"The Constitution is a contract with the government and the people of the United States," said Harvey Fitzgerald, Convention of States District Captain. "We said, 'our rights come from God, and we need a limited government to protect our God-given rights and create a civil society.'"
Photo by Fall River Herald Star News.
That is just one take-away point from Fitzgerald's 90-minute town hall presentation. He has gotten his script down to a science as he continues to host events throughout the Black Hills.
Alongside his wife Velva, Harvey hosted another round of meetings to share about Convention of States with friends and neighbors in his area. The three town halls were hosted in Hot Springs, Custer, and Hill City in April. All were well-attended and carefully organized. Through a PowerPoint presentation, many new people are learning about the power of Article V.
"Our framers gave us a lifeline," Harvey said, "Article V of the U.S. Constitution sets up the framework for a Convention of States for proposing amendments to the Constitution."
The process calls for two-thirds of the states (thirty-four) to agree on a set agenda, then meet to develop proposed amendments. From there, the delegates from each state would vote, one vote per state, and the passed amendments would go to the states for ratification.
At each event, the Fitzgeralds gain more and more petition signers, all in support of having South Dakota join the other 15 states in calling a convention.
"Not only do we have people sign petitions, we also are building our list of volunteers,” said Velva, COS State Information Analyst. “Folks are buying door magnets to spread awareness and are wanting to get more involved.”
The events have brought substantial attention to the movement– there were even articles on the front pages of two local papers, the Custer County Chronicle and the Fall River County Herald Star.
Harvey and Velva are just two of the multitude of patriots working across the country to promote the three pillars of COS: term limits, fiscal responsibility, and limiting federal overreach.
"We do it for our grandkids," added Velva. "Every time we go out and talk to people, we are working to save the country for them."
You can make a difference. Sign the petition and join our COS team as an active volunteer.
