyranny imposed on Americans coming from foreign leaders, but instead from our own government.
Throughout the past year of the COVID pandemic, the state has dictated which businesses are allowed to stay open, whether you're allowed to breathe freely, and when you're allowed to leave your homes.
We were told these policies were for our own good, as "the science" said it was the only way to get our freedoms back. Even now, with multiple vaccines widely available, our governments still continue to place restrictions and mandates on our people in the name of "safety."
As we now well know, these policies aren't based in science so much as they are on manipulation and control.
Americans today would be wise to take a page from the book of our Founding Fathers and learn that difficult times require the courage to say no.
If Americans ever wish to get back the freedoms our governments stole from us over the past year, we must learn to be bold in saying no to the state-imposed restrictions, the vaccine passports, and continued rule by corrupt, unelected bureaucrats.
The entire premise of organizations like Convention of States is to openly reject the status quo, and refuse to accept a future where government reigns supreme over the people.
By calling a convention and enacting term limits, a balanced budget, and limits on federal powers, we are openly saying no to continued lawlessness by our federal government and demanding a return to times where We the People control our own destinies.
Shawn Fleetwood is the State Content Writer for Convention of States Virginia.
