Almost 250 years ago, a revolutionary form of government was introduced to the world. A first-of-its-kind political and cultural experiment was born based on a set of never before tried ideas gleaned from ancient classical philosophy, the protestant reformation, and the Enlightenment era. Now set into practice, these new political theories relied on one essential ingredient for their success: The Self-Governing Citizen.
Fast forwarding to the modern day, we find ourselves mired in a political and cultural crisis. While every generation of citizens has undoubtedly faced its own threats, both internal and external, the current challenges we face seem somehow unique. This revolutionary form of government we call the American experiment was built on a solid foundation and has weathered many storms. But now that foundation, primarily from lack of maintenance, is eroding before our eyes.
With each previous challenge, American virtue, spirit, and tenacity have risen to the occasion. But now, we get the sense that our fellow neighbor is quickly losing those qualities, and the enduring traits that sustained this new form of civilization since its founding, have deteriorated to a point of unredeemable repair.
In our desperation, we have tried to replace this missing ingredient with inferior substitutes, placing our hopes in political parties, entertaining commentators, nostalgia, and charismatic leaders. Repeatedly, we put our hopes and dreams into the next big election and made our favorite radio personality a number-one bestseller while waiting for that great knight in shining armor to arrive and save us from ourselves. But this knight has failed to appear. Instead, the signs of a culture spiraling out of control are becoming more obvious each day. And more and more Americans are realizing that the missing ingredient has no substitute.
As the number of Americans willing to face this reality grows, they inevitably ask the next question: What difference can I make? These newly engaged citizens realize what must be done, but are often unequipped to meet the challenge. Like an atrophied muscle, the training to rebuild that strength can seem hopelessly daunting. But rebuild we must. Indeed, we are beginning to see budding signs of hope as citizens regain their courage, re-educate themselves, and re-engage in their communities. While many promising movements and organizations are growing throughout the country, perhaps this is best exemplified in the Convention of States movement.
What most casual observers and nay-sayers don’t understand about the Convention of States movement is that it is focused primarily on the means (building an engaged grassroots army) instead of the end (calling an Article V Convention). This is not to say that calling an Article V Convention is not desperately needed or that the organization is not genuinely trying to achieve this outcome. But rather, the organization realizes that achieving such a task first requires equipping the newly engaged citizen with the skills and training we have long forgotten.
When we hear rebuttals to the idea of an Article V Convention like “the federal government doesn’t follow the Constitution now, so why bother amending it?” or “Won’t Congress just refuse to call a Convention?”, they are solely focused on the mechanics of the process. It is certainly true that we live in a world where the political elite no longer respects the average citizen or the rule of law. Thus for any viable solution to work, whether that comes in the form of an Article V Convention or otherwise, that respect must first be reclaimed by the revitalized political will of an active citizenry.
Arming grassroots activists with these forgotten skills is evident in Convention of States’ partnership with Patriot Academy and their recent initiative with the Servant Leadership training program. Providing resources like these shows that the Convention of States organization aims to inspire, educate and motivate activists toward self-sufficiency. While many organizations and institutions often confine and circumvent their supporters' efforts, Convention of States is empowering the average American on their journey to realizing their true potential.
This is why this movement is so important. It is attempting to add that crucial missing ingredient back that we so desperately need. We were never going to achieve meaningful success without first reawakening the American citizen. This type of government is only ever going to work one way. As John Adams said “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
This form of government will never work without the self-governing citizen, armed with knowledge, wisdom, courage, and virtue. It is as essential as sunshine is to growth or breath is to life. When we finally choose to add back the missing ingredient, we may find ourselves surprised at how sweet it tastes.
This article was submitted by Garrett Ringler from Pennsylvania.
