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Open Letter to Congressman Ron Paul

Politics / US Politics Jun 08, 2007 - 10:52 PM

You have acknowledged the appropriateness of amending the Constitution. In fact, you introduced legislation for an amendment that would stop giving automatic citizenship to babies born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents. You said: “Our founders knew that unforeseen problems with our system of government would arise, and that's precisely why they gave us a method for amending the Constitution. It's time to rethink birthright citizenship by amending the 14th amendment.”

Personally, I endorse this particular amendment. More important, however, I am disappointed that you have never latched on to the long history of Congress' failure to honor and obey the part of Article V of the Constitution that gives Americans the right to a convention for the purpose of proposing amendments to the Constitution – an alternative to Congress proposing amendments. Interestingly, the particular amendment that you favor will probably never emerge from Congress, but might have a better chance through an Article V convention.

Why have you failed to acknowledge that Congress has ignored over 500 applications from state legislatures from all 50 states for an Article V convention? As a champion of the Constitution, surely you know that the one and only requirement explicitly stated in Article V is that two-thirds of state legislatures ask for one. And surely you know that Congress has never passed any law that expands or modifies this single explicit constitutional requirement. So, I ask you Congressman Paul: Why have you remained silent on the Article V issue?

If you do not believe that Congress should honor Article V's provision for a convention, why not say so publicly? If you believe that it should never be used, then why not call for an amendment to delete it from our Constitution?

Please Congressman Paul, as a champion of the Constitution, do not behave like other members of Congress and silently veto a crucial part of the Constitution that the Framers wisely gave us. They anticipated that eventually Americans could lose confidence in the federal government. You clearly have earned the respect and support of millions of Americans because you object to so many policies and actions of the federal government. Thus, you, more than virtually any other member of Congress, should appreciate the wisdom of the Framers in giving us the Article V convention option.

I beg you to speak up and demonstrate just how much of a champion of the Constitution you really are by bringing national attention to the Article V convention issue and supporting its use. As a founder of Friends of the Article V Convention (www.foavc.org) I invite you to play a leading role in giving the United States of America its first Article V convention.

[The author had the pleasure of a private meeting with Congressman Paul about a year ago to discuss his book Delusional Democracy – Fixing the Republic Without Overthrowing the Government: www.delusionaldemocracy.com. He serves as National Press Secretary of Friends of the Article V Convention: www.foavc.org.]

By Joel S. Hirschhorn

http://www.delusionaldemocracy.com/

Joel S. Hirschhorn has been widely published; his previous book is Sprawl Kills - How Blandburbs Steal Your Time, Health and Money - see www.sprawlkills.com . He has published many articles and oped pieces in major newspapers (Washington Post, New York Times, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune) and on progressive web sites such as CommonDreams, The Progress Report, SmirkingChimp and Opednews; Google Joel S. Hirschhorn to see his writings and achievements and see link below. Before becoming a writer and consultant, he was a senior staffer for the U.S. Congress (Office of Technology Assessment), Director of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources at the National Governors Association, a full professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and head of an environmental consulting company.

Comments

Andrew Panken
09 Jun 07, 00:10

Constitutional Convention

A constitutional convention would be the end of our country as we know it. You are playing with fire.

Our constition doesn't need any changes. We just need to follow it. We all have an inalienable right to Liberty. It doesn't exclude anyone not even illegal aliens. Of course, slaves were excluded originally. Once you exclude one group next maybe we can exclude legal aliens. After that naturalized citizens and their children too. Then, citizens who are married to illegal immigrants or legal immigrants or naturalized citizens. We all will have to carry tamper proof identity cards. Don't lose yours, because if you go out without one, you will be arrested and deported.

Anyone who harbors illegal aliens will have to be arrested and deported as well. If you don't support me, I will arrest you too. We will have the INS arresting anyone who looks foreign, chinky or speaks with any accent. The INS will search all workplaces and rental property as well. You will need a permit from the INS to employ anyone or to rent property. That way the INS will be able to arrest anyone who harbors illegals. Freedom is the enemy. Kill it and bury it forever so that we can return to the Dark Ages when the world was flat. That is why Hitler was so great, he returned us to the Dark Ages but was defeated in the end.

This time our forces of freedom haters will triumph and enslave everyone including you. We will drive everyone into the countryside to farm the land just as Pol Pot did in Cambodia. Once we conquer America, there won't be any chance of freedom returning. It will be buried forever. All copies of the most subversive document in the world, the American constitution will be burned. Then, all will serve for the common good forever.

We will hold a gigantic celebration of the Dark Ages return. All libraries, bookstores and books will be burned in a National Bonfire Day. Any houses with books will be burnt down as well. Finally, we will be safe from the Taliban and Al Queda. It will be glorious. God is Great. Love live the American Jihadists for we have won.

Bill Bacon
09 Jun 07, 05:05

Ron Paul on the Constitution

Joel,

From the view expressed in your letter I assume you will be voting for Dr. Ron Paul. I agree that the constitution should be respected. He has proven with his 9 terms in congress to rigorously defend the constitution, earning him the nick name "Dr No" among peers for voting no on everything he deems unconstitutional. This is rare to find in a politician with such a long service record.

That said, with our rights being stripped a little more every day, I think there are many more important things that must happen before requesting that he champion every cause. Ron Paul will be the first presidential candidate that I actually vote FOR and not and not merely a choice against the other candidate.

Monk
10 Jun 07, 12:05

Constitutional Convention

In 1970 the State of Illinois rewrote the constitution, this worked out great for the groups that wanted to curtail the rights of the people. Under the "new" constitution (which was supposed to preserve the rights from the prior constitutions) it was interpreted that the right to keep and bear arms (even though the constitution of Illinois explicitly stated all able bodied people are members of the militia) became a qualified right, i.e. the courts in Illinois have allowed cities (e.g. Chicago) to limit who can have handguns, have required persons to sign up for firearms identification cards, even if you just have ammunition, you can be charged now.

So how will a new constitution preserve rights? In the past, these rewrites have resulted in more concentration of power in the hands of a few (as evidenced by the replacement of the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution), with less rights being protected for those people in the bottom 95% of the population.

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