Article V of the US Constitution states: The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.
The immediate argument against a convention of states is – “A Convention of States” would open the whole Constitution to being changed – and that can’t be good – right? My answer is – I just don’t think it would be that easy. The only difference of a convention of states is that instead of 2/3 Congress, it would be 2/3 of states to Propose an amendment. (still have 3/4 States to ratify) It is still a very high hurdle to ratify an amendment – perhaps too high! We have only had 17 amendments passed since the original 10 – Bill of Rights – 235 years ago! 2 of those were prohibition/repeal prohibition. Even Congress could theoretically propose an amendment to make it easier to propose and ratify and amendment by lowering the bar. This argument is a red herring – but quite effective – I hear it all the time. I don’t buy it. We need at least 2 new amendments to help save the Republic: Congressional Term limits modeled after the 22nd. Balanced Budget/Fair Flat Tax/elimination of the IRS amendment to get the graft and corruption out of the flawed Marxist Progressive Income Tax system – and to remove Congress from the process of taxation. We’d actually generate MORE revenue (Nobel Prize winner – Milton Freidman) and reduce the graft and lobbying done by Congress to give only special carve outs to the rich and connected with a simple Flat or Fair tax system. But the lobbyists and vested interests have done a very good job of distorting the issue and in no doubt some cases simply “buying” legislators to keep this insanely flawed system of taxation. If the states actually propose and ratify an amendment say, to lower the bar to 60% of states or Congress to propose and ratify – would that amendment actually be that bad? But let’s face it – if this country doesn’t do something soon to stop the abuse of power from Congress – in concert with their use of “lawfare” to target the opposition (that would be the Globalists labeled Rinos and the Marxist left that now seems to rule the Democrat Party) – the graft – the corruption directly related to what we are seeing now – senile and very venal old men and a few women – anything resembling our Republic will cease to exist. These corrupt individuals and the system itself is transforming this country from the “shining city on a hill” into a “banana republic”. Is that what Barack Hussein Obama really meant when he said he wanted to give us “Fundamental Transformation”? As Franklin said, and you can see it on my home page: “We gave you a Republic if you can keep it.”