Why the State wants to exclude COS and Patriot Academy from democracy

What does democracy mean?

According to Kamala Harris, “Our election is about understanding the importance of this beautiful country of ours in terms of what we stand for around the globe as a democracy. As a democracy, we know there’s a duality to the nature of democracy. On the one hand, incredible strength when it is intact…. Incredibly strong and incredibly fragile.”

More articulate sources might describe democracy as the right of the people to participate in their government.

If you have been at all in tune with the Left’s rhetoric over the past four years, you know they have had a lot to say about the supposed democratic bedrock of American society. The president can hardly refrain from giving a speech without bloviating about it. For example, he mentions democracy six times in this 90-second clip.

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But the Left’s version of “democracy” is surprisingly intolerant and one-sided. Hence, the new proverb: What do you call a nation that acts according to its values? A democracy. What do you call a Christian who act according to his values? A radical, nationalist, and extremist.

People of faith and conservatives are not welcome in the Marxists’ picture of democracy. In fact, we are excluded.

Don’t be fooled. When they say they support your right to vote your values, what they really mean is that they support your “right” to fall in line and vote exactly how they tell you to. Any deviation from perfect party compliance will swiftly be labeled as “Christian nationalism” or, ironically, a “threat to democracy.”

That’s exactly what happened to my friends at Patriot Academy.

For over 20 years, Patriot Academy has trained young, future leaders to make a difference in politics, equipping them to stand up for what they believe in the public square. Of course, one might assume the Left would applaud such an effort — after all, Biden said democracy is “America’s sacred cause.” And what good is democracy if young Americans cannot stand up for what they believe?

SEE ALSO: The Founders’ Library

But make no mistake — the Far Left is opposed to anyone who supports biblical citizenship, constitutional originalism, or general conservative principles from standing up for what they believe. Instead of being lauded for encouraging young people to participate in the democratic process, Patriot Academy was slammed in a recent ad for purportedly working to “rewrite the constitution to establish a Christian Nation.”

“The insurrection, if Patriot Academy has its way, will be bloodless: a heart transplant for the body politic,” The New Republic reported. “Patriot Academy, along with many fellow-traveler evangelical organizations across the country, is engaged in a life-and-death struggle to rewrite America’s Constitution—and teaching its supporters how to defend themselves with a handgun, just in case.”

Convention of States is no stranger to lies like these. We face similar accusations almost daily because we believe in prioritizing the American people over the federal government. In fact, The New Republic hit piece on Patriot Academy goes on to quote from COS opponent Russ Feingold, who claims, “The thing that [Convention of States] would most like to see happen is to gut the Constitution by engineering a constitutional convention. [They want] to really destroy the power of the federal government.”

At Convention of States, we are dedicated to empowering the American people to use the Constitution — specifically Article V — to hold the federal government accountable. Similarly, Patriot Academy is committed to cultivating the next generation of leaders who are passionate about liberty and patriotism. The media has labeled both initiatives as “extreme.” We are accused of wanting to “rewrite” or “gut” the Constitution, although these claims couldn’t be further from the truth.

In other words, we are slandered, ridiculed, defamed, and besmirched for daring to participate in “democracy.” 

SEE ALSO: 200 years ago, Jefferson looked to Article V to save America from monarchy

The reality is that, despite their silver-tongued claims about championing the American system of government, the Left shows little interest in extending such freedom to people like you and me.

When elites like Kamala Harris wax (in)eloquent about the beauty of democracy, what they really mean is that our country will only succeed if the “nationalists” and “radicals” surrender their adherence to the Bible, the Constitution, and their core values, and instead bow the knee to the left-wing agenda. Dissent is strictly forbidden in this version of America, where “democracy” exists only for the State’s most loyal lackeys.

But I’ve got news for Kamala. As someone who has proudly participated in both Patriot Academy and Convention of States, I have a deep understanding of the everyday people across this country and can personally attest that millions of Americans — both Democrats and Republicans — will never conform to the elitist mindset. The “Christian nationalist threat to democracy” line of attack is failing. We will continue to stand our ground — no matter what we are called.

Support Convention of States today to ensure your voice influences the future of American politics by signing the COS petition below!