One of the traits of effective organizations and individuals is the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. In this period of mass adaptation, supporters of Convention of States in Massachusetts must approach Beacon Hill legislators accordingly.
Because the Massachusetts General Court’s Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs tabled the COS resolution (H. 3213), a new resolution will likely need to be introduced during the next legislative session.
This means that a sponsor and/or co-sponsor(s) must be found to reintroduce the COS resolution.
In the meantime, COS supporters should continue to express support for COS. Direct contact with legislators remains the most effective means of communication and persuasion.
COS President Mark Meckler demonstrated this during a meeting in Haverhill last year when he told a story about how handwritten letters turned a North Carolina legislator from an opponent to a COS supporter.
Phone calls requesting to speak directly with your representative or senator are also effective and garner attention from lawmakers. Legislative staff members are usually friendly and cooperative in facilitating such conversations, as they should be. The citizens are still sovereign, even in Massachusetts.
What to say in a letter or phone call? That’s up to you. Your message will stand out precisely, because it is yours. Whether you focus on a topic such as term limits or a balanced budget or explain your concern about the general overreach of the U.S. Congress that an Article V Convention of States will address, make the message your own.
If you have a personal anecdote about how the growth of the federal government has negatively impacted you, describe it. If you are a student of the Constitution and the intended limitations upon the federal government, share that knowledge.
In short, emphasize that which is important to you. The representative or senator with whom you are communicating will recognize and appreciate your having taken the time to write and express yourself, even if that legislator disagrees or is unfamiliar with COS.
Legislators who receive a good deal of feedback on a particular subject will be more inclined to reassess their views or research the COS movement further. As always, be polite and thank the legislator for their service and consideration.
You can also anticipate objections to or arguments against COS. The most prevalent of these seems to be that a convention of states would be a “runaway convention” or that the Constitution would be significantly altered or abolished altogether.
The most succinct answer to such claims is that any convention of states will be a limited-purpose gathering. The scope of any such convention will be designed by the state legislatures. An additional safeguard is that amendments proposals only become law when three-fourths of the states vote to ratify. Making radical, sweeping changes that mangle or destroy the Constitution is next to impossible.
Here are some tips for getting started and following through:
Be specific and demonstrate that you are current with the status of the COS resolution (mentioned above). Clearly state that you are in favor of H. 3213, which is the COS resolution that was introduced to the Massachusetts General Court.
Utilize the General Court’s website to find the exact Beacon Hill address and contact information for your particular representative and senator. Write or call them to express your support for COS and H. 3213.
The current COS resolution before the appropriate committee in the General Court has been tabled, and COS supporters may need to recruit a sponsor and/or co-sponsor(s) to introduce a new COS resolution during the next session.
But nothing worth doing is easy, so in the meantime we shall adapt, work, and utilize our sovereign voice for liberty.
