It is undeniable that our country is on a reckless course towards ruin. An ever-expanding, ever-centralized government is omnipresent in our lives, declaring as if by fiat what we can and cannot do. This same leviathan spends over $8 million per minute, all the while ignoring the fiscal ruin that looms large over children not yet born.
While the future may seem bleak, there is a course the country can take to save itself that has not been traversed before. Article V of the Constitution lays out a guiding map that can give the people and the states the power to put an effective bridle on the rampaging federal government, reining in their power-grabs and spending, while ensuring the states have a say in the governing of their union.
Despite this singular tool, there are some on both sides of the political persuasion that shun and even fight against it. What is most shocking are the alleged “conservative” groups that have locked arms with radical progressive groups in an attempt to create a phalanx between the people and their right to govern themselves.
These groups, such as the John Birch Society and Eagle Forum, beat their chests and proclaim Constitutional authority, acting as zealots to the cause of an unchanging, rigid Constitution. All the while, they ignore the abuse of power and overspending, relying solely on education of the masses and “electing good leaders.” They then use fear-tactics and talking points used by groups that loathe the existence of a Constitution that isn’t “living and breathing.”
I liken this contradictory scenario to being on a boat that is taking on water in the middle of the ocean. Land is not in sight, but you and your crew have buckets to bail water and plenty of material to plug the holes in the hull. While most of the crew pick up buckets and start bailing water and stopping holes, a small number of the crew is resisting.
“No!” they shout. “Don’t touch the boat! We can’t alter how it was originally built! We must pick up our oars and row hard to shore. It’s too dangerous to spend precious time bailing water and plugging holes. We’ll save the boat if we row fast enough.”
Perplexed, the rest of the crew stares at them, but then continue to pick up their buckets, bail water, and plug the leaks. The mutinous minority become furious and start grabbing buckets out of the hands of the other crew members, throwing them out into the ocean and demanding they take an oar and begin rowing.
While this sounds like a ridiculous scenario, we can see it being played out daily as these minority groups are doing everything in their power to prevent a Convention of States from keeping the Constitution afloat. The endless ocean of the federal government continues to pour in, but the slow and tedious work of education and nullification makes little progress when the boat is sinking.
Many of the great minds and influencers have realized this exercise in futility and have instead endorsed a Convention of States. When people such as Ben Shapiro, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Greg Abbott, and Michael Farris start picking up their buckets to bail water, it is wise to find out why and do the same.
Before we can concentrate all our efforts on rowing to the dry land of small government, we first must bail the water and plug the holes in our current governing institutions. An Article V Convention of States is the tool that has been provided for that very purpose. If we refuse to use the tools that have been given us, we will end up sunk.
