The following was written by Phillip J. Loss and originally published in The Herald.
I never cease to be amazed at the number of people who express a severe distain for our federal government’s utter failure to serve the people of this great nation. These same people also express an absolute frustration and exasperation of their own ability to do anything about it. Most think that if we just elected good people to office the problem would diminish. After observing several election cycles with no improvement, many Americans are ready to throw up their hands in frustration.
I understand the frustration. Washington, D.C., has gone so far off track that “leaders” believe they are not subject to the same rules as “we the people.” But I have come to understand that once a large bureaucratic organization loses control of itself and either will not or cannot do anything to correct itself, it is time to apply an outside force to perform the correction. That is why I support using the Constitution to save the country by calling an Article V Convention of States.
We know that Washington – “The Swamp” – will never fix itself. Elected representatives ignore the constitutional restraints put in place to control their actions. Even the Supreme Court makes laws that contradict the original intent of the Constitution. As you look to some of the decisions over the past century, many examples can be found that are at odds with the Constitution’s original intent. It can be summed up as government overreach. This is exactly why America’s founders included Article V in the Constitution – for this exact moment in time when Americans need to step in and restore the nation.
The Constitution has the answer. Article V gives the States – “We the People” – the solution. It says in part: “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…”
We know the Constitution can be amended. Congress has already written 27 of them, and the states have ratified all 27. What many people miss is the second clause of Article V which states: “or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments”. What does that mean? It means that our states share equal power with Congress to put forth amendments for ratification. Once ratified by the States, they become the law of the land.
There is a high bar for ratification. Three-fourths or 38 states must ratify any proposed amendment. That high bar was designed to avoid the danger of getting bad law into the Constitution. Can it still happen? Yes. Look at what Congress did with prohibition. They realized their mistake and rescinded it with a later amendment. The risk is exactly the same, whether the Congress or the states propose amendments.
One thing is certain: we are headed in the wrong direction as a nation. If we don’t change course, America is likely doomed. Serious trouble requires serious solutions. Article V is the legal, peaceful and constitutional way to restore the country and put the states back in charge. To find out more, go to conventionofstates.com and sign the petition to become part of the largest grass-roots army in history. When you sign the petition, please include a phone number and email address if you’re willing to be one of the volunteers to help convince our South Carolina Legislature to support and pass the Article V resolution that will be before that body this year!
Loss is a Convention of States district captain for S.C. House District 46.
