We all recognize that we are a nation politically divided these days.
One reason is that our political parties can fuel that divide instead of listening to we, the people. In political circles, it seems to me that the theme is “party before people.” For example, polls show that 75% of Americans would like term limits for Congress members, but Congress ignores that. Close to the same percentage want to see management for federal spending. Many registered Democrats, Republicans and independents agree on these ideas.
The Convention of States organization focuses on term limits for federal officials, fiscal restraints and reigning in federal government power. Its goals are to have these three areas discussed at a convention of states to amend our Constitution. The Convention of States is nonpartisan, as organizers know that many Americans do not belong to a single political party and what is important to a large majority can go a long way to unify America.
Our Founding Fathers created Article 5 in our Constitution for just this situation. There have been 27 amendments to our Constitution, all introduced by Congress and ratified. The good news is that Article 5 also allows for a way we, the people, can change the Constitution.
At a convention of states, each state gets only one vote. That means that Delaware has the same role as all the larger states. Here, states are equal, and this is important to get amendments passed at the convention.
The goal of the organization is to petition every state to convene and create the amendments people want added to the Constitution. Two-thirds of the states (34) are required to call the convention, and today, there are 15 states where both legislative houses have passed the resolution. There are nine states where the resolution has passed one chamber, and at least 15 states where there is active legislation. We are hopeful that the COS resolution will be introduced in Delaware, and we have been securing petition signatures in support. We would like Delawareans to join this grassroots effort.
We are aware that we have opposition to our solution. A convention of states is the only way to get positive changes.
One main argument is that the convention would become a “runaway,” and we could lose more liberties. Our Founding Fathers were masters of checks and balances, and they put safeguards in place to ensure that a convention of states would never run away. The most important part of these safeguards is the requirement that 38 states ratify any proposal coming from the convention. It would be impossible for any change to be made to our Constitution without overwhelming support of the American people.
As constitutional scholar Robert Natelson has pointed out, “There are far more checks on a runaway convention than on a runaway Congress.”
More information can be found at conventionofstates.com.
Benjamin Cassell
Greenwood
