Shedding Light on the Convention of States, a Cult or a Remedy

Over considerable time, I have scoured the internet for helpful and scholarly information regarding the Art V Convention of States (COS) movement, it's strengths and weaknesses. Importantly, such a convention is a lot more complex and challenging than most us fully understand. After my lengthy research effort, I am sharing with you this youtube presentation by the John Birch Society with the hope that the viewer will temporarily jettison his bias and commit to carefully listening, learning and weighing--to think outside any rigidly pre-conceived viewpoints on the subject. This video presentation is the best of its kind I've seen: it is straightforward, cogent, scholarly, and refreshingly understandable. Extremely important to view and listen. Having consulted a number of other sober and respectable Constitutional sources, I have carefully concluded that the COS Project, though in most cases very well-intentioned, is flawed, misguided and, yes, perilous. And though a hardened COS true believer may opt to merely ridicule this excellent presentation, such dismissiveness will serve no constructive purpose at all. The facts speak for themselves. Note: Desperate for remedies, I too was a COS supporter at the beginning, that is until my curiosity got the best of me, at which point I stepped outside the box to conduct my own exploration. So, permit this video to be the first step in your own unbiased exploration. By the way, and as I have frequently maintained, solutions to our constitutional problems today are entirely in OUR hands, and, fortunately, the Constitution already provides us the tools to restore constitutional order. As the video nicely validated, we must rely upon Art VI Clause 2 and 3, and our State leaders must, with our encouragement and insistence, exert their 10th Amendment authority to nullify ALL unconstitutional federal laws/rulings/regulations/directives. In short, if we and our States but insist that our federal representatives faithfully adhere to their Oath of Office, constitutional order and, yes, sanity, could be quickly restored. Anyway, if interested in this subject please take a break, grab your laptop, head out on the deck and quietly view this extremely well-done 58-min video. You won't regret it. Let me know what you thought of the content and whether or not it was as educational an experience for you as it was for me.

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The Article V Convention: What are they not telling you?

This informative 59-minute video presentation by Robert Brown has four parts: (1) 4 Conflicting Approaches; (2) What Article V Really Says; (3) The 1787 Prec...

Nullification, Secession or Rebellion?

REFLECTION. In truth, constitutional order throughout the land can be fully restored IF IF IF the routinely cowed states would simply assert their 10th Amendment authority to NULLIFY unconstitutional fed laws, judicial opinions, bureaucratic regulations and Executive orders, this in accordance with the foundational principle of "dual state-federal sovereignty", Art VI Cl 2, and Madison's and Jefferson's Kentucky & Virginia Resolutions of 1798.

Routine and ruinous unconstitutional actions on the part of the feds have been painfully--and unpardonably--plentiful and virtually unopposed. They have become so commonplace as to have become tolerable and often unnoticed. IF, as has been the case for a century or more, States fail in their 10th Amendment duty to nullify/interpose, then the only recourse is secession or rebellion. And since State governments have been so completely subservient to the federal Leviathan, only a mobilized and incensed State citizenry can compel their respective legislatures to appropriately act in the citizens' defense. And if legislatures continue to fail to resist federal overreach, which is likely, then it is the duty of the People in those States to compel such legislative resistance. (Note: despite what the revisionists and propagandists have asserted over the years, secession and rebellion are not one and the same. Secession is lawful and intentionally peaceful, and recognizes a State's authority to withdraw from this voluntary union of States. Only if a State (or States) is forcibly denied its residual right to secede, then as independent nations it is duty-bound to defend its sovereignty. A simple matter of defense v rebellion. And, of course, to garner domestic support for its lawless & reckless action, the federal tyrant will label that defensive war as rebellion. Thus, Lincoln's cynical and errant "rebel" epithet hurdled against the Confederate States of America.)

The short of it is that Nullification is sooooooo much simpler. But, alas, until a State understands its duty to assert its legitimate authority in this regard and is willing to act accordingly, it may retreat ti grovelling until the federal usurpation becomes so injurious or oppressive as to compel the State to withdraw. But, to be clear, secession should be tried only if nullification fails or is otherwise impossible to pull off. In any event, in the face of overreach and/or tyranny both secession and rebellion are perfectly legitimate remedies.

My understanding is that the founders implied a logical series of resistance steps: civil disobedience, State Nullification/Interposition, rebellion OR secession. My lingering question remains: at what point will Texas--and every other red or purple State-- properly and aggressively NULLIFY unconstitutional federal actions, without which there can be no constitutional order or Rule of Law?!?!? Ignorance of their constitutional authority? Or, what is more likely, their menial acceptance of their vassalage and their fear of losing federal handouts?

War Powers Resolution Revisited

Re Iran, N. Korea and other potential hotspots worldwide, interest in the WAR POWERS ACT (1973) is front and center yet again. To get a better handle on the subject, I checked out the Congressional Research Services, upon which Congress heavily relies when divining WPA meaning and both presidential and congressional authority in that regard, as well as the analyses of WPA by both the American Bar Association and the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Distilling all that legalese into a sensible summary was challenging, but in the most abbreviated form possible, here it is:

1. WPA, or War Powers Resolution, requires the "collective judgement" of both the President and Congress before the President may commit military force, except when "repelling a sudden attack" upon the USA itself.

2. The President must "consult" with Congress before committing armed forces into existing or "imminent hostilities".

3. RE the "legislative veto", unless Congress approves continued deployment of military forces, US forces must be withdrawn from hostilities within 60 days of deployment, except if Congress is unable to act owing to an armed attack on the USA itself.

4. As to preemptive attacks by the USA on states or other entities that constitute a WMD or otherwise imminent threat to the homeland, such preventive or preemptive attacks appear to be a legitimate exercise of Presidential authority--unless Congress specifically prohibits such action, something not likely since preemptive attacks occasioned by imminent threats to the homeland will have already taken place, this owing to the emergent character of those situations.

Since the CRS analysis both cites and explains the constitutional bases for US deployments all the way back to the Korean War, and since it mercifully avoided the murky ambiguity of lawyerly explication and pedantry, CRS was the best and clearest summary. And, again, it is the CRS analysis upon which both Congress and the President traditionally rely for guidance.

Demonrat Political Goals & America's Future

Folks, the Demonrat leadership isn't kidding. And, sadly, most loyal Demonrat voters are clueless as to their leadership's nefarious intentions. The Demonrat Party absolutely wants open borders for two reasons: 1) to advance its suicidal and ephemeral globalist, borderless dream of centralized world government where sovereign nations no longer exist and, of course, the elites of the world are in charge; 2) their party-first goal to enhance the number of future Demonrat/globalist-leaning voters to ensure that #1 is achieved.

There is absolutely NOTHING lofty or rational about either ambition. They are both alien to American beliefs and subversive of American values and traditions.

History teaches that such soft-headed short-sightedness and ignorance of Natural Law always lead to painful social upheaval, terrible economic hardship and dictatorship. And, thus, the historical cycle continues.

Tonight, I periodically tuned into the Dimwit Debacle, aka Debate, and am no less alarmed by the inanity, myopia, dishonesty, hypocrisy, adolescence and penchant for VERY BIG government shamelessly and embarrassingly displayed by every single candidate on that stage of fools. (Rome's promises of bread-and-circuses came immediately to mind: promise anything and everything, no matter how inane or un-doable, so long as my place in the Sun is assured.)

The only useful thing that would happen were the Demonrats to take over in 2020 is the desperate and widespread secession movement which would surely ensue among the red and purple States--and, of course, the dissolution of what is now an essentially dysfunctional union anyway.

Unless We the People magically experience an epiphany and return to constitutional order, common sense, public integrity and public virtue, the union is unquestionably on life support. My humble take: a Demonrat takeover in DC would merely hasten a much-needed political divorce among the already deeply ideologically divided States. To my way of thinking, whatever serves to restore constitutional order and Liberty is fine by me. If we can't accomplish that worthy goal on a national level, then accomplishing it on a State or regional level is perfectly sane and sensible. Bottom line: Liberty must be preserved, whatever the cost. Let our Founders be our guide.

SCOTUS Opines on Citizenship Question

SCOTUS has opined that 1) federal judges have no constitutional authority in gerrymandering cases, and that 2) on the issue of including the citizenship question in the 2020 census, further explanation is needed from the Commerce Dept. to justify such an insertion before the court can render a decision.

On the latter, I am flummoxed. The only thing that comes to mind is that the Administration sloppily prepared its argument. The point is that our founders never envisioned that elected representatives would be apportioned according to the number of "inhabitants", but upon the number of voting citizens, the latter upon whom Hamilton asserted the republic must rely. 

Simply put, when it comes to electing our representatives, we don't rely upon the loyalty and faithfulness to the Constitution of non-citizens. That would be reckless and irrational. Permitting non-citizens to be calculated in this representation formula would be subversive of our founding principles. That said, common sense dictates that ALL inhabitants should be counted so we may properly know who lives here and in what status, legal or otherwise, they may be. Let's hope that this time the Commerce Dept consults some scholarly constitutional experts when preparing its case. Sadly, of course, that's no guarantee that a majority of SCOTUS justices will be swayed by any well-developed, strict interpretations of the Constitution on ANY matter coming before it. We have long ago come to terms with that painful reality.

MEXICO IS A NARCO STATE

MEXICO IS A NARCO STATE. No way to credibly deny this anymore.

Reports indicate that 80% of the country's 266 districts are either fully (60%) controlled by cartels or disputed (20%). (Disputed? Sure.) Many key politicians, soldiers and policemen at every level of government are on the take. Many act as spies and foot soldiers for the wealthy and powerful cartels. Any wonder narco-dominated Mexico has been so lame in its enforcement of border security with the USA? And to make matters worse, US border patrol and nat'l guardsmen are, incredibly, prohibited from engaging cartel thugs and armed smugglers. Hell, we don't even fight back when our people are detained and disarmed by armed cartel soldiers--on OUR side of the border! This has clearly become more than an immigration issue. Much more. It's a situation every bit as toxic as an insurgency, terrorism, and invasion. (Earlier this year, a couple congressmen wrote to the President demanding that the cartels be designated terrorist organizations as defined in 18 USC 2331. No reaction so far.)

In this regard, Mexico is little better than other narco states in Latin America--AND Afghanistan as well where 50% (not 60%) of the country is controlled by Taliban terrorists. Note: we correctly dub the Taliban as terrorists. Why not the Mexican cartels who routinely violate our border, harass our border security guys, dump tons of drugs in our country, traffic kids and adults as human chattel, and, with impunity, inflict terrible suffering on those Mexicans who refuse to bow.

Time to take the kid gloves off. Mexico is hopelessly incapable of stemming the migrant tide or of controlling cartel lawlessness and incursions into the US. Our rules of engagement must be reviewed with an eye to conforming to border realities. We should understand that our southern border areas are under siege by cartel terrorists and that thousands of Americans are dying as a result. Appropriately aggressive US action is needed--not just swashbuckling threats of tariffs and our absurd insistence that Mexico do a job they are totally unable to perform. In short, it will take more than mere walls to stop the stampede of illegals, criminal incursions, and illegal smuggling. I refer the President to Art IV Sec 4 of the Constitution.

Local Evidence of Public School Brainwashing

To illustrate the terrible extent of censorship and indoctrination routinely perpetrated in our gov't-run public schools, a friend who is subbing in the local school district sent me this photo. Posted in a classroom--and for the students' edification of course--it lists all news outlets. Conspicuously missing is FOX. What censorship? What brainwashing? Disturbingly, Leftist PC and political bias clearly rule our so-called classrooms. What Lenin's useful idiots in our "education" system are doing to our youth & our republic is criminal. Where's the outcry, the protests? Parents still sleepwalking? Crickets...

Democrat Goal: If We Kill the Electoral College, We Kill the Republic

Regarding the National Popular Vote (NPV) project whose goal it is to circumvent and effectively nullify the electoral vote.

A subversive Demonrat effort, all that the NPV will produce is a first class Constitutional crisis.

Electoral votes cast in violation of the Framers' intent per Art I Sec 1 & the 14th Amendment are illegal and cannot be honored in the official electoral count. Congress' faithlessly honoring those improperly cast votes would most certainly lead to serious social division and tumult, perhaps even leading to secession among those States who followed the rules but came out holding the short end of the stick.

Typically, the adolescent me-first Demonrats seldom, if ever, consider the consequences of their actions and misconduct.

(PS: Judicial Watch reports that none other than George Soros contributed $1M to NPV--which pretty much indicates the less than honorable intentions of NPV.)

The "Ism" Blitzkrieg on America: Will it Wreck the Republic?

HEADS-UP. I can only hope that Mr. Trump has wisely forgotten this dangerously dumb idea. Continuing Obama's efforts to federalize the nation's police departments can only lead to irreversible federal tyranny.

The imposition of Nat'l IDs by 10/1/20, the foolish adoption of the 17th Amendment in 1913, the feds usurping State authority over gun control/regulation, the growing menace of globalism and other alien "isms" in both gov't and education, the brazen & relentless subversion of our republic by most of "our" self-serving representatives, the cancerous deep state lawlessness, the mindless and self-destructive budgetary profligacy, etc. are now entrenched realities. In short, it is now, and has been for some time, a full-on alien "ism" assault by the Left on the very foundations of our constitutional republic, our traditional values, public virtue, Rule of Law and free enterprise. And they are winning bigly!

Federalizing the nation's police forces would be the final nail in the coffin for local control over Justice and Law & Order. In truth, with all these furious and unrelenting ideological assaults on the foundational principle of dual federal-State authority and on both the sovereignty and preeminence of the individual citizen, our now barely recognizable constitutional republic has degenerated into the stuff of mythology. We now have what the framers warned us against: a "national" vs a "federal" government. If that doesn't scare you, it bloody well should! NOT AT ALL what the founders designed or envisioned.

Government C-O-N-T-R-O-L is the name of the game, folks, and inch by painful inch Leviathan and its corporate and media toadies are transforming this once vibrant republic into a dictatorial monstrosity of Orwellian proportions. We've been repeatedly warned and most of us, seduced by snake oil political marketeers who represent those toxic "isms", have continued to ignore those warnings. Uncensored history doesn't lie. The "isms" advocates do. Alien "isms" DON'T WORK and needlessly kill millions of innocents, something history has already taught us over and over again.

Will enough of us emerge from our somnambulance, apathy and disengagement long enough to both recognize and convincingly confront these challenges to our Liberty? Being more a realist than a Pollyanna, I have to say that I have serious doubts that a majority of Americans today are even aware of--or even care about--this insidious transformation.

History is clear. Such disengagement, ignorance and carelessness are a recipe for disunion, all manner of civil tumult and, yes, totalitarianism and enslavement for those who blindly yield to or otherwise accommodate these threats. Jefferson said it best, "Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other; if a nation expects to be ignorant and free...it expects what never was and never will be."

As the disaster we see unfolds, at some point soon I foresee the inescapable need for a well-organized "Operation Pitch Fork" march of millions on DC to demand the restoration of constitutional order, a political condition entirely irrelevant and of scant interest to most of our elected officials and to those who now rule the unelected federal bureaucracy--and us.

For the last 10+ years, whenever I visit DC it no longer excites my patriotism; the impressive gleaming buildings no longer inspire me or occasion a sense of awe. And that is truly disheartening. For me, it is now an alien shambles quite out of touch with our founding principles and nearly entirely disconnected from We the People, its creators. When I view the boulevards and august buildings of the capital, the Reichstag and the horrors that followed always come to mind. For me, and I suspect for our founders were they alive today, the DC luster has long ago faded. On the sunniest of days, I see foreboding darkness enveloping the capital, and sense real trepidation. It's a facade, behind which is hidden a millions-strong throng of essentially uninspired and, for the most part, luke-warm patriotic government employees eagerly awaiting the rich rewards of retirement. The concept of federal civil servants and representative elected officials has become an anachronism. Hidden too are the myriad conspiracies and subversive activities usually associated with a dictatorship, not a constitutional republic.

At some point, we either awaken to the terrible threats to our Liberty or accept our fate as obedient wards of Big Brother. The only other peaceful option is to break away and form our own constitutional republic(s). Remember we are free men and women, but only so long as we are willing to defend that freedom to our last breath.
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“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government.” (Declaration of Independence)

"States should separate from our companions only when the sole alternatives left are the dissolution of our Union with them or submission to a government without limitation of powers. Between these two evils, when we must make a choice, there can be no hesitation.” (Thomas Jefferson, Ltr to Wm Gates, 12/20/1825)