Article V
I find this topic fascinating and I have recently come out in support.
- You say that Congress will have complete control yet others say the states have complete control that bypasses Congress. Which is it?
- 2/3rds of the states must agree to hold a convention. 3/4ths of the state appointed representatives must agree to vote on certain items. Then 3/4ths majority of states will be needed to pass any amendments. Is this not a significant hurdle that prevents a takeover by the liberal agenda?
- Besides the Founders giving the people this power, others have endorsed this method such as Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman. The Constitution is being treated as a living document open to constant interpretation by liberals. The Constitution is being ignored by a majority of Republicans. Is waiting for a balanced budget amendment or term limits until we have the right people in power (possibly 20 years from now), will this be sufficient enough to change the country direction?
--Jpatt 20:21, 23 May 2014 (EDT)
Response
The states have no control over a Con Con. The states can merely petition Congress to call one, and Congress controls the time, place, and who will attend. Article V gives no power to states over the convention other than petitioning for it.
As to the second point, it overlooks the power of the media in forcing passage of anything the convention approves. The history of the harmful 17th Amendment is illustrative. Even though state legislatures opposed it, something like 52 out of 72 state legislative bodies approved the Amendment unanimously once it was sent to the states for approval.
As to your third point, the Constitution is not the problem, and proposing a convention to rewrite it does not help arguments for people to abide by it. As to Reagan, he was great in opposing communism, but he was not perfect on some other important issues. His first appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, for example, ruled in favor of abortion nearly every time.
Thanks for your comments.
--Andy Schlafly 21:43, 23 May 2014 (EDT)