documents:cosproject:surge:article_10-finalconstitutionaloption
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documents:cosproject:surge:article_10-finalconstitutionaloption [2018/03/21 15:47] – File build by odt2dw plugin from fileArticle_10-FinalConstitutionalOption.odt Oliver Wolcott | documents:cosproject:surge:article_10-finalconstitutionaloption [2018/03/25 12:13] – Oliver Wolcott | ||
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- | <sub>{{Article_10-FinalConstitutionalOption.odt|Original file}}</ | + | <WRAP center round download 60%> |
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- | The problem, which hardly needs stating, is that the federal government has become the very monster the Founders anticipated. | + | ---- |
- | **The Final Constitutional Option** | + | //The problem, which hardly needs stating, is that the federal government has become the very monster the Founders anticipated.// |
- | **Bob Berry, Regional Director for Convention of States Project** | + | ---- |
- | Having been dormant for centuries, a potent section in the U.S. Constitution is now in the minds and on the lips of a new generation of reformers who are determined to keep the nation out of an abyss. As America stares hard at the darkness ahead, the new reform-ers — supporters of The Convention of States Project — have begun to popularize this for-gotten constitutional provision that might well become Official Washington’s undoing. | + | ===== The Final Constitutional Option ===== |
+ | **Bob Berry** | ||
- | The problem, which hardly needs stating, is that the federal government has become the very monster the Founders anticipated. Quite likely, the beast we face is far beyond anything that could have been imagined by the found-ing | + | Having been dormant for centuries, a potent section in the U.S. Constitution is now in the minds and on the lips of a new generation of reformers who are determined to keep the nation out of an abyss. As America stares hard at the darkness ahead, the new reformers — supporters of The Convention of States Project — have begun to popularize this for-gotten constitutional provision that might well become Official Washington’s undoing. |
+ | |||
+ | The problem, which hardly needs stating, is that the federal government has become the very monster the Founders anticipated. Quite likely, the beast we face is far beyond anything that could have been imagined by the founding | ||
The Founders’ concern that power would be consolidated at the federal level is dealt with in Article V of the U.S. Constitution. | The Founders’ concern that power would be consolidated at the federal level is dealt with in Article V of the U.S. Constitution. | ||
- | Author Mark Levin, in his blockbuster best-seller, | + | Author Mark Levin, in his blockbuster best-seller, |
Obviously, what is needed is a way to trump the Beltway ruling class from without. | Obviously, what is needed is a way to trump the Beltway ruling class from without. | ||
- | Enter Article V, which prescribes the amend-ment | + | Enter Article V, which prescribes the amendment |
- | But the Founders knew that Congress would be loath to propose anything that would limit federal power, so they included a way for the states to propose amendments in an ad hoc assembly that Article V styles as “A Conven-tion | + | But the Founders knew that Congress would be loath to propose anything that would limit federal power, so they included a way for the states to propose amendments in an ad hoc assembly that Article V styles as “A Convention |
- | The idea of using the amendments | + | The idea of using the amendments |
- | + | ||
- | tures, which would have compelled Congress to issue a call for the amendments convention. | + | |
That’s when the effort took a bizarre detour — into oblivion. | That’s when the effort took a bizarre detour — into oblivion. | ||
- | The BBA advocates of the 1980s, including then-President Reagan, were decidedly of the political right. The last thing anyone in the movement expected was for “friendlies” from elsewhere on the right to object to the idea in near hysterics as a plot to render the Constitu-tion | + | The BBA advocates of the 1980s, including then-President Reagan, were decidedly of the political right. The last thing anyone in the movement expected was for “friendlies” from elsewhere on the right to object to the idea in near hysterics as a plot to render the Constitution |
- | BBA advocates attempted to clarify the differ-ence | + | BBA advocates attempted to clarify the difference |
The critics would have none of it. | The critics would have none of it. | ||
- | In appeals | + | {{: |
- | //Continued to back page// | + | ---- |
- | The new reformers would do well to press on with the case for state-initiated amendments and ignore the tired conspiracy theories of the past. | + | //The new reformers would do well to press on with the case for state-initiated amendments and ignore the tired conspiracy theories of the past.// |
- | //Continued from front page// | + | ---- |
- | left out any mention of the ratification process by three-fourths of the states — the implica-tion being that once the proceedings began, there would be nothing that could be done to hold it back when, inevitably, extreme ele-ments moved to dissolve the Constitution. When challenged on this, the foes weaved the assertion into their conspiracy theory that the out-of-control assembly would simply declare its own sovereignty and dispense with the rati-fication process altogether! | ||
- | As preposterous as this notion was, the ac-companying | + | In appeals to the public, the critics insidiously left out any mention of the ratification process by three-fourths of the states — the implication being that once the proceedings began, there would be nothing that could be done to hold it back when, inevitably, extreme elements moved to dissolve the Constitution. When challenged on this, the foes weaved the assertion into their conspiracy theory that the out-of-control assembly would simply declare its own sovereignty and dispense with the ratification process altogether! |
+ | |||
+ | As preposterous as this notion was, the accompanying | ||
As a postscript to this sad chapter, it should be noted that by the late 1980s, the national debt had just topped < | As a postscript to this sad chapter, it should be noted that by the late 1980s, the national debt had just topped < | ||
- | The Professor | + | **The Professor** |
- | In 2009, an academic from the University of Montana was surveying opportunities for re-search. Of particular interest to Professor Robert G. Natelson were areas of constitu- | + | In 2009, an academic from the University of Montana was surveying opportunities for re-search. Of particular interest to Professor Robert G. Natelson were areas of constitutional scholarship characterized by a scarcity of research, poor research, or, optimally, both. |
- | tional scholarship characterized by a scarcity of research, poor research, or, optimally, both. | + | Intrigued by the vestigial Convention for Pro-posing Amendments mentioned in Article V, Natelson was struck by the paucity of modern-day scholarship on the topic, despite an abundance of original source material. |
- | + | ||
- | Intrigued by the vestigial Convention for Pro-posing Amendments mentioned in Article V, Natelson was struck by the paucity of mod-ern-day scholarship on the topic, despite an abundance of original source material. | + | |
Quietly, he set to work. | Quietly, he set to work. | ||
- | Before long, Natelson had acquired nearly all of the journals of founding-era conventions. This was added to his existing collection of material from each state’s ratification | + | Before long, Natelson had acquired nearly all of the journals of founding-era conventions. This was added to his existing collection of material from each state’s ratification |
- | Casting a wider net, he pulled in over 40 gen-erally | + | Casting a wider net, he pulled in over 40 generally |
- | The research quickly became the gold stan-dard | + | The research quickly became the gold standard |
- | {{article_10-finalconstitutionaloption_Image_0.jpg}} | + | Natelson held that, far from being a self-destruct mechanism, the Founders meant for the process to be used in parallel to the congressional method as yet another “check and balance” within the framework of the newly constituted federal government. |
- | Natelson held that, far from being a self-de-struct mechanism, the Founders meant for the process | + | Most importantly, Natelson drew a strong distinction between the assembly mentioned in Article V and the oft-mentioned Constitutional Convention. For this reason, he is quick to correct anyone mistakenly referring |
- | Most importantly, | + | Natelson’s research trove smashed the conspiracy |
- | + | ||
- | Natelson’s research trove smashed the con-spiracy | + | |
The new reformers would do well to press on with the case for state-initiated amendments and ignore the tired conspiracy theories of the past. Having been marginalized to an almost comic degree, the foes of yesterday have been effectively dispatched. | The new reformers would do well to press on with the case for state-initiated amendments and ignore the tired conspiracy theories of the past. Having been marginalized to an almost comic degree, the foes of yesterday have been effectively dispatched. | ||
- | When a battle is won, it is wise to move to the next battle, for the waiting opponent is formi-dable | + | When a battle is won, it is wise to move to the next battle, for the waiting opponent is formidable |
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
+ | Sign the COS Petition, be a leader https:// | ||
+ | Volunteer here https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ||[[https:// | ||
+ | (540)441-7227 | [[https:// | ||
- | (540) 441-**7**22**7**|CONVENTIONOFSTATES.COM|Facebook.com/ | ||
documents/cosproject/surge/article_10-finalconstitutionaloption.txt · Last modified: 2021/06/13 16:19 by Oliver Wolcott