Title: COS South Jersey steps out Original CoS Document (slug): [[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-south-jersey-stepping-out|cos-south-jersey-stepping-out]] Login Required to view? No Created: 2021-01-03 16:22:09 Updated: 2025-02-18 23:19:42 Published: 2021-01-18 00:00:00 Converted: 2025-04-14T21:09:06.510341295 ---- Convention of States New Jersey District Captain Eric Williamson made a request to his local sporting center--appropriately named SHOOTERS--asking if COS could host a table. When presented with the goals and work of COS, the owner immediately agreed, saying it would be fine to speak with his customers as they come and go from his establishment. Eric organized the event and put out the call for volunteers to join him. The owner’s daughter Crystal invited the COS team to stay until the range closed, because as Eric reports “they were very content to have us there!”   {{https://content.conventionofstates.com/cosaction-prod/public/content/images/34316/34316_original.jpg?533x400}} “The responses at this event were generally positive,” per Gary Brenner, the State Media Liaison. “Not surprising, considering we were at a gun store/shooting range,” replied Eric Williamson. The COS team expresses gratitude to Gary Brenner, who came from northern Jersey to help in this District 12 outreach. We thank all others who participated: Susan Beckett-Jones, (District 4 Events and State Grassroots Coordinator), Tracy Grabiak District Captain), and Tom Daly (Volunteer), patriots who are local to the sporting center. {{https://content.conventionofstates.com/cosaction-prod/public/content/images/34317/34317_original.png?731x400}} Eric describes an excellent grabber phrase that caused people to slow down or stop in their tracks to listen: “Would you like to impose term limits on federal officials?" Next, he added another hook to intensify the need for term limits adding “plus a balanced federal budget, and reducing the power and jurisdiction of the federal government." People were intrigued with the COS approach as directly granted to us by our U.S. Constitution. Almost all of those who stopped signed the petition for a total of 188 signers. {{https://content.conventionofstates.com/cosaction-prod/public/content/images/34320/34320_original.png?804x400}} There was a small segment of the patrons who said our government is too far gone to be fixed, responding "Good luck! It will never happen,” etc. Gary and Eric had a laugh, likening some of these to the line in //Cool Hand Luke:// "What we've got here is: failure to communicate. Some people you just can’t reach.” What is the solution to dealing with these naysayers? Will they come alongside once progress with a COS application is made? As activists for liberty, we can study all the resources our organization offers about Article V to become more articulate in explaining the COS proposal. In addition, we can take courses in [[https://cosuniversity.com/|COS University]], such as GOV100 Constitutional Literacy and COS200 Responding to Opposition.   {{https://content.conventionofstates.com/cosaction-prod/public/content/images/34321/34321_original.png?812x400}} "The other thing I picked up on is that a lot of people are [ticked] off and infuriated,” Eric concluded. People gave multiple reasons for their anger and frustration with government: "holier than thou" career politicians, socialism, open borders, restrictions on the Second Amendment, a media that pushes an agenda, election irregularities, and good old-fashioned lying. Eric believes “their anger is good, because maybe some of these [people] will be motivated to do something.” Yes, indeed! Ten folks who signed the COS petition that day stated they are genuinely interested in getting involved, indicating they would like to volunteer. December 12, 2020, is now in the COS chronicle as the first of many events in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey.   //Interview with Eric Williamson conducted by by Francesca Nordin (District Captain, State Content Writer).// #|LEADER_POSITION_FORM{leader_position:volunteer_activist}|#