On September 18, 1787, James McHenry, one of the Maryland delegates during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, wrote about an exchange between Mrs. Eliza Powell and Benjamin Franklin. During this exchange, Mrs. Powell asked Franklin, “Well doctor, what we have we got a republic or monarchy?” Franklin replied, “A republic if you can keep it.”
Franklin’s words to Mrs. Powell have been used to stress the importance that citizens have a duty to be our Constitution’s guardians. Now fast forward 234 years from 1787 to 2021, where our Constitution, for the past one hundred years, has been under constant attack by foreign influences and domestic self-interests.
Americans have tried many peaceful methods to stop these influences, but these methods have ended with further enablement and expansion of these influences. While many have lost hope and even more others have begun to follow suit, the Framers gave us a tool which would provide us with an ability that could save our constitution: the Convention of States outlined in Article V of the Constitution.
Many might be wondering what a Convention of States is. Article V of the Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the Constitution. One method is through the passage of 2/3’s vote from both the House of Representatives and the Senate to then be approved by 3/4’s of state legislatures. The other method is through 2/3’s of the states calling for a “Convention for proposing Amendments,” which would also have to be ratified by 3/4’s of the nation’s state legislatures. The Framers created the Convention of States to be a way to bypass Congress and allow the states to make constitutional changes, particularly should the mechanisms to limit the federal government’s power fail.
This brings us to the question: Why do we need a convention of states? For the past one hundred years, the federal government has become larger and more invasive through the ever-increasing powers of our institutions, which has resulted in deep corruption and consolidation of power in D.C. The cure to this is through a Convention of States, where Amendments for Term Limits, Balanced Budget, State legislature’s right to choose senators, and repeal of the income tax can finally be presented and ratified by the states. These infractions cannot be solved by Congress but only through the strength and determination of the American people and their state legislatures.
Already several state and federal politicians, along with prominent figures in America have supported the Convention of States movement such as Mark Levin, Senator Marco Rubio, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, former U.S Secretary of HUD Ben Carson, Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and many others. With the ever-increasing support for Convention of States growing amongst everyday Americans, politicians, and prominent figures, the American people now have the opportunity to save our Constitution from the clutches of tyranny and oppression.
I encourage Americans to become part of the movement by contacting your state legislatures, promoting convention of states in your area, educating others about convention of states, and by going to the convention of states website where they have a petition going and giving American’s ways of becoming more active in the movement.
Benjamin Franklin, when contemplating Washington’s chair that had a sun on it during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, said, “I have often … in the course of the session … looked at that sun behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now at length I have the happiness to know it is a rising and not a setting sun.” Now I ask you, are we witnessing a setting sun or a rising one?
The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the values and beliefs of Cogitare Magazine, nor of Grove City College.
The financial supporters of our major political parties stand to lose their influence should such a Convention take place. They are placing their bets on the apathy and ignorance of the American voter, unfortunately an increasingly surer bet each year. The ideal and goal of “service” is either forgotten or abandoned once the goal of election is achieved either by choice or necessity, to retain continued party financial support and retention of office or advancement in one’s political career. The greatest danger to our nation today is not the non-voter, but the uneducated and apathethic voter who relies upon the R or D next to the name of a candidate. Roughly 2/3 od today’s voters enter the campaign with their mind made up regardless of the candidate. Probably, the figure is higher since many “undecideds” don’t want to admit their candidate. With over 50% of young people having been brainwashed into thinking socialism is better than capitalism, and with their ignorance of the system in general, the American voter is permitting a slow transformation of our nation into an oligarchy. There will be an appearance of socialism, but the control will be central and far from benevolent, ala “Atlas Shrugged” where the government will prevail. This is not based upon taxable income of the rich, or class warfare, as the Democrats would have us believe, but rather the influence of money over the political parties in general. Money controls BOTH parties, maybe not the same money, but money just the same. Who and from what countries the money comes from is anybody’s guess. But it’s just politics as Congress, and a hyperpoliticized SCOTUS that has failed to defend the Constitution, has allowed itself to become isn’t it?