“I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.” –Thomas Jefferson
I haven’t spoken to a single constitutionalist who is not gravely concerned about the current state of our country.
Personally, I’m livid. While other countries are moving away from tyrannical government, we are running headlong into it. We should be frustrated. We should be upset.
But we should not feel helpless. We are where we are, because we’ve abandoned our core principles. The good news is that we can restore them.
Throughout my time volunteering for the Convention of States Project, I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many outstanding patriots. Our grassroots are the most intelligent, passionate, genuine people I’ve ever encountered. They are the heartbeat of our organization.
Sometimes, an exceptional individual stands out as a teacher or a mentor. One such person was Dr. Tom Coburn, who died last year.
Dr. Coburn was a renowned patriot and Senior Advisor to the Convention of States, who often said he’d developed a sixth sense to listen to what he was called to do. You may remember him as a former U.S. Senator. However, Tom was also a successful business owner, physician, state representative, and state senator.
Dr. Coburn stated his most important public title was "doctor." As a doctor, he served people directly. Dr. Coburn delivered over 5,000 babies during his career. When treating his patients, he believed in addressing the cause and not the symptoms. His approach was the same as a legislator and as a citizen activist.
The way we convey our message is every bit as important as the message itself. So, let’s look at Dr. Coburn’s advice on spreading our message and put it in the context of what we’re confronting today:
“What we tolerate, we empower.” –Tom Coburn
There are four things a republic must have to survive:
- Respect for the rule of law. For a republic to survive and a civil society to be maintained, there must be respect for the rule of law. Accordingly, there must be equal justice under the law. Humans are flawed beings, who sometimes make poor decisions based on emotion instead of rational thought. Countries that follow an individual are subject to these whims and errors in judgement. Consequently, there will be unjust laws adopted that will not always be equally enforced. By creating laws through a deliberative process we increase the likelihood of maintaining a stable law and justice system.
- Economic freedom. For liberty to exist, individuals must have personal property rights and the freedom to benefit from the fruits of their labor. If the state can confiscate or commandeer an individual’s private property, a free republic cannot exist.
- Limited government. A corollary of economic freedom is limited government. There must be statutory limitations on what the government can and cannot do. We’ve discussed previously that belief in a Supreme Being is necessary for this to exist. The Framers said the Creator gave each of us unalienable rights that no government could justly encroach upon. If a society believes man is at the top of the food chain, a limited government cannot exist.
- Virtue. Webster’s Dictionary defines virtue as a “conformity to a standard of right: morality.” Virtue is a must, otherwise all these best laid plans are moot. We certainly see a lack of virtue in government at all levels and throughout society today. This is due to a lack of education of our Founding principles and history. Education is a primary focus of the Convention of States Project. We can be the catalyst to return to a virtuous society.
“When you love somebody, you change them. When you forgive somebody, you change yourself.” –Tom Coburn
How does Dr. Coburn suggest we accomplish this? Through love.
Every person has the need to be loved. This doesn’t mean hugging everyone you see. It means being caring, considerate, and treating everyone with respect. It’s easier to do this when we get along with the other person.
In politics, it helps if we’re in agreement on the issue at hand. In today’s environment this is increasingly difficult, especially on social media. I’m guilty of this and focused on my personal improvement.
Love is more impactful on the other person if they do not agree with us. They’re accustomed to being attacked by their political opponents personally and on the issues.
It’s COS policy to always be kind. This is such a simple action but at times incredibly difficult to follow through. Our goal is to restore our constitutional structure and return decision-making as close to the people as the Constitution states. The Article V convention of states process is the path to restoring the Constitution.
“I believe this country can cheat history.” –Tom Coburn
The history of republics is they eventually fail. This occurs when they fail to follow first principles, become corrupt, and allow the government to become tyrannical. America has a few key characteristics that no other republic has possessed.
One of our founding principles is that governing authority is vested in the people. Government can only do what we allow them to do. This makes our republic unique to every other. This also means self-governing citizens can fix it.
Dr. Coburn believed in the grassroots, as well. This is why he resigned from the U.S. Senate. He saw that the government didn’t have the will or the desire to correct the problems it had caused. He left public life to engage with the grassroots in the battle against tyranny.
Dr. Coburn joined the Convention of States Project. As a Senior Advisor he traveled across the country testifying in committees, rallying the grassroots, and promoting liberty. He worked tirelessly even when battling the ravages of cancer and effects of chemotherapy.
We should all take heart that a person of such integrity saw the Convention of States Project as the only solution to restore the Constitution and save our republic. It’s our charge to continue this fight every day. We do this cheerfully, respectfully, and with love, remembering every day that we all are here at this time for a specific reason.
We go forward with obedience to what we are called to do.
In liberty,
Brett
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