Politicians don't follow the current Constitution, what makes you think they'd follow a new one?
Posted on 12/30/2013 11:52:09 AM PST by Jacquerie
Writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper is a great way to spread the word about the COS Project. These letters are read by hundreds of people, and it doesn't take long to write them up and send them in. If you want to help the COS Project, this is the place to start!
Here are a few tips for crafting the perfect letter:
A letter to the editor doesn’t make news—it comments on news. Try to craft your letter around a recent event or, better yet, a previous article. Skim the newspaper’s online archives to see if they’ve already written on Article V, and try to write your letter as a response to that article. If the newspaper hasn’t published a piece on Article V, you can mention the Mt. Vernon Assembly, Mark Levin’s The Liberty Amendments, or a recent example of abuse by the federal government.
Keep the word count in mind. Oftentimes, letters to the editor must be within a certain word count. Try to find out what this is before sending your letter.
Don’t ramble. Keep your letter clear and concise. Grab the reader’s attention with an interesting first sentence and get to the point quickly.
Send your letter to the appropriate address. Newspapers often have a specific email address they want folks to send their letters. This will be posted on their website or at the end of the Letters to the Editor section.
Don’t give up! If your letter isn’t published, send it to a different paper or try sending it again.
Below is an example. Feel free to use it or change it however you wish!
Dear Editor,
The power of the federal government is out of control. As the state legislators at the recent Mt. Vernon Assembly realized, Washington’s abuse of power—instigated by both Republicans and Democrats—must come to an end before it’s too late.
The $17 trillion national debt is one example of this abuse. Our children and grandchildren will pay for Washington’s spending spree. There will be taxes imposed for spending they never approved and from which they never directly benefited. The cry of that generation will echo that of the founding generation: “Taxation without representation!”
Fortunately, when the national government becomes drunk with power, the states possess the authority to reorganize the power structure in a manner that preserves liberty. Article V of the Constitution allows states to call a convention for the purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution. Using an Article V convention, the states can stop the spending and debt spree, the power grabs of the federal courts, and the forfeiture of American sovereignty to the UN.
Citizens for Self-Governance has started the Convention of States Project to urge state legislators to call a Convention of States. To get involved visit our website, conventionofstates.com and our Facebook page, Facebook.com/conventionofstates. You can also contact [Your State]’s COS state leadership at [Your State Leadership’s Email].
We are approaching a crossroads. One path leads to the escalating power of an irresponsible centralized government, ultimately resulting in the financial ruin of generations of Americans. The other path leads to freedom and the chance to once again be proud of these United States.
Which will we choose?
I’m choosing to preserve liberty by volunteering for the Convention of States Project in [Your State].
Sincerely,
Your Name
Politicians don't follow the current Constitution, what makes you think they'd follow a new one?
Of course they wouldn't. But the new one would be rewritten in such a way that ignoring it would be even easier. And, it would be thousands of pages long and be subject to the whims of whomever was in power at the time. ObamaCare is a perfect example.
Good point and question. Unfortunately, it may take some deaths before this gets resolved.
I pray to the Good Lord daily that He will supply us with wisdom as we struggle toward the goal.
I am 100% sure our judicial overlords would rule any new constitution unconstitutional (if they new one is more conservative than they old one)
If you care, (doubtful) what follows is a summary of Mark Levin's proposed amendments. They are structural. There is no room for interpretation, they will re-federalize our consolidated government.
The Convention of States isn't about replacing or rewriting the current Constitution, but about amending it.
I've given some thought to Constitutional amendments, and the four I have are as follows:
Tax Reform Amendment
Section I
No tax, federal or state, shall ever be withheld from the wages of a worker of any citizen of either.
Section II
No property shall be seized for failure to pay taxes until after conviction in a jury trial; the right of the jury to nullify (and thereby forgive) this debt shall never be questioned or denied.
Section III
The second amendment is hereby recognized as restricting the power of taxation, both federal and state, therefore no tax (or fine) shall be laid upon munitions or the sale thereof.
Section IV
The seventh amendment is also hereby recognized, and nothing in this amendment shall restrict the right of a citizen to seek civil redress.
Section V
No income tax levied by the federal government, the several States, or any subdivision of either shall ever exceed 10%.
Section VI
No income tax levied by the federal government, the several States, or any subdivision of either shall ever apply varying rates to those in its jurisdiction.
Section VII
No retroactive or ex post facto tax (or fee) shall ever be valid.
Section VIII
The congress may not delegate the creation of any tax or fine in any way.
Section IX
No federal employee, representative, senator, judge, justice or agent shall ever be exempt from any tax, fine, or fee by virtue of their position.
Section X
Any federal employee, representative, senator, judge, justice or agent applying, attempting to apply, or otherwise causing the application of an ex post facto or retroactive law shall, upon conviction, be evicted from office and all retirement benefits forfeit.
Senate Reform Amendment
Section I
The seventeenth amendment is hereby repealed.
Section II
The several states may provide by law the means by which their senators may be removed or replaced.
Fiscal Responsibility Amendment
Section I
The power of Congress to regulate the value of the dollar is hereby repealed.
Section II
The value of the Dollar shall be one fifteen-hundredth avoirdupois ounce of gold of which impurities do not exceed one part per thousand.
Section III
To guard against Congress using its authority over weights and measures to bypass Section I, the ounce in Section II is approximately 28.3495 grams (SI).
Section IV
The Secretary of the Treasury shall annually report the gold physically in its possession; this report shall be publicly available.
Section V
The power of the Congress to assume debt is hereby restricted: the congress shall assume no debt that shall cause the total obligations of the United States to exceed one hundred ten percent of the amount last reported by the Secretary of the Treasury.
Section VI
Any government agent, officer, judge, justice, employee, representative, or congressman causing gold to be confiscated from a private citizen shall be tried for theft and upon conviction shall:
a. be removed from office (and fired, if an employee),
b. forfeit all pension and retirement benefits,
c. pay all legal costs, and
d. restore to the bereaved twice the amount in controversy.
Section VII
The federal government shall assume no obligation lacking funding, neither shall it lay such obligation on any of the several States, any subdivision thereof, or any place under the jurisdiction of the United States. All unfunded liabilities heretofore assumed by the United States are void.
Section VIII
The federal government shall make all payments to its employees or the several states in physical gold. Misappropriation, malfeasance and/or misfeasance of funds shall be considered confiscation.
Commerce Clause Amendment
Section I
The federal government shall directly subsidize no product or industry whatsoever, saving the promotion the progress of Science and useful Arts.
Section II
The federal government shall never prescribe nor proscribe what the Several States teach. Neither the federal government nor the several states shall ever deny the right of parents to teach and instruct their children as they see fit.
Section III
The congress may impose tariffs, excise taxes, and customs duties on anything imported or exported, provided that they are applied uniformly and in no manner restrict, subvert, or circumvent the second amendment.
Section IV
No law may impose prohibitions of any sort on the commerce between the several states due to the item itself.
tagline
If you expect to reach the public via ‘letters’ - you must identify “COS” as “Convention of States” right out of the starting gate or eyes will glaze over and they won’t get read.
Don’t expect the general public to be as knowledgeable on everything as you are.
You must start with WHO, then WHAT - etc. First rules...
You are far too easy on them. The power to tax must be removed from the congress. No income tax. No property tax of any kind allowed. State and federal government financed by retail sales tax only. The sales tax rate set by the constitution at no more than say 10%. Congress may request the states authorize emergency taxation. Two thirds or three quarters of the states must approve emergency taxation. Repeal the 17th amendment. Outlaw and phase out transfer payments of all kinds. Elimination of judicial review. And many more. I tend to go further than Mark Levine and others because I do not trust the government at all. And I want them brought to heel. For the next two hundred years at least. You have a number of good ideas. To those of you who believe our constitution is fine as is I say you are correct. Rather it is our people who are not fine and our constitution must be amended to protect our liberty and freedom from these people. As to the government following the amended constitution, they will have no choice. We will strip them of their power, returning it to the states where it rightfully belongs. We will codify the limits of the federal government rather than rely upon the honor and inherent virtue of our elected politicians. They have shown themselves to have little honor or virtue.
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