The following is a message from Chris Walker, State Director for Convention of States Virginia.
As Virginia’s State Director, I want to thank the more than 30,000 Virginians who have signed our petition for the Convention of States Project and especially acknowledge the over 4,000 Virginians who have taken the next step to engage actively as volunteers.
As a volunteer myself, I am proud to lead a group of people who have said, “I want to be an activist in the fight for our nation’s future!”
Being all-volunteer from top to bottom means there is no staff upon which to rely. Only through a grassroots effort by committed citizen-activists can we be successful. Virginians—past, present, and future—are counting on us!
It is no secret that November’s elections dealt us a blow. Several impassioned COS supporters in Virginia’s lower house (House of Delegates) lost their seat to insurgent candidates.
So far, the new delegates have shown no interest in Washington’s out-of-control spending or abuses of power or with placing term limits on federal officeholders.
Thus, our critical challenge in 2018 is to convert more of our supporters to volunteers and more of our volunteers into citizen-activists in our struggle.
Legislators in Richmond are taking notice of our ever-growing numbers, but that isn’t enough. They also must hear from us. Too many of our supporters think they are inadequately prepared to make a case for our COS resolution.
Therefore, we are offering the first of a three-part series to help you envision how easy it is to volunteer with COS.
The first challenge is simply to grow in knowledge and understanding of our COS effort, through our new, easy-to-understand publication.
Challenge: Download and read the free Convention of States Pocket Guide.
Task: Prepare yourself to talk about COS with friends, neighbors, co-workers, and your state legislators.
Considerations: One need not be a constitutional scholar to effectively convey Article V’s purpose and the urgent need to convene a convention for proposing amendments. Consider this:
- Voters in 1787 understood perfectly well what voters today understand: the Constitution’s principal purpose is ensuring We the People remain in charge, not a far-off, self-interested elite as under British rule and now under the rule of Washington, D.C. Article V was crafted with this purpose in mind. It’s time to use it!
- People listen more to words from your heart than a fine argument from your head. A story carries more weight than reciting facts. Sharing that you fear what the growing national debt means for your children and grandchildren’s future, for instance, has more impact than the fact our debt exceeds $21 trillion.
- Politicians want your vote and care more about your influence on other voters than your ability to perfectly articulate legal or political arguments.
Our national history was, and will forever be, determined by people who answer one simple question: "Will I step-up, join with others, and defend my freedom?"
We ask you to take the challenge spelled out here, which will prepare you for our next challenge in two weeks.
