Last week was a big week for me and for America. I was at the historic Simulated Convention of States in Colonial Williamsburg, where state legislators from all over the nation proposed possible amendments to the Constitution.
I had the privilege of speaking to this crowd on a couple of occasions — and my speeches were warmly received. (Here’s my first one in case you missed it).
“Great talk,” I heard repeatedly. But just as frequently, it’s been followed by, “Now, who are you exactly?”
Yep. In all of my excitement, I forgot to introduce myself.
Which, now that I think about it, is pretty apt.
The Convention of States movement is not about “important people doing important things.” In fact, neither is this nation.
George Washington famously settled on “President” as the modest reflection of his position — not as royalty, but as one who presides in an office during a set amount of time. He considered himself a steward of the office, not as some sort of messianic political leader. In America, our “political leaders” serve at the discretion of the sovereign citizens; “we the people” are the ones who make the decisions.
This is easy to forget.
Over the years, our politicians have strayed from that Washingtonian humility. These days, our politicians have become larger-than-life, power-hungry bureaucrats; they roll around with an air of superiority; they ignore the will of the people. The President makes executive orders so frequently that you wonder if he realizes why Washington chose “President” instead of “King.”
The cool thing about the Convention of States — the beauty of it, really — is that it empowers “we the people” to take back our rightful power. That’s why I’m sort of glad I forgot to introduce myself when I got onstage. I might have told you my name, the fact that I’ve been a grassroots activist for several years in the tea party, that I’m an attorney, or that I’m a Constitutional activist.
But that’s not the main reason why I am participating in this simulated convention.
We can call a Convention of States to return the country to its original vision of a limited federal government that is of, by and for the people.
So, let me take a few steps back and introduce myself.
I’m Mark Meckler, and I’m a citizen of the United States.
Join me in taking this nation back from our power hungry “elites.”
