As you may or may not know, the landed aristocrats which
founded the United States of America, and drafted the current legal document
known as the Constitution, did not trust each other. In fact a number of them
wanted to shoot each other as some owned slaves and others believed owning
humans an abomination to creation.
When you enter into a legal contract with someone you despise, you make sure
there's a way out should things go south. That legal principle is embodied in
Article V of the current contract, indeed it is the lasting remnant of the Declaration
of Independence--our right to alter or abolish a government no longer working
in our interests.
You may have heard talk recently of citizens saying Yea or Nay to a federal
convention of the states--a constitutional convention--the Article V
Convention--and you may have considered the issue too fringe and therefore
unrealistic in terms of practical politics. Ten years ago, sure, and even five
years ago--OK--but today, 2015, Article V is not fringe. While it may not be
reported by corporate media or noted by anyone inside the federal government,
the idea of convoking a convention is gaining ground, so much so that just
yesterday something historic happened. For the first time in American history
the Congress formally acknowledged a state application:
clerk.house.gov/legislative/memorials.aspx
The Congressional Record is littered with over seven hundred applications from
the states, so it will be interesting to see where the count goes from here,
but for now, we should know, our government just blinked.
As to fears of a convention, let us remember it is a process which ends when
7.5 out of 10 Americans agree on something. If you fear a convention you are
fearing 7.5/10 will agree to re-write the Constitution, which of course is an
irrational fear. We already know which amendment has sufficient backing by the
People--one which removes the corrupting influence of private money from the
public government. Get that ratified and public elections become publicly funded, elected officials will become
public servants, and all else will be taken care of in a natural progression of
events. Why? Because the will of the People will be accurately expressed.
So what do you say? Time to take the Article V issue off the back burner and
begin talking amendments?
