Bottom up, not just top down. The states are just as capable of proposing, debating and voting on amendments to then be ratified by the states as Congress is. In fact, the states should be more capable! They Created Congress when they formed the federal government!
Why would any true Constitutionalist not have faith in the wisdom that directed the founding fathers to empower the states to collectively amend the Constitution and not leave that privileged responsibility solely to the Congress? They knew. They knew state governments were closer to the people and all power is reserved to the people.
The Founders knew that the closer governing powers were to the commoners, the safer people would be in their freedoms and the safer the country would be in it's future.
True to this axiom, Thomas Jefferson stated, “Educate the whole mass of the people. They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.”
What did the founders fight to gain in their revolution? What were they seeking to prevent in the future of a nation by establishing it on the knowledge that human rights come from God, not man? They had seen the pendulum swing from one extreme to the other in old world governments. They understood greedy conquest and they knew it was the innocent who would suffer, the vulnerable who would pay and the poor who would be extorted for filthy lucre.
They understood these beasts much better than we seem to, because, if we understand the dangers of unchecked power, then States would not hesitate to act on the authority they have been given to restrain a federal government that continuously positions itself to expand and impose it’s will on the whole mass.
As goes the rights and freedoms of the people so goes your own. You and your posterity will not escape the consequences of your failure to act.
Conversely, just as the founders and many generations since have enjoyed the benefits of their selfless pursuit of freedom for all, so will the benefit of your courage be to many generations.
What were they seeking freedom from?
Answer: Out of control governments. Governments can be great aids to those in need if they are utilized and managed properly or they can become dictatorial and self-serving demigods as they have time and time again when left unchecked by those who had the opportunity to act and did not.
Furthermore, complete dependence on government will absolutely without question put you in poverty, be that physical, metal or spiritual. Look at every housing project in America and failed socialist/communist state in the world and tell me it's not true.
Government is not the sole answer - God is. People need freedom to creatively pursue and develop opportunity, but they need faith in God to give them the courage and moral decency to do so and do so rightly.
There are those who want a Nanny State, to be cared for from cradle to grave. Cradle to grave sounds great until you realize its peanuts, squalor, wooden coffins and no opportunity for creative enterprise or expression. I say, don’t buy the lie!
This nation must continue an enduring pursuit of depending on God, not themselves and not government. Otherwise, the lesson will be learned through the same painful experiences that drove our predecessors to board wooden cargo ships and head out into the high seas seeking freedom from greedy, power-hording, task masters. As Christ said, “it is for Freedom that you have been set free.”
We will lose this country if dependence on God is replaced by dependence on government. Rest assured there are those who truly and deeply hope that becomes the case. If government does replace God, you will not escape the oppression of that reality because everyone eventually falls out of favor in the realm of human relations. Your future is just as at stake as anyone else’s and will be long after your gone from government.
The federal government must be restrained. The constitutional authority of the people must be deferred to. The several states are the only ones who can do it in a meaningful and lasting way.
The people want term limits. The people want to give and receive help while ensuring fiscal accountability. The people want personal safety without compromising individual rights and freedoms. The people want election integrity.
The people are not afraid to call for an Article V Convention, so, why should you be? The people know an Article V Convention can achieve stability for this generation and many more to come. Remember, the collective will of the people carries a wisdom that you alone do not possess.
The time to act is now. HJR 233 is a step in the right direction. This resolution must come out of the NC Senate Rules Committee and move onto the floor for a vote. We must get to the convention. I encourage you to advocate for the passage of HJR 233 in the NC Senate.
I recently stated in an op-ed that “when weak men lead, evil men are emboldened.” Look around. They are emboldened.
God determined the time and the exact place you would live. You were made for a time such as this. Step up for freedom. You’re here for his purposes, not your own. Christ died to set us free from oppressive powers too great for is to contend with. We must not allow the power of the many to be hoarded and wielded by the few.
I implore every NC State Senator to have faith in the common man, and move forward with the strength, courage and wisdom that only comes from the Creator. In all sincerity, faith and admonition, I implore you to Pass HJR 233.
North Carolina residents -- click here to contact your state senator.
