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--- documents:cosproject:surge:article_10-finalconstitutionaloption [2018/03/21 22:21] – Oliver Wolcott
+++ documents:cosproject:surge:article_10-finalconstitutionaloption [2018/03/25 12:13] – Oliver Wolcott
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 ====== Article 10 - Final Constitutional Option ======
+<WRAP center round download 60%>
+[[https://conventionofstates.com/files/article-10-the-final-constitutional-option|Download PDF, Article 10-Final Constitutional Option]]
+</WRAP>
+{{tag>surge}}
+{{:documents:cosproject:surge:article-10-top.png|The problem, which hardly needs stating, is that the federal government has become the very monster the Founders anticipated.}}
+----
+//The problem, which hardly needs stating, is that the federal government has become the very monster the Founders anticipated.//
+----
-{{:documents:cosproject:surge:article-10-top.png?600|}}
-<blockquote>
-The problem, which hardly needs stating, is that the federal government has become the very monster the Founders anticipated.
-</blockquote>
 ===== The Final Constitutional Option =====
 **Bob Berry**
@@ Line 32: / Line 39: @@
 The critics would have none of it.
-In appeals to the public, the critics insidiously
+{{:documents:cosproject:surge:article-10-center.png|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 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!
+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 ac-companying slogan was more effective: “We don’t need a new Constitution!” Gobsmacked, the BBA proponents could only look on as state legislators made for the tall grass. One by one, states began rescinding BBA resolutions.
+As preposterous as this notion was, the accompanying slogan was more effective: “We don’t need a new Constitution!” Gobsmacked, the BBA proponents could only look on as state legislators made for the tall grass. One by one, states began rescinding BBA resolutions.
 As a postscript to this sad chapter, it should be noted that by the late 1980s, the national debt had just topped <sup>$</sup>2 trillion. An effective BBA at that time could have stopped the bleeding that, by any objective measure, has become an existential threat.
-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.
-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 conven-tion as each considered whether or not to ap-prove the proposed 1787 Constitution. A pic-ture of early American convention tradition began to emerge.
+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 convention as each considered whether or not to approve the proposed 1787 Constitution. A picture of early American convention tradition began to emerge.
-Casting a wider net, he pulled in over 40 gen-erally neglected Article V court decisions, some of which had been argued before the Supreme Court. In a series of publications, Natelson churned out his findings (available at www.articlevinfocenter.com), which sur-prised many — including himself.
+Casting a wider net, he pulled in over 40 generally neglected Article V court decisions, some of which had been argued before the Supreme Court. In a series of publications, Natelson churned out his findings (available at [[http://www.articlevinfocenter.com|www.articlevinfocenter.com]]), which surprised many — including himself.
-The research quickly became the gold stan-dard of scholarship about the process, known formally as the “State-Application-and-Convention” method of amending the Constitution.
+The research quickly became the gold standard of scholarship about the process, known formally as the “State-Application-and-Convention” method of amending the Constitution.
-{{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 to be used in parallel to the congres-sional method as yet another “check and bal-ance” within the framework of the newly con-stituted federal government.
+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 to the Convention for Proposing Amendments as a “Constitutional Convention.”
-Most importantly, Natelson drew a strong dis-tinction between the assembly mentioned in Article V and the oft-mentioned Constitu-tional Convention. For this reason, he is quick to correct anyone mistakenly referring to the Convention for Proposing Amendments as a “Constitutional Convention.”
+Natelson’s research trove smashed the conspiracy theories of the 1980s and has become the intellectual base of the resurgent Article V movement that has been joined by Levin and other prominent reformers. When the history is written, it will record that this was the mo-ment the Article V movement achieved critical mass.
-Natelson’s research trove smashed the con-spiracy theories of the 1980s and has become the intellectual base of the resurgent Article V movement that has been joined by Levin and other prominent reformers. When the history is written, it will record that this was the mo-ment the Article V movement achieved criti-cal mass.
 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 and lives on Capitol Hill.
+When a battle is won, it is wise to move to the next battle, for the waiting opponent is formidable and lives on Capitol Hill.
+----
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