Beware the Convention of States

Just to remind everyone that Progressives have been pushing for the same type of COS, since the late 1970s and early 1980s. While Mr. Farris may be looking at having a COS for conservative reasons, as he perceives there to be some common ground between Conservatives and Progressives on four issues, Progressives want it for an entirely different goal: It would be an extremely expedient way to shred the Constitution of the restrictions it places on what the federal government can do to the people in one fell swoop. In short, your rights would be what the federal government says your rights are, as they see fit, on any particular day. Just like what exists in every Socialist Democracy.

Last week I submitted a partial list of the Progressive organizations that have been actively advocating for a COS for their own purposes. I will re-post that list at the end of this post. Suffice it to say, that all these organizations are very well-funded and have substantial legal staffs or access to top-flight Progressive lawyers more than capable of drafting an application for proposed amendments that would neither be deemed “frivolous” nor improperly prepared to void them from being considered for inclusion in any COS. So there is no way to reasonably expect you would be able to exclude Progressives from active participation in any COS process. When you couple that with the strong likelihood that the Progressive media will be touting the need to “reach bi-partisan compromise” 24×7, you can bet that several weak-kneed and spineless RINOs will be more than happy to accommodate that request. Especially if they think it will win them a few extra votes during the next re-election campaign.

So any call for a COS, especially when there is nothing fundamentally broken in the Constitution as it is exists today, poses far more risks than potential rewards. What we have are so-called representatives of the people in Washington, who refuse to honor the oath that they’ve all sworn to, which is to obey and defend the Constitution. No additional amendments would fix that issue. That is something that the people of this country have to address by choosing to stop voting for the same ineffectual or corrupt representatives. There is no “magic fix”, which is what I fear a COS is being sold to the American people as, for NOT doing their part to ensure we have the right people in Washington representing us.

We have to view the environment in which such a COS would occur today, not in the light of how the original one played out in the late 18th century. Conceptual theory of how things “should work” has to give way to the practical reality of how things “will likely turn out” given the societal dynamics in play today. The country was much different in the late 18th century. The people basically shared many common values and expectations for what a government should and should not do on behalf of the people. There concept and importance of a limited federal government, with limited powers over what it could do to the people, was still fresh in many minds. None of that exists today. What we have today is basically two competing societies, actually almost polar opposites, living within the same geographical boundaries of what we call the United States.

On the one hand, there are still people that view the federal government as a necessary evil, that must be tolerated for a very few specific functions. Those are outlined in the Constitution. These people believe in personal freedoms, inalienable rights, and personal initiatives to try and improve their lives.

On the other side, you have people who view the federal government as the ultimate nanny or provider of all essential things in life. A force that provides them with “free” money, housing, food, phones, health care, education, and whatever else they can dream up, all in exchange for their vote and blind obedience to the State. Where personal responsibility and individual initiative are quaint notions that those fools that work for a living still cling to.

So in that light, we would be risking national suicide to move forward with a COS, where we have far more to lose than gain. Now for the list of Progressive organizations I promised earlier. Enjoy.

After Downing Street
Alliance for Democracy*
American Friends Service Committee
American Friends Service Committee – NE Ohio*
Backbone Campaign
Black Agenda Report*
BuzzFlash
Center for Corporate Policy
Center for Media and Democracy*
Code Pink
Coffee Party USA
Democracy Unlimited*
Detroit Women of Color
Family Farm Defenders
Friends of the Earth
Global Exchange
Independent Progressive Politics Network*
Liberty Tree Foundation*
National Lawyers Guild*
North Carolina AFL-CIO
Organic Consumers Association
Peace Action
Peace and Freedom Party of California
Peaceful Uprising
People-Centered Development Forum
Portland Jobs with Justice
Program on Corporations Law and Democracy*
Progressive Democrats of America*
Reclaim Democracy*
Ruckus Society
Sebastopol Grange
Shays 2
Sierra Club
smartMeme
The Pachamama Alliance
Ultimate Civics*
Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community
Velvet Revolution
Vermont for Single Payer
Veterans For Peace
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom*
Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church
1% A Peace Army
19 Organizations
2013 National OCCUPY Gathering
A New Way Forward
Abolish Corporate Personhood Now
Abolish Corporate Personhood Now
Agricultural Permitting Services, LLC
Alachua County Democratic Executive Committee
Alachua County Democratic Party
Alachua County Green Party
Alliance for Progressive Values
Americans for Healthcare
Americans Who Tell The Truth
Animal Medical, Inc.
Anti-War Committee
APS, LLC
Association of Federal, State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1684
AWAKE Palm Beach County
Barbour County Democratic Women
Berkeley Fellowship of Universalist Unitarians, Social Justice Committee
Berks Gas Truth
BitJazz Inc.
Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project
Bullfrog Communities
Bus For Progress
California State Grange
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
Center for Corporate Policy
Center for Justice, Peace and the Environment/Fort Collins Community Action Network
Central Labor Council of Humboldt & Del Norte Counties (CA)
Central Ohio Green Education Fund
CGR Consulting
CirclesWork!
CirclesWork!
CitizenControl.org
Citizens for Legitimate Government
Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions
City Lights Books in San Francisco
Civic Satisfaction
Clay Street Counseling and Consulting
Clifton Citizens to End Corporate Rule
Clove Valley CSA at Outback Farm
Coal Moratorium Now!
Coalition of Concerned Patriots
CoalSwarm
Columbus Free Press
Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism
Commonweal Institute
Community Democracy Project
Community Organizing Center
Community Unitarian Universalist Church
Compassion dba Small Change
Concerned Citizens of Tioga County
Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Connect The Dots For Democracy
Constitution Restoration Cooperative Association
Cook Inletkeeper
Corporation Separation Movement
Counter Culture Frozen Yogurt Mansfield Road
CounterCorp
Culver City Democratic Club
Dave Swager Photography
Declaration of Reindependence
Declaration of Reindependence
Defiance Citizens For Change
Democracy Amendment Coalition of Massachusetts-West
Democracy for America (DFA) Palm Beach County
Democracy for America of Fairfield County, Connecticut
Democracy for Missouri
Democracy for Montgomery County
Democracy for Pittsburgh
Democratic Committee of Essex County, NY
Democratic Socialists of Central Ohio
Democrats United for Progress
DGC Press
Dick Eiden for Congress 2012
District 7 West Move On Council
Divide Democrats
DocExamPro LLC
DuPage County Green Party
East Bay Peace Action
Eastern Washington Voters
Eat Drink Politics
Eco-Eating
EcoBirth-Women for Earth and Birth
EcoJive
Economic Justice Action Group of the First Unitarian Church
Essex County, New York, Democratic Committee
Ethical Business Society
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus, OH
First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches – Social Action Committee
Florida Immigrant Coalition
Florida Initiative for Electoral Reform (FLIER)
Florida Voters Coalition
Food & Water Watch
Free Speech For People
Friends for a Non-Violent World
Full Moon Sanctuary Church
GlobalSolutionsMN.org
Grace Productions, Inc.
Greater Peoria Progressive Coalition
Green Democratic Club of Sacramento County
Green Party of Dallas County
Green Party of Florida
Green Party of Hamilton County Ohio
Green Party of Humboldt County
Green Party of Monroe County, NY
Green Party of Monterey County
Green Party of Ohio
Green Party of San Mateo County
Green Party of Santa Fe
Green Party of Skagit County
Green Party of Suffolk
Green Party of Tennessee
Green Party of Washington State
Green Sanctuary Task Force, Unitarian-Universalist Church of Bloomington, INdiana
Green Sanctuary Task Force, Unitarian-Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
Greenway Flooring, LLC
HEAL Utah
Health Care for All Oregon
Heartwood
Hip Hop Congress
Human Agenda
Humanist Community of Central Ohio
Humanist Community of Central Ohio
Humboldt Bay Veterans for Peace
Information Press
Inner Works Acupuncture and Physical Therapy
International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 60 Pensacola, FL
Iowa Sierra Club
Jackson County Democrats/ Occupy Ashland
Justice Through Music
Kentucky Education Association
Kitchel Family Organic Farm
Klamath Sustainable Communities
Lake County Democratic Club
Lake County Democratic Club
Larry Packwood Builder
Las Vegas (NM) Peace and Justice Center
Lawmaker Ethics.org
Leftist Marching Band
Local 20/20 – A Transition Town Initiative
Lompoc Democratic Club
Lompoc Films endorsed petition to Lompoc City Council
Lotus Tribe
lowercase d
Macrocosm USA
Main Street Alliance of Oregon
Main Street Alliance of Oregon
Maine Citizens for Clean Elections
Mainstreet Moms
Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Media Action Center
Metro Justice, Inc.
Michael Cavlan US Senate Campaign
Middle Class Clout
Miniprotests.com
Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers
MN Citizens Federation N.E.
Montgomery County Progressive Alliance
Move On – Vancouver Washington Chapter
Move To Amend Coalition of Mendocino County
Move to Amend Savannah
MoveOn Council of South Palm Beach/ North Broward Counties
MoveOn metro Denver council
MoveOn.org Southern Alameda County Council
MovetoAmend.Net
National Consortium of What’s Happening Now
Nature Coast Unitarian Universalists Inc. of Citrus Springs FL
Needs of the People Foundation
Network for Environmental and Economic Responsibility of United Church of Christ
New Harmony Watch
New Progressive Alliance
New York Democracy Group
New York Occupy Wall Street Restore Democracy Working Group
No Money Congress
No More Stolen Elections!*
No More Victims
North Shore Labor Council
North Shore Labor Council
Northeast Philly for Peace and Justice
Occupy Amherst
Occupy Baltimore
Occupy Berkshires
Occupy COMO – Columbia, MO
Occupy Danbury
Occupy Falmouth
Occupy Hendersonville (NC)
Occupy Houston
Occupy Merced
Occupy Moab
Occupy Mountain View
Occupy Mountain View
Occupy Newport Corporate Personhood Group
Occupy North Palm Beach
Occupy Oakland Local Business Liaison Committee
Occupy Oceanside
Occupy Our Home
Occupy Palm Beach County, Florida
Occupy Port Townsend
Occupy Rockford
Occupy Sacramento
Occupy Saint Paul
Occupy Salem Oregon
Occupy San Fernando Valley
Occupy Santa Rosa
Occupy Seattle’s Get Money Out of Politics workgroup
Occupy Space Coast
Occupy Springfield Missouri
Occupy Springfield Missouri
Occupy Tucson
OccupyKst
OccupyWNC
Ohio Conference on Fair Trade
Oil Change International
One Goal Campaign
Opednews.com
Orange County Peace Coalition
Oxford Citizens for Peace and Justice
Pacific Green Party of Oregon
Palm Beach County Chapter of the Network of Spiritual Progressives
Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition
Palm Desert Greens Democratic Club
Patriots for Change
Patriots Grow Alliance
Peace & Justice Center of Nevada County
Peace Action of San Mateo County
Peace Education and Action Center
Peace Education Center of Greater Lansing
Peace Network of the Ozarks
Peace Network of the Ozarks
PeaceWorks KC
PeaceWorks KC
Pediatric Psychology of Connecticut, LLC
Pediatric Psychology of New York, PLLC
Peninsula Peace and Justice Center
PennVentures, Inc.
Pensacola Patriots for Peace
Pensacola Solutions Project
People Against Chemical Tresspass
People For A New Society
People’s Democratic Club of Santa Cruz County
Permaculture Activist Magazine
Petaluma Grange
Point Nine Nine, .99 Advocacy Fund
Porterhouse LTD
Proaction Associates
Progpen Consulting, Inc.
Progressive Coalition of Northern New York
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) – Palm Beach County, Florida
Progressive Democrats of America – Arizona
Progressive Democrats of America, Ohio Chapter
Progressive Party of Oregon
Progressive Peace Coalition
Progressive Push
Prosperity Agenda
Public Banking Institute
Raleigh-Wake MoveOn Council
Re-Employ America
Reasonable Solutions OWS Philadelphia
Reclaiming the American Dream team
Redwood Alliance
Refuge Ministries of Tampa Bay
Restore Sanity and Take Back America
River of Grass Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
RTSV United
Sacramento for Democracy
Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation AFL-CIO
San Diego Clean Elections
San Diego Computer Consulting
Santa Monica City Council
Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections (SAFE)
Sarasota County Council Of Neighborhood Associations
Second Sister Solutions
SEIU Local 503, Oregon Public Employees Union
Sentient Times
Service and Social Justice Committee, River of Grass Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Sierra Club, Manatee Sarasota Group
Sierra Club, Osage group of the Missouri Chapter
Sierra Club, Thomas Hart Benton group of the Missouri Chapter
Siskiyou Progressive Alliance
Smiling Bear Woodcrafts
Social Action Committee UU Church of Brevard Melbourne FL
Social Action Committee, UU church, Newburyport MA
Social Justice Committee of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Marion Co.
Social Justice Council of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs
Social Justice Council, Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater, FL
Solano Peace, Justice & Freedom Coalition
South Carolina Progressive Network
South Country Peace Group
South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice
South West Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice
Southern Illinois People for Progress
Southwest Ohio Green PAC
Split This Rock Poetry Festival
Squadron 13 Aviation Museum
St Petersburg Greens
Suffolk Peace Network
Surf Dog Enterprises LLC
Sustainable Living Systems
Syracuse Peace Council
Take Back America for the People
Tao Sun Promotions
Texas Democratic Women
Texas Democratic Women of Ellis County
The 28ers
The 99% of Newark and East Central Ohio
The Ahimsa Store
The American Institute for Progressive Democracy (TAIPD)
The Canary Coalition
The City Council of Oberlin, Ohio
The City of Silverton Oregon
The Climate Crisis Coalition of the Twin Cities (3CTC)
The Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive
The David and Goliath Project
The Enviro Show
The Hampton Institute
The Impartial Review, LLC
The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester
The Main Street Alliance
The Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club
The Pachamama Alliance
The Pacific Green Party
The People For Peace Project
The People’s Congress
The Taos Group
The Universal Center for Peace and Development.
The Women’s Network, Advocates for Democratic Principles
The Women’s Network, Advocates for Democratic Principles
theRevolutionCenter
Thwink.org
Time to Amend
Tioga Peace and Justice
Tom Dwyer Automotive Services
Treasure Coast Progressive Alliance
Treasure Coast Progressive Alliance
TriLibrium
Triple L, Ink Graphic Design
Umpqua Chapter of the Pacific Green Party
Unitarian Fellowship of South Florida
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard
Unitarian Universalist Church of Corpus Christi, TX
Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County
Unitarian Universalist Church of Tarpon Springs
Unitarian Universalist Congregation East
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem Oregon
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem Oregon
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Social Justice Team
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Venice, Florida – Social Justice Committee
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville, FL
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St Augustine, FL
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Vero Beach, FL – Social Justice Committee
Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Florida (UULMF)
Unitarian Universalist Parish of Monson – Social Action Committee
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Committee of Fresno
Unitarian Universalist Society of the Daytona Beach Area, Inc.
Unitarian Universalists of Grants Pass fellowship
Unitarian Universalitst Church of Sarasota – Social Justice Committee
United for a Fair Economy
United Progressives
United to Save Our Democracy
United Wisconsin
Upper Arlington Progressive Action
Upright U.S.A.
US Day of Rage
US Uncut
Vermont for Single Payer
Veterans For Peace Chapter 27
Victoria Armigo, EA
Video Rodeo, Inc.
Voting Matters
We Are One, Inc.
WELL Willits Economic LocaLization
Wendler Law, PC
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
West Yolo Democratic Club
Western New York Peace Center, Inc.
WildWood Productions
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
WMNF 88.5 FM Community Radio in Tampa, FL
Women Against Military Madness
Women Occupy San Diego
WSLR, Inc.
Wunderman Comics

Source: http://amac.us/making-difference-article-v-understanding-process-getting-involved-2/

• PaulE says:

09/07/2014 at 6:16 pm

Well said Ivan. Hopefully it gets people thinking about the whole COS process in more depth. If you don’t mind, I’ll just add a few items I touched on last week, that folks may have not have had a chance to read.