The overall mission of Convention of States is to build the largest conservative grassroots army ever assembled in this country, and with over 5M supporters we are making significant progress. Training that army to be citizen activists at all levels of government including local, state and national, is how we can save this country long-term.
A goal within that larger mission is to utilize Article V of the U.S. Constitution to convene a Convention of the States, a tool our Founders provided that empowers We the People to bypass Congress to propose amendments that Congress will never do on their own.
The process requires 34 state legislatures to pass a resolution that defines the scope of the convention, with 19 states having done so. We are more than half way there.
The scope would constrain the convention to propose amendments focused on term limits, imposing fiscal restraints and limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government. At its most basic level, it’s about federalism and returning power to the states where it belongs.
The North Carolina COS resolution HJR 235 passed the NC House on March 8, 2023 with strong Republican support. The Senate has refused to act. We have one more opportunity after the November election for our Senators to do the right thing for future generations.
In recent months, we have seen a steady decline in the engagement of our volunteers. Why is that happening and why is that important anyway? Those are the questions raised in this article.
One reason may be that with the November election looming and Trump expected to be swept back into office, with leftist and progressive policies under siege everywhere and recent SCOTUS rulings that uphold an originalist interpretation of the constitution, many believe that “all is well”. That our worldview is winning.
This could not be further from the truth. The progressive left driven by a hatred of the American experiment and our historical core values, a belief in the “living constitution”, and dominated by Marxists, will never stop. They are relentless and we must be as well. Our effort transcends any one president or election cycle. It transcends any one SCOTUS decision.
When I speak at events and promote our effort, I often explain that when I put on my “political party hat”, it is absolutely about electing good candidates. But when I put on my “COS hat”, it’s about not trusting either political party to solve the big problems.
Both parties are vested in big government no matter what they say. The unsustainable +34T in debt and debt/GDP ratio of more than 100% is an example. It is up to us to rein in the federal government. History says they will never do that on their own.
Another reason for a downturn here in North Carolina in volunteer engagement may be frustration with the process and not passing the COS resolution this past legislative session.
I share that frustration having dedicated, just like many others, significant time and resources in all four legislative sessions spanning almost 8 years attempting to pass the COS resolution in North Carolina.
But we cannot give up and go away. Those who oppose us in the North Carolina General Assembly believe that will eventually happen. We can wring our hands and complain all we want, but that accomplishes nothing.
We must stay engaged for the future of our federal republican form of government. It is about future generations, not us. There is no other choice.
John Q. Adams was the 6th president of the U.S. After he left office, he is the only former president to return to Congress. Why? Because he was passionate about ending slavery. Congress got so fed up with him, they passed a gag order prohibiting him from talking about slavery.
Leaving Congress one day, he was confronted by the media and asked why he continued to fight. He simply said: “Duty is ours, results are God’s”.
He never saw the fruits of his labor, dying on House floor. But he mentored a young Illinois Senator, Abraham Lincoln, who went on to be President and fulfill Adams’ vision to end slavery.
Many of us working to pass a COS resolution here and across the country may never see the fruits of our labor. But I always go back to the John Q. Adams story for inspiration.
There are many ways we need our grassroots now. First, if you have not signed the petition, then that is the first step to support this effort.
But signing the petition will not lead to success. You must get truly engaged. Volunteer your time. Go to the Take Action tab on the website and raise your hand. There is something everyone can do no matter what your skills might be or how much time you can commit.
We also need you to engage with your local legislators and candidates right now. Here is a link that provides information on how to do that.
Now is the time. You cannot sit on the sidelines. If not you, then who?
Jeff Groh resides in western North Carolina and is a small business owner. He is also a Regional Captain for Convention of States Project, a non-partisan effort to rein in the expanding role of the federal government.
