Citizen-focused Constitutional Conference Proposed
By Stuart MacPhail, Caucus Newsletter Editor – January 2021
Wake up legislators! A large portion of American citizens are angry… divided. The second portion of Article V of the US Constitution is a tool that could be used to address that anger and division.
But, so far there have not been enough state legislatures imploring Congress for the right to use that tool. And, Congress has shown itself unwilling to allow use of that tool. Whether it is to address defects in election integrity, federal fiscal irresponsibility or irrationally long congressional tenure… that constitutionally-provided tool has simply been gathering dust.
John De Herrera of Friends of the Article V Convention (FOAVC) has announced that beginning on May 25, 2021 a citizens’ virtual conference will be held for the purpose of forcing the issue of proposing amendments to the US Constitution.
He reports that the conference will be open “to any American at least 18 years of age.” The proposed meeting will be facilitated by vBulletin, a forum software which is said to be able to handle millions of participants. He is inviting interested parties to visit www.articlevconvention.org to sign up to be “delegates” so they can participate in what he anticipates will be a multiple-day discussion/deliberation of potential constitutional amendments, leading to specific proposals. The belief is: if state legislators will not lead in using the tool the Constitution gave them, citizens will lead the legislators.
The May citizens’ virtual event cannot be considered an actual Article V “convention of the states,” but it could nudge state legislators and Congress to do their jobs. De Herrera says of the May event: “It’s a great chance for authentic Americans to lead by example. Isn’t that what this country needs? Could be a memory of a lifetime, and we encourage everyone to participate.”
