Who ARE these People?
By Dana Ives
It’s a pretty safe bet that anyone reading this article understands their personal motives for supporting the Convention of States (COS) cause. You have studied history, taken the time to vet your representatives, committed to your beliefs, not shaken from your moral foundation, and know yourself. Once again, though, I wonder who is in charge of our centralized government.
The (ignorant, unwashed, deplorable, Bible-clinging, gun-toting, fly-over) People? Nah. That’s now a notion that’s almost destroyed by the current administration and the corrupt RINOs. The “progressives,” you say? Nope. A modern-day progressive is like those decorative dormers in a cookie-cutter home; there’s nothing behind the windows but darkness and a barren skeleton. Progressivism has merely become a convenient term for an empty, malleable ideology cynically used by Gavin “Weathervane” Newsom rather than the stable political philosophy of earlier times. The World Economic Forum? The WHO? How about the Chinese Communist Party? Or the European Union Commission in Brussels? The so-called “Deep State?” You can struggle to attach a term to the real forces at work in our Republic, but will you be successful?
It doesn’t really matter how you name the forces - they simply DESTROY. That is the bottom line. These forces destroy to rebuild, to “Change,” and offer “Hope” to the masses. The Destroyers are committed to their cause. The Destroyers are relentless and indefatigable. Additional Destroyers come in many forms - the Revolutionary Communist Party (you should take a look at their proposed US Constitution), BLM, Antifa, Planned Parenthood, the CDC, “The Squad,” the Soros Foundation, and many others. While using different methods, all of these destroyers share the same goal—destroy the status quo to REMAKE the world. The self-righteous Destroyers are convinced they have the answers and solutions to the world’s problems. They demand that we deplorables SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE and trust the Destroyers’ superior intellect and noble motives.
The Destroyers subvert our English language. The Destroyers demand that universally accepted terms are no longer valid in our changing society. The Destroyers call child mutilation “trans healthcare.” They call the destruction of a 16-week-old fetus “women’s healthcare” and the tissues from the fetus that weren’t used for medical research “biological waste.” They redefine promiscuity as being “polyamorous”. Breastfeeding is now “chest feeding,” and the mother is now a “birthing parent” to accommodate the trans fiction. An Armalite Rifle is now an “assault rifle.” “You have released the whirlwind and will pay the price” is a thinly veiled threat trumpeted by simpering, spineless, lemminglike “journalists.” The subversion of language means that supporting a corrupt Ukrainian government is actually “building peace & stability” and that sending billions of audit-free dollars in war materiel is allowing a “sovereign nation to protect its borders.” A believer in the glaringly obvious truth is now a “puppet.” The Founders were rebels. There’s no doubt they were revolutionary. They were honorable people committed to their cause no matter the price. They were the original, relentless, committed deplorables.
You’re now a deplorable. Whatever…Celebrate your new moniker, oh, Deplorable One.
Destroy the Destroyers
Defend the Constitution
by Joseph Sheeley
Americans have a unique advantage in preventing tyranny: the Constitution. Imagine how difficult it would be for a tyrant to operate if he needed to get whatever dictates he wanted through Congress, including a body representing the people and one representing the states. Imagine also how difficult it would be for him to abuse people to keep them in line if he must follow the Bill of Rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, fair trials by your peers, freedom from undue search and seizure, the right to bear arms, being told of the charges against you, the right to face your accusers, and so on. And these controls are not accidental. Our founders, having lived under tyranny, purposefully created a government with widely divided powers and all sorts of checks and balances, plus the Bill of Rights. They had just fought a terrible war to get out from under the heel of a tyrant and didn’t want to live under another. They wanted to make sure any laws that were passed were agreed upon by basically everyone.
But the power of the Constitution to restrain tyrants is only powerful if it is followed. Tyrants typically don’t respect laws and happily ignore any rule or law that will keep them from their goals of wielding power. “Rules and laws apply to thee and not to me.” We’ve seen the Constitution ignored as churches were closed and citizens were forced to undergo vaccinations they did not wish or be tormented with unnecessary and intrusive medical tests. We routinely give up our freedom to unreasonable search each time we go to the airport and are forced to undergo degrading pat-downs despite there being no reason to suspect us of wrongdoing. The public’s response to these abuses would have greatly disappointed the founding fathers, making them wish to take their vows on their lives and treasures back.
We’ve also started to see executives (both the President and Governors), as well as unelected bureaucrats, begin to enact rules and laws by dictates, often after expressing frustration that it is too hard to get the laws through the process, a process that is purposefully difficult to prevent tyranny. The courts have been little help in preventing this since when cases are brought, and they often declare no one has standing, or the dictates are only in force for a short time, so the point is ruled moot by the time the court hears it. But enormous damage can be done in a short period of time, and dead men cannot take their cases to the courts.
The Constitution was created in a time of honorable men. Individuals did what they thought to be just and proper because their reputation was one of their primary concerns. They were also God-fearing people who wanted to do what was right. As a result, no penalty is specified for an executive or agency violating the Constitution. It was assumed that the public embarrassment felt by not following it would be sufficient to dissuade abuses. Indeed, today, a tyrant can do whatever he chooses, fully knowing it is unconstitutional but also knowing that it will take months or years for a court to rule on the case, giving him time to accomplish his goals. In cases like discharging student loan debt or the Dreamers rules that legitimized illegal immigrants, reversing the decision pits one group of the public against another, making it difficult to get the genie back into the bottle. If the officials acting unconstitutionally were removed from the government and forbidden from holding a government post again and/or fined and sent to prison for an appropriate period, these cases would be far rarer. Right now, they are simply told, “you can’t do that,” after getting their way for a year or more.
So, one goal of the Convention of States should be to create suitable penalties to dissuade government officials from breaking the Constitution. Another approach would be to allow any citizen to ignore any laws he/she feels are unconstitutional without penalty until it is adjudicated in a court of law and run up through the appeals process as needed. Obviously, if the point raised had already been decided, that objection would not be valid.
But this would still not address times when the executive spends money inappropriately, forgives debts illegally or utilizes troops and government personnel to seize property or even take lives. Preventing abuses in this way requires a more direct methodology. Luckily, there is already a control in place. It is just not used effectively.
Every military servicemember, law enforcement officer, and government official takes an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. In cases of state officials, this includes both the federal and state constitutions. This means that they should not create or follow any order or directive that is in violation of these constitutions. If a police officer is told to arrest a peacefully assembled group, he should refuse, as this would violate the Constitution. The same would go for a military squad told to take guns from the citizenry or a prison guard holding individuals indefinitely without trial. If these individuals were to follow their oaths, abuses could not occur.
The issue is that these individuals don’t take their pledge to the Constitution personally. They take the attitude that “I’m just following orders” or “That’s up to the judge to figure out.” For them, they get paid and go home at night if they do what they are told. If they were to disobey because they felt the action was unconstitutional, they would risk being fired, demoted, or otherwise punished. “Just following orders” is how people do terrible things to others, and tyrants gain and hold onto power.
To prevent tyranny, we need to set the culture among our military, police, and government ranks. We should remind them that they have a personal responsibility to uphold the Constitution. In public forums, in letters to the paper, during personal interactions, when bringing up our children, and in calls and emails to public officials, we should be constantly touting the duty to follow the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They must know they have a personal responsibility to protect the rights of the people they encounter. Like a prime directive to a cyborg, they must process any order they receive through the standards set by the Constitution before they act. In all things, the Constitution must be supreme.
We should not be accepting of people who are “just following orders” when they do something abusive. These individuals should get public blowback for carrying out an unconstitutional order when they should have known better rather than getting a pass because they are just a cog in the machinery. We should consider personal lawsuits against all when abuses occur, not just the city, state, or federal government agency. We must also strengthen our safeguards when it comes to elected politicians and non-elected civil servants. They must face removal from office and criminal prosecution when they knowingly and flagrantly violate someone’s Constitutional rights or assume powers they do not have.
Tyrants cannot rule without people following their orders. If our military, law enforcement, and government workers all put the Constitution first, we’d have nothing to fear regardless of who comes into office. Without this sort of protection, it is only a matter of time before tyranny takes hold and we lose the freedoms we hold dear. Make it part of your daily life to advocate for the supremacy of the Constitution in all things government.
The Chevron Deference - Its Expansion of Federal Power
By Dana Ives
The recent Convention of States (COS) Simulation brought up a number of arguments pertaining to the wording of a Constitutional amendment aimed at limiting Federal power that is exercised by the “administrative state.” The administrative state has arguably grown into a multi-headed hydra that profoundly affects the day-to-day lives of all Americans. The reason for this expanded power is, in part, due to the necessity for Congress’ lack of specificity when crafting laws. As a practical matter, Congress cannot enact laws that take into account all situations that the law pertains to; therefore, rules are established by the administrative state, i.e., the EPA, CDC, FDA, FBI, etc. Thus, the opportunity exists for administrator(s) to establish rules that essentially have the power of law. If an average citizen objects to the rule(s), the citizen is welcome to challenge the rule interpretation in court…while absorbing the costs of such a challenge. What is the Chevron Deference (CD), and how does that pertain to the administrative state? Simply put, CD is an administrative law principle that compels federal courts to defer to a federal agency’s interpretation of an ambiguous or unclear statute that Congress delegated to the agency to administer. For example, suppose the Department of Justice chooses to prosecute a citizen despite there not being an adequate amount of evidence justifying an indictment. In that case, an administrative rule can be applied to justify the prosecution. A Federal agency’s interpretation of a particular rule is, at best, a subjective issue. Interpretation is, unfortunately, prone to the personal disposition of the agency’s empowered rules administrator, be it they’re depressed, coerced, or they’re of a certain political persuasion. Inconsistent Supreme Court rulings have fomented this “wiggle room” for interpreting rules. However, the wording of an Amendment limiting government power must be succinct enough to limit the “wiggle room” bureaucrats have when proposing and instituting rules for their respective agencies. The following are the three official proposed Amendments that came out of the recent simulated convention of states:
Federal Legislative & Executive Jurisdiction
Proposal 1:
Section 1: Commerce among the states shall mean buying, selling, or transporting commercial goods and services across state lines.
Section 2: Congress shall not delegate any rule-making function related to commerce among the states to any executive official or agency.
Section 3: Any federal law or regulation existing at the time of ratification of this amendment in conflict with this amendment shall become null and void two years after the date of ratification.
Section 4: For purposes of this Constitution, Navigable Waters shall be limited to surface waters actively used to transport goods in commerce among the states. Federal Legislative & Executive Jurisdiction
Proposal 2:
Section 1: The Legislatures of the States shall have authority to abrogate any action of Congress, President, or administrative agencies of the United States, whether in the form of a statute, decree, order, regulation, rule, opinion, decision, or other form. This provision shall not apply to presidential action taken pursuant to Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, and to presidential appointments.
Section 2: Such abrogation shall be effective when a simple majority of the Legislatures of the States declare the same provision or provisions of federal law to be abrogated. This abrogation authority may also be applied to provisions of federal law existing at the time this amendment is ratified. The state executive and judicial branches shall have no authority or involvement in this process.
Section 3: No government entity or official may take any action to enforce a provision of federal law after it is abrogated according to this amendment. Any action to enforce a provision of abrogated federal law shall be enjoined by a federal or state court of general jurisdiction in the state where the enforcement action occurs, and costs and attorney fees of such injunction shall be awarded against the entity or official attempting to enforce the abrogated provision. Qualified and sovereign immunity shall not be available as a defense in such an action.
Section 4. No provision abrogated pursuant to this amendment may be reenacted or reissued in its original or substantially similar form for ten years from the date of the abrogation.
Federal Legislative & Executive Jurisdiction
Proposal 3:
Section 1: Except with the permission of the Legislature of the State where the land is located, the national government shall not own, regulate, or control land or mineral rights, nor the proceeds from the sale of the same, except for the purposes expressly enumerated in Article I, Section 8, Clause 17.
Section 2: The national government shall not own, regulate, or control more than ten percent of the land and mineral rights in any given county or county equivalent, except with the express consent of the Legislature of the State in which the land is located, Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 notwithstanding.
Section 3: Congress shall return or cede all remaining lands and mineral rights to the state in which it is located within ten years from the effective date hereof.
Section 4. For purposes of this Amendment, Control shall mean any combination of federal regulations, treaties, land use designations, and like measures which exert control over the land within a county and a State, which has the effect individually or in the aggregate of rendering all or any substantial portion of the land non-taxable, or renders the land unsusceptible to multiple use and sustained yield.
Section 5. This amendment shall not apply to lands or military installations with respect to which jurisdiction has been ceded to the United States by a State, lands belonging to an Indian or Indian tribe; or to lands that are designated as national parks, national monuments, or as congressionally designated wilderness as of January 1, 1976.
Section 6: For purposes of this Constitution, Navigable Waters shall be limited to surface waters actively used for transport of goods in interstate commerce.
JFK- Fake News 60 Years and Counting
Brian Harris
Earlier this month, former Secret Service Agent Paul Landis came forward with what is seemingly a new “revelation” about what transpired in the moments after President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas. On November 22, 1963, Landis was a 28-year-old agent riding in the car following the presidential limousine. On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, the 88-year-old Landis is promoting a book. Landis’ “revelation” is that he retrieved a bullet while cleaning the rear seat of the limousine outside of the Parkland Memorial Hospital emergency entrance. Landis tells us that he walked into the emergency room, where doctors were attending to the President, and simply placed the bullet on the stretcher where Kennedy lay. Landis never mentioned this in any report at the time.
Landis’ account would seem to cast doubt on the already ludicrous magic bullet theory, which, as the theory goes, caused multiple wounds to President Kennedy and Governor Connally and ended up on an empty stretcher that had been used for the Governor in the emergency room hallway. If Landis’ story is to be believed, retrieving a bullet from the rear seat would contradict the Warren Commission’s claim that a bullet struck Kennedy from behind and ultimately lodged in the Governor’s thigh.
While all the mockingbird media is abuzz with the Landis story, it seems to be conveniently forgotten that the story of a bullet found in the limousine rear seat outside Parkland was promoted ten years ago. In 2013, the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, it was reported that another former Secret Service agent made the same claim. At that time, a former neighbor of Agent Sam Kinney reported that Kinney had told him that he had found a bullet in the rear seat of the limousine outside of Parkland. Kinney said he walked into the ER and set the bullet on an empty stretcher. This bullet, allegedly handled by Kinney, would become Warren Commission Exhibit CE-399, the pristine “magic bullet.”
So, what do we make of this? A nearly identical story being rolled out on the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the Kennedy assassination should raise questions rather than fawning from the media. In 1967, the Central Intelligence Agency was concerned enough about the Warren Commission critics spreading conspiracy theories that they issued a dispatch instructing their station chiefs to use their media propaganda assets to refute them. Sixty years after the assassination, the government’s cover-up of the truth about what happened in Dealey Plaza is still going strong. They don’t want us to know who killed President Kennedy, or why, or how.
Like the Kinney account, the Landis account is nothing more than misinformation sprinkled with elements of believability. The objective of which is to keep the waters muddy. The powers that be had a hand in killing our President, and they still don’t want us to figure that out. If the American people ever come to grips with the fact that a coup occurred on November 22, 1963, there would be hell to pay. The deep state forces don’t want that showdown because they want to maintain their illusory grip on power. In reality, we have the true power. Will we ever exercise it?
Convention of States Volunteers Stand Strong at TFALAC’s Event
By Jim MacDonald
On September 9, 2023, the Tennessee Firearms Association Legislative Action Committee (TFALAC) hosted its much-anticipated annual fundraising event at the Wilson County Farm Bureau Exposition Center in Lebanon, Tennessee. This gathering of Second Amendment enthusiasts marked a significant occasion for attendees from all walks of life to celebrate their shared values and interests. Convention of States Volunteers had the privilege of sharing their mission with fellow patriots.
The Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) was founded by John Harris in 1995 with a clear mission: to collaborate with the Tennessee Legislature in amending Tennessee’s civilian handgun permit laws. Over the years, TFA has become a formidable grassroots activist organization that passionately defends Second Amendment rights and advocates for responsible gun ownership.
The event drew a sold-out crowd of passionate Second Amendment supporters who reveled in the camaraderie of like-minded individuals. The Wilson County Farm Bureau Exposition Center buzzed with energy as attendees explored many booths, indulged in a delicious meal, and listened to captivating speakers who shared their dedication to preserving America’s cherished freedoms.
Country singer John Rich took to the stage, delivering a rousing speech and treating the audience to a series of patriotic songs. Rich’s performance
included the iconic “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood, stirring the crowd’s patriotism and underscoring the importance of defending the nation’s fundamental rights. As an activist with the Red Flag Down Campaign, Rich passionately addressed the urgent need to protect Second Amendment rights.
The highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Donald Trump, Jr., who delivered a powerful call to action. Trump, Jr. stressed that to save America, individuals must “Move!” 
He emphasized the importance of active participation in defending the values and freedoms that define the nation. His inspirational words resonated with the attendees, igniting a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to the cause. Americans must stand up and speak out against the evil destroying America.
The event also saw the presence of several Tennessee State Representatives, including Mark Pody and Mark Green, who shared their support for the Second Amendment and engaged with attendees. Their participation underscored the event’s significance in the state’s political landscape.
Of course, the event’s special moments were the presence of Convention of States and Patriot Academy Volunteers, who were able to share their mission with fellow patriots. Norman Bobo, a prominent supporter, purchased Convention of States and Patriot Academy tables, allowing these organizations to connect with like-minded individuals and expand their reach. This allowed Convention of States Volunteers to educate others about the need for constitutional reform and citizen-led initiatives.
The TFALAC annual fundraising event was a testament to the unwavering dedication of Second Amendment supporters and grassroots activists. The Convention of States and Patriot Academy Volunteers played a crucial role in spreading their mission to safeguard constitutional principles and empower citizens. This event exemplified the power of unity and collective action in preserving the rights and values that define the United States of America.
Tennessee on the Move...
Block Walking patriots from Estill Springs, TN.
Block Walking Patriots from Powell, TN.
Block Walking Patriots from Sevierville, TN.
Patriots from Ashland City, TN.
Patriots from Cleveland, TN.
Patriots from Dayton, TN.
Patriots from Hixson, TN.
Patriots from Maryville, TN.
Patriots from Shelbyville, TN.
Patriots from Sevier County reading the U.S. Constitution at the annual Constitution Day Celebration.
Patriots attending the Tennessee Firearms Association's (TFA) annual fund raiser event.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Ashland City, TN. Tuesday, October 17th, 2023, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bethlehem Community Center,1506 SR-12 N. Ashland City, TN. 37015, Debbie MacDonald
Dayton, TN. Thursday, October 12th, 2023, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at Monkey Town Brewery 287 1st Ave., Dayton TN. 37321 Jay Walling
Decatur, TN. Saturday, October 28th, 2023, from 10:45 to 12:15 p.m. at the Decatur Family diner 17315 SR-58, Decatur, TN. 37322 Meet & Greet with Jay Walling
Gallatin/Hendersonville, TN. Saturday, October 21st, 2023, Time and Location: to be determined.
Hixson, TN. Friday, October 27th, 2023, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the Rib & Loin Restaurant, 5435 Hwy 153, Hixson, TN. 37343 - Meet and Greet - Jay Walling
Jamestown, TN. Saturday, October 14th, 2023, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at Fentress County Courthouse, 101 N. Main St, Jamestown, TN. Larry Wilke
Loudon, TN. Wednesday, October 25th, 2023, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dinner at Little Italy Restaurant 316 Lakeside Plaza, Loudon, TN. 37774. See Theresa Hult
McMinnville, TN. Saturday, October 14th, 2023, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at Magness Library COS Meeting, 118 W. Main St. McMinnville, TN. 37110, Doug Hill & Jay Walling
Murfreesboro, TN. Saturday, October 21st, 2023 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Unity Freewill Baptist 1901 Florence Rd. Murfreesboro TN. 37129 Richard and Linda Black
Powell, TN. Saturday, October 14th, 2023, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at Shoney’s on Emory Rd. Powell, or second Saturday of each month, Anne Martin and Dan Mobley
Sevierville, TN. Saturday, October 7th, 2023 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Block Walking, Call Christine Solomon for location 832-868-3674
Sevierville, TN. Saturday, October 21st, 2023 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. King Family Library 408 High St. Sevierville, call Christine Solomon at 832-868-3674 for more information
Shelbyville, TN. Saturday, October 28th, 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Shelbyville-Bedford County Library, 220 South Jefferson St., Shelbyville, TN 37160 Claire Root and Joyce Reed
White House, TN. Thursday, October 26th, 2023, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at E.J.'s Restaurant, 532 Raymond Hirsch Pkwy., White House, TN. 37188. See Nancy Parkinson 815-988-7209
BattleCry, Join Mark Meckler for the BattleCry every Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. EST on Facebook and Rumble.
For the most up to date schedule, go to the calendar on our Tennessee website: www.conventionofstates.com/tennessee 
