Our Constitution is 235 years old. That’s pretty old, even for a constitution.
My hobby is restoring old cars. My major enemy is rust. Rust is what happens when the elements attack sheet metal and mild steel, which is mostly what old cars are made of. Every hour of every day, the metal in my old cars is under constant attack, and my job is to first slow down the progress of the inevitable deterioration that is a natural result of the constant attack, and subsequently repair the damage when the metal succumbs to the inevitable attack.
When I do my job correctly, prepare my metal, properly store my metal, and constantly refresh the finish of my metal, then the result is a long life and a useful and appealing old car. When I or someone else allows the elements to have their way, the result can be very ugly (rust), very difficult to repair, and can render the old car useless. Sometimes the old car is too far gone to repair at all, then all is lost.
It is amazing to see a really skilled craftsman repair what appears to be a too-far-gone “basket case.” It can be done, but it is very costly and takes great skill. Not many old cars are worth that effort – but a few are, either because they are valuable and rare, or because someone simply loves it enough.
Similar to my passion for cars is my deep love for my country. We the People have been poor stewards of our rare and valuable Republic. Our generation, our fathers, and their fathers have allowed destructive elements to have their way with too little preventive maintenance and too few remedial repairs. Our metal is sagging and pockmarked with neglect. Holes are gaping larger by the day and by the hour, and it is high time to stop the progression.
Some say that our old car is too far gone to repair. Not I! A Republic so valuable, so rare, and yes, so loved must be saved – whatever the cost. Skilled craftsmen can save it, but time is of the essence.
The Founding Fathers most certainly were inspired by God. How else could they have crafted a concise document that covered every contingency regarding the nature of man to ultimately sacrifice freedom and liberty for power and personal gain? They providentially planned for every contingency for human fragility; by balancing powers between three branches of government, and within those three branches, by allowing the sovereign states to exist in self-governance while allowing disputes and common defense to be handled by a combined federal government (federalism), by providing a common currency, and by providing provisions to amend that document.
They even knew that Congress alone should not be the vehicle for amendments. Thank God for Article V!
It is time for the states to appoint skilled craftsmen to convene and start the repair process. May they be inspired by God as were the Framers. It is not too much to hope for.
But, a Convention of States and inspired amendments is only the beginning. The elements will attack the repairs daily and hourly. We cannot fix it and forget it. We must preserve, properly maintain, and yes, add love in large quantities to help the repairs have longevity. Deterioration is inevitable; thus, Article V is always our escape valve.
Two hundred and thirty-five years is a long time. Properly repaired and preserved shall we expect another such tenure? I doubt it. How about one hundred, or fifty, or even twenty? We must observe, maintain and adjust on an ongoing basis. Let us not wait so long next time – the Republic is too valuable and rare and loved.
Sign the COS petition!
