SHOULD WE HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION AND LOOK AT POSSIBLE CHANGE?

C. Forsloff - Shall the law be constantly challenged as the modern world makes changes or should there be a constitutional convention to make changes or should there be a following of Article V provisions so the issues of the government can conform to the mandate of the country's founders?

Now we might want to look at this as something whose time has come, given the mix-ups, misinterpretations and mis-quotes of the Constitution. In fact, that good, old document is often used like the Holy Bible, indestructible, infinite, and without needing either updating or interpretation.  But the Constitution allows change through amendments, something that an Article V convention would allow.Yet both have lent themselves to argument for a very long time. Were everyone in agreement and were everything exactly so, why would the Supreme Court have to weight decisions based upon the Constitution. Like there are myriad Christian views based upon a single spiritual discourse in book form, there are many views of the Constitution as well. One person believes it is unconstitutional to do "Y" while "X" is fine is often an opinion based upon wholescale political differences.

Now some are against a change of the Constitution, some want to see a convention but are against the change and some want none at all.  There is a big difference in the John Birch Society and an Article V Convention, which is what Michigan retired Supreme Court Justice Thomas E. Brennan wants as is the thesis of the letter to the editor, part of this article.  It is constitutionally mandated, which is the reference to Article V.

Given remarks by many that the Tea Party has no coherent agenda and is all over the place when it comes to a direction and purpose, perhaps they could take up the cause. It is just a thought, of course. But let's look at this idea and a serious movement has to say about an Article V Convention, its reason and purpose and what Gordie Hayuk says in his letter to the editor.

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Here is that letter to the editor:

"Obama is a mere figurehead spewing rhetoric; however, Congress actually disobeys the Constitution on a daily basis by not calling an Article V Convention as mandated in the Constitution. Federal law states it is a criminal act to not obey their oath of office, and that fact is supported by the Solicitor General.Article V of the Constitution give both Congress AND the People an equal right to propose amendments. Congress is road-blocking the call for a convention by the People because they know the People will propose amendments for ratification by the States, creating amendments for term limits, an official U.S. voting unit, an end to party dominated gerrymandering, publicly funded elections, fair taxation, and other issues. Applications from 34 States must be submitted for Congress to call a convention, yet over 700 from all 50 States are on record -- still Congress defies the will of their sovereign employers, the People.

An effort -- www.ConventionUSA.org -- has begun nationwide to pressure Congress into following the Constitution by holding a Virtual Article V Convention. An Advisory Board of distinguished legal and constitutional scholars and experts will assist delegates to Convention USA Judge Thomas Brennan (retired Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court) said today. Among the first to be named are Law Professor Paul Carrington of Duke university, Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig, Sanford Levinson of the University of Texas Law faculty and retired United States Court of Appeals Judge James L. Ryan.

All citizens are cordially invited to join ConventionUSA and participate in this unique historical event.

Gordie Hayduk
Florida Delegate
USN Veteran, Active Voter & Mayflower Descendent

 
A man of his time, and a man still loving the principles of a distant past perhaps pointing to a way of resolving the national differences is Thomas E. Brennan, along with others who believe in doing this, and reconciling direction and purpose, as good discussions allow as you can learn more about at www.article-v-convention.com/.   You be the judge in finding out more about this Article V convention marches on, and we bring readers more of its news.