Dear Adjunct Professor: We are advocating for a State led mobilizations of an inter-partisan Citizens Movement, where those leaders will form a State Citizens Council/Committee to design and implement a State Citizens Assembly. This has to be decentralized and co-created in each State to fit the cultural and political history and environment. The key is breaking out of the duopoly and forging an interpartisan movement. We are patriotic, we are NOT aiming to destroy the Constitution, rather to Refresh for the future. happy to connect further. Peace, Paul
Fearmongering about an Article V convention has been around for decades, but it runs into the same problem any amendment (or rewriting) of the Constitution does: ratification. In this hyperpolarized environment, you're not getting 38 state legislatures to agree on anything controversial - and anything that disrupts the status quo will be controversial. So, you don't have to be afraid of an Article V convention.
Hi Brian: Here is the information from the Convention of States which gives you some insight on part of the strategy from Project 2025 movement:
"We need 34 states to sign the COS Resolution in order to call an Article V convention. Twenty-three states have passed our resolution in at least one chamber. Nineteen states have passed it in full. Eighteen additional states have active legislation regarding the resolution pending this year.
We have the biggest grassroots army this nation has ever seen––over 2.7 MILLION American patriots, many of whom volunteer with us to spread the word about Article V, fight misinformation campaigns from opponents like Common Cause, and urge their state legislatures to adopt our resolution.
We have prominent members of Trump’s own administration who support calling an Article V convention––including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt."
Thanks, but none of that addresses the problem of ratification. You need 38 states to agree to any amendments... which will not happen with anything controversial. It will also not happen with a people's assembly drafted rewrite of the Constitution... yes, the Framers scrapped the Article of Confederation and wrote a new Constitution, but that was because (a) Congress specifically called the 1787 convention AND (b) Congress specifically sent their work product to the states for ratification.
I share your desire to see Americans come together and address our structural societal problems, but trying to #unifyUSA in opposition to the Constitution of the United States of America is a very problematic banner to rally people behind. 95% of our societal problems can be addressed within the Constitution, and with a much lower threshold for enactment. It would be easier to #unifyUSA behind legislative solutions.
Hi Brian: Let's keep the conversation going. In my opinion, we are at an unprecedented moment in US history never before experienced. We have the MAGA Project 2025 Movement that is pursuing unitary executive authority with great velocity! They are rewriting the Constitution to entrench their rule. We are readying and preparing to respond with an inter-partisan citizen driven solution. In the view of #unifyUSA: The only solution is a refreshed U.S. Constitution. Let's see what happens! Peace, Paul
Hi Paul, we are again at a time of transformational change in US history. It's worth noting that the New Deal was accomplished WITHOUT amending the Constitution. The US can (and should) upgrade its social contract again with legislation. That tactic would avoid the (IMO, insurmountable) hurdle of needing 38 state legislatures to ratify a "refreshed" Constitution.
What sort of society would you like to live in that is impossible under the US Constitution and Congress's legislative authority? (No answers related to the workings of government; only the resulting society.)
Who will moderate thr Citizen Assemblies? In 2019 Extinction Rebellion came to my town, saying that they wanted to end the US Constitution and have Citizen Assemblies. Then they suggested we do things that would amount to domestic terrorism and the whole thing appeared as so much astroturf. What guarantees can you provide that this isn't more of the same?
Dear Adjunct Professor: We are advocating for a State led mobilizations of an inter-partisan Citizens Movement, where those leaders will form a State Citizens Council/Committee to design and implement a State Citizens Assembly. This has to be decentralized and co-created in each State to fit the cultural and political history and environment. The key is breaking out of the duopoly and forging an interpartisan movement. We are patriotic, we are NOT aiming to destroy the Constitution, rather to Refresh for the future. happy to connect further. Peace, Paul
Fearmongering about an Article V convention has been around for decades, but it runs into the same problem any amendment (or rewriting) of the Constitution does: ratification. In this hyperpolarized environment, you're not getting 38 state legislatures to agree on anything controversial - and anything that disrupts the status quo will be controversial. So, you don't have to be afraid of an Article V convention.
Hi Brian: Here is the information from the Convention of States which gives you some insight on part of the strategy from Project 2025 movement:
"We need 34 states to sign the COS Resolution in order to call an Article V convention. Twenty-three states have passed our resolution in at least one chamber. Nineteen states have passed it in full. Eighteen additional states have active legislation regarding the resolution pending this year.
We have the biggest grassroots army this nation has ever seen––over 2.7 MILLION American patriots, many of whom volunteer with us to spread the word about Article V, fight misinformation campaigns from opponents like Common Cause, and urge their state legislatures to adopt our resolution.
We have prominent members of Trump’s own administration who support calling an Article V convention––including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt."
Thanks, but none of that addresses the problem of ratification. You need 38 states to agree to any amendments... which will not happen with anything controversial. It will also not happen with a people's assembly drafted rewrite of the Constitution... yes, the Framers scrapped the Article of Confederation and wrote a new Constitution, but that was because (a) Congress specifically called the 1787 convention AND (b) Congress specifically sent their work product to the states for ratification.
I share your desire to see Americans come together and address our structural societal problems, but trying to #unifyUSA in opposition to the Constitution of the United States of America is a very problematic banner to rally people behind. 95% of our societal problems can be addressed within the Constitution, and with a much lower threshold for enactment. It would be easier to #unifyUSA behind legislative solutions.
Hi Brian: Let's keep the conversation going. In my opinion, we are at an unprecedented moment in US history never before experienced. We have the MAGA Project 2025 Movement that is pursuing unitary executive authority with great velocity! They are rewriting the Constitution to entrench their rule. We are readying and preparing to respond with an inter-partisan citizen driven solution. In the view of #unifyUSA: The only solution is a refreshed U.S. Constitution. Let's see what happens! Peace, Paul
Hi Paul, we are again at a time of transformational change in US history. It's worth noting that the New Deal was accomplished WITHOUT amending the Constitution. The US can (and should) upgrade its social contract again with legislation. That tactic would avoid the (IMO, insurmountable) hurdle of needing 38 state legislatures to ratify a "refreshed" Constitution.
What sort of society would you like to live in that is impossible under the US Constitution and Congress's legislative authority? (No answers related to the workings of government; only the resulting society.)
peace, Brian
Who will moderate thr Citizen Assemblies? In 2019 Extinction Rebellion came to my town, saying that they wanted to end the US Constitution and have Citizen Assemblies. Then they suggested we do things that would amount to domestic terrorism and the whole thing appeared as so much astroturf. What guarantees can you provide that this isn't more of the same?