Title: Samples of COS Approved LTTE Original CoS Document (slug): [[https://conventionofstates.com/files/samples-of-cos-approved-ltte|samples-of-cos-approved-ltte]] Login Required to view? No Attached File: Samples_of_COS_Approved_LTTE.pdf Created: 2018-11-14 15:05:14 Updated: 2019-11-14 19:00:00 Published: 2018-11-21 05:43:37 Converted: 2025-04-14T19:32:44.453263559 ---- {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto001.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\   **UNPUBLISHED LTTE SAMPLES (DRAFTED BY TX-ML, Alana Oldenberg) ** **LTTE #1 ** Dear Editor,  The federal government has grown too large; they have flooded local governments with regulations and \\ mandates. They’ve left us and our posterity with a crippling federal debt. With all this overregulation \\ we’ve given up our choices– we’ve give up our liberty! Let’s stand up and say, “We’ve had enough!”  The Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by \\ Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the \\ people.” Federal funding and most court interpretations of the Tenth Amendment have served to keep \\ state power in check.  If thirty-four (34) states call for a Convention of States, as outlined in Article V of the Constitution, the \\ states can propose amendments to the Constitution. Think of the possibilities which will never take \\ place today in Washington, DC.  1) State and federal powers could be more clearly enumerated. 2) Term \\ limits could be set for Congress. 3) A balanced budget amendment could be proposed. Any proposed \\ amendment would require the approval of three-quarters of the states. The Convention of States is the \\ final safeguard left to us by our Founding Fathers who knew that one day we may need to impose fiscal \\ restraints or limit the powers of the federal government. Ten states have already passed legislation \\ asking for a Convention of States. We need Texas and twenty-three more.    Use it … or lose it!  Will we continue to lose more liberty?  Check out //www.cosaction.com //   **LTTE #2 ** Dear Editor,  It is time to reign in the federal government. We need fiscal restraints to deal with the exploding \\ national debt of almost $20 trillion.  This debt equates to almost $61.2K per person today. The federal \\ government needs to balance their budget like families across this nation. We also need to rebalance \\ the power between states and the federal government. Washington, DC is a bureaucratic maze. In \\ addition to Congressional legislation we have federal agencies publishing so many regulations that it’s \\ like having another branch of the government. All of this is imposed upon the states and WE the people. \\ Although we have some well-meaning representatives in Washington, they have to deal with the federal \\ leviathan, the partisan politics and a system where seniority shows favoritism. Imposing term limits on \\ the servants who come to Washington and never seem to leave may be the only way to deal with this \\ broken system.  How do we do it? Fortunately for us the Founding Fathers anticipated a day when citizens would need to \\ address issues like this. Article V of the US Constitution allows states to call for a Convention of States \\ where amendments can be proposed. It takes thirty-four states to call the convention and thirty-eight \\ states to approve an amendment to the Constitution. Through their state legislatures, ten states already \\ have submitted their application. Many more are discussing it. Texas passed SJR2 in the State Senate. \\ House Committee debate is expected in April. For more information check ou[[http://www.cosaction.com/|t //www.cosaction.com //]]// // {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto002.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\         **LTTE #3 ** Dear Editor,  We have a new administration in Washington, but its politics as usual! We were promised repeal of the \\ UNnaffordable Care Act, Obamacare, but that hasn’t happened. What is the government doing in \\ healthcare? That should be between me and my doctor. What is the government doing in so many other \\ areas in my life?   Maybe the new administration, the GOP House and GOP Senate can’t do anything, but we can do \\ something at the grassroots level within each of our states. In fact, it’s already happening. Sadly not \\ many people know about Article V of the US Constitution where each state legislature can apply for a \\ Convention of States. So far ten states have passed legislation to apply for a Convention of States where \\ amendments to the Constitution can be proposed. It takes thirty-four states to authorize a convention \\ and thirty-eight states to approve an amendment to the US Constitution. This is the only way we will \\ ever get term limits set on Congress members or a balanced budget. It may also be they only way we \\ ever get Obamacare repealed. I encourage you find out more about this option as the state of Texas is \\ pursuing this remedy. SJR2 calling for a Convention of States has passed in the State Senate. It is \\ expected to go to a House Committee for debate in late April.  For more information check out \\ [[http://www.cosaction.com/|//www.cosaction.com  //]]// // **LTTE#4 (written by Shellie, VA ML) ** Today we have a federal government that continues to over step its bounds. We can’t vote our way out \\ of the mess Washington D.C. has made. We have a runaway bureaucracy, bloated government, massive \\ deficits and well over $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities.   When the framers wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they knew the people would need to be involved \\ if this republic were to last. The framers knew it was natural for a government to grow and become \\ oppressive. So, a few days before the Constitution was finalized, the delegates unanimously decided to \\ put a tool in place to bring the government back under control of the states. That tool is the amendment \\ process detailed in Article V. The first method is congress and the second method is our states.  Since congress won’t correct itself by bringing the federal government under control, it is time we used \\ the second part of Article V to make the corrections needed. Go to[[http://www.conventionofstates.com/| conventionofstates.com ]]and learn \\ about the solution as big as the problem: an Article V Convention of States. It’s time to restore these \\ great United States of America to what our founders intended them to be.          {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto003.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\     **LTTE #5 (COS volunteer WI) ** April 3, 2017  Dear Editor,  In 1789, the People of the United States, in Congress, in order to secure the blessings of liberty for \\ themselves and  posterity, established and ordained the Constitution of the United States. This \\ Constitution was established as the law of the land, and it remains in full force and effect to this day.  Amendments to this Constitution had to be approved by two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the \\ state legislatures to be approved as part of this Constitution. The first ten amendments are the Bill of \\ Rights approved on September 25, 1789. The twenty-seventh was approved on May 7, 1992.  The Constitution in Article V established a pathway for the states to secure amendments on their own \\ initiative as a Convention of States. If two thirds of the **commissioners at a Convention of States \\ approve **a valid amendment which is then **ratified** by three fourths of the state legislatures**;** that \\ amendment becomes a part of the Constitution. There is no need for Congressional approval.   On Sept. 21-23, 2016, the Convention of States **conducted a simulation** in Williamsburg, VA. They voted \\ and approved strict fiscal budget control, particularly sharp commerce laws, federal term limits of **6 \\ years?** in the House of Representatives and 2 years**(terms?...need to confirm)** in the Senate. States \\ **c**ould have authority to abrogate laws issued by the federal government.  The power of the Convention of States is well known in Congress. State Legislatures conceive it as a way \\ to bypass Congress to gain their own state initiatives. President Trump and the new Congress may, \\ themselves, evoke some of the recommendations from the Convention of States.  **Meanwhile he needs \\ our help.  You can learn more, sign the petition and volunteer at conventionofstates.com.**   God has blessed America in many ways.  **LTTE #6 (NC COS volunteer) ** I think about the future because I have grandchildren.  I wonder if the United States of America will even \\ exist for them.  The federal debt is more than $20 trillion dollars with no end to spending in sight.  Every \\ man, woman, and child living in the United States today owes $58,000 towards this debt. This is \\ madness!    Today we have a federal government that continues to over step its bounds. Washington, DC will not fix \\ itself. The rule of law is not enforced. The Supreme Court is making laws from rulings. And Congress \\ stands silent. Who represents we the People?  When the framers gave us the U.S. Constitution in 1787, they knew the people would need to be the \\ ones to protect liberty for America to last. The framers knew it was natural for those in power to want \\ more of it. So, a few days before the Constitution was finalized, the delegates unanimously decided to \\ put a tool in place for proposing amendments to bring the government back under control. The \\ amendment process is detailed in Article V. The two ways to propose amendments are through either \\ the Congress or through State Legislatures by calling a Convention of States.  {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto004.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\     Article V of the Constitution has been described as a safety valve put in place by our Founding Fathers. \\ They wisely anticipated that a day would come when the federal government would become too \\ dominant and usurp power that belongs to the states. Article V is the mechanism built into the \\ Constitution to allow the people to take back their power and their rights. \\   We the people can rein in an out of control government.  Check out[[http://www.conventionofstates.com/|  www.conventionofstates.com ]]and \\ read about the Article V Convention of States project.  It’s “a solution as big as the problem”.    OPINION EDITORIAL #1 (SD Legislator Lynne DiSanto)  Washington, D.C. is broken. The ruling elite have forgotten whom they serve. Thankfully, America’s \\ Founders included a provision in Article V that empowers the States to stand up against a broken federal \\ structure. I believe the time is now for the States to use this power to stand together against federal \\ overreach--regardless of who is president.  Sadly, some legislators and citizens have given up on restoring our Republic, because they see that every \\ day that the swamp isn’t drained, DC gets stronger. The States have become less relevant than ever—\\ just look at how much of the South Dakota state budget comes from the Feds. Washington, DC has no \\ intention of limiting its power, so if we as citizens want to restore our power, we are going to have to \\ fight for it, using the tools provided for us in our great Constitution. The easy way, of course, is to do \\ nothing. But I believe the People are ready to fight for their liberty—they want smaller, less intrusive, \\ less expensive government. This was the message of election night last November. Now it is time for the \\ South Dakota legislature to heed the will of the People and use its Article V power on their behalf.   I am ready to do this. Article V is the tool that empowers us to do it, by allowing the states to convene to \\ propose amendments to the Constitution on a specified topic. In the case of the Convention of States \\ Project resolution I have championed in South Dakota (HJR 1002), that topic is the limitation of federal \\ spending, power and jurisdiction.   Sadly, fear-mongering has suppressed the facts and overpowered the will of the People. It has precluded \\ your state legislature from using its power to defend the Constitution as written and to reject the \\ perversions of it contained in the 3,000-page annotated version used by the Feds today.   For instance, fear-mongers say that a convention for proposing amendments opens the entire \\ Constitution for changes. This is completely false. We only need to look at our nation’s history to \\ understand how conventions work. My colleagues who say we don’t know what to expect should read \\ some of the research by[[http://robnatelson.com/the-37th-convention-of-states-discovered/| Professor Rob Natelson, t]]he world’s foremost authority on Article V and the \\ convention process. He examines the records of inter-governmental conventions before Independence, \\ after the Constitution was ratified and even in the 20th Century, including the uniform one state, one \\ vote rule, and the fact that the narrowly prescribed role of Congress to name the convention time and \\ place and select between two ratification procedures.   The statist dream is concentrated power in Washington. But any South Dakota legislator who rejects this \\ vision should embrace the peaceful, Constitutional way to resist federal overreach through Article V.   {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto005.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\   My oath to South Dakota includes defending and upholding the U.S. Constitution, and I will do so with \\ every fiber of my being. America was built on an ideal: that government should serve the people, and \\ not the other way around. The Constitution was written to stand sentinel over free Americans, just like \\ Mt. Rushmore stands tall over South Dakota’s rich history. If we want to enjoy the liberty our \\ Constitution provides, we must not shrink from using the processes it offers for preserving it.    **YANKTON Daily Press & Dakotan, SD (2-22-17) ** William L. Heubaum, Yankton** ** Monday, Feb. 13, was a sad day for South Dakotans interested in federal constitutional reform,  for that was the day our state House of Representatives voted down House Joint Resolution  1002. Its purpose was to apply for a convention of states under Article V of the Constitution of  the United States to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government and limit the power and  jurisdiction of the federal government.  Promoted, among others, by the Convention of States, a project of Citizens for Self- Government, headquartered in Virginia, two of the principal objectives of such a convention  would be to propose constitutional amendments requiring term limits on members of Congress  and a balanced budget. These concepts have served South Dakota well, and would do likewise  for all the states.  However, proponents of the status quo managed to defeat it by a vote of 40 to 28. Among the  “nay” voters were our own District 18 Reps. Mike Stevens and Jean Hunhoff. (On Feb. 6, HJR  1002 was passed by the State Affairs Committee by a vote of 10 to 3.)  The rejection by the whole House was especially galling, coming as it did in the wake of the  Legislature’s overruling of IM 22, the voter-approved initiative to require ethics reform. (To his  credit, District 18 Sen. Craig Kennedy voted against overturning IM 22.)  There appears to be a large number of state legislators who have scant regard for the will of the  people. Even now, several of them are at work trying to make it harder for citizens to get  initiated measures on the ballot in the future.  That may be their definition of democracy at work. It is not mine.  ** ** ** ** {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto006.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\   **BOISE, ID LTTE (2-21-17) ** **This is in response to Rep. Judy Boyle (R) and Rep. Ilana Rubel (D) ** As these representatives stated, there are two ways to amend the U.S. Constitution. Respectfully, \\ in my opinion, they misrepresented some issues. Yes, the only way we have previously amended \\ the U.S. Constitution has been for the amendment to begin in the U.S. Congress; however, our \\ wonderful and smart framers provided us with another way, which is NOT a Constitutional \\ Convention, but a Convention of States. The State Legislators in each state must vote to agree to \\ send attendees to the convention. At the convention, any “proposed amendment” to the U.S. \\ Constitution must be agreed upon by 34 states and once any amendments are agreed upon, the \\ amendment(s) are formally submitted by the U.S. Congress and 38 states must vote to affirm the \\ amendment(s). There cannot be a “runaway” convention.  Looking only at the Federal Government, consider the following: (1) Many people I know would \\ love to see term limits – do you think Congress will propose an amendment to limit their terms? \\ (2) Do you think Congress (who just loves to spend our money) will propose an amendment to \\ balance the budget? (3) How about an amendment to stop the alphabet soup of agencies (DOE, \\ OSHA, EPA, BLM, etc.) from passing regulations (not laws) that we must all live by but we \\ don’t even know what they are until we get a notice and are fined. (4) How about the runaway \\ courts, where too many judges who are sworn to uphold the U.S. Constitution make decisions \\ based on their personnel beliefs or even look at laws from other countries when making \\ decisions.  If you love this Constitutional Republic and want to make sure it survives for you, your children, \\ and your grandchildren, please do the research for yourself. It is only a few clicks away on the \\ internet. Don’t believe me, or the two state representatives, check it out for yourself and make an \\ informed decision.  **A Constitutional Conservative**  **SALINA, TEXAS OP-ED ** It really doesn’t matter who is in the White House or which party controls Congress; it is the  tendency of each of the three branches of the federal government to take more and more authority  upon itself and exert more and more control over the states and their citizens.  The founders of our republic realized that and wrote the Constitution so as to limit the powers “we \\ the people” thereby grant to the federal government, to set up checks and balances between the  legislative, executive, and judicial branches and to reserve all other powers to the people.  A key element of the Constitution is Article V, which provides that a Convention of States be held \\ upon application of at least two-thirds of the states, to propose amendments to the Constitution.  Such amendments then become law if ratified by at least three-fourths of the states.  The federal government has grown ever larger and more powerful over the years, and it has long  been evident that there is a need to amend the Constitution to limit the federal government, restore \\ checks and balances and return usurped powers to the states.  {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto007.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\   In 1971, Professor Antonin Scalia (later a Supreme Court justice who served many years with  distinction before his death last year) advocated Article V be utilized for the above purpose. Now, at \\ last, that effort is underway. Eight states are already on board and most others have it in process.  A resolution, HCR 5005, has been introduced into the Kansas Legislature and referred to the House  Federal and State Affairs Committee. A hearing on that resolution was scheduled at 9 a. m. on Feb. \\ 13, at the Capitol in Topeka. It is important that resolution not die in committee.  Please contact the state representative and state senator for your district and urge them to support  this important resolution providing for the participation of Kansas in the Convention of States. For  more information, see[[http://conventionofstates.com/| //conventionofstates.com// ]]and[[http://kslegislature.org/| //kslegislature.org//.]]  //— LAWRENCE WETTER, Salina//  ** ** **CASPER, WY LTTE ** **Editor:**  I wish President-elect Trump and the Republican Congress luck in unraveling the mess left by the \\ unconstitutionally unilateral actions of the Obama administration, in undoing the disaster known as \\ Obamacare, and in defanging the ever-growing list of overreaching federal regulations.  One thing they can’t do is reverse the activism of federal judges, 40 percent of whom are now Obama \\ appointees. Senate Democrat Leader Schumer has stated that Democrats will filibuster judges they believe “out \\ of the mainstream.” He’ll likely succeed, given Republicans’ polite deference to the minority as embodied in \\ the filibuster rule. Democrat Harry Reid previously invoked a “nuclear option” to exclude from this rule all \\ judicial nominees below the Supreme Court level. The Republicans probably won’t follow suit even though \\ they should.  In Article V of the Constitution, the Framers provided an antidote to federal overreach using an alternate \\ manner of constitutional amendment – a Convention of States (COS). Such a convention can be called if a \\ majority of state legislatures so vote. A bill is being prepared in the Wyoming legislature to join a growing \\ number of states in calling for such a convention.  Although many objections have been forthcoming as to the COS, many are unfounded. Now all Wyoming \\ legislators will have a chance to learn directly about this project from its founders and key proponents – \\ constitutional attorney and scholar Mark Meckler and former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn – both of whom will \\ be available for a meet-and-greet in Cheyenne on Jan. 23. Let’s hope our legislators will avail themselves of \\ this opportunity to discuss the COS with those who know most about it. Valid factual information should \\ always trump uninformed innuendo and lack of knowledge.  Meanwhile, we can all read “The Liberty Amendments” by constitutional attorney and conservative \\ commentator Mark Levin, and consult the COS website:[[http://conventionofstates.com/| conventionofstates.com.]]  This is an idea whose time has come, as the Framers suspected it one day would.  CHARLES COLE, Sheridan  **The LIMA NEWS, OH LTTE ** January is for resolutions. The start of a new spin around the sun by Mother Earth seems to require some \\ sort of new spin in our lives. Lose weight. Be on time. Stop biting fingernails. Save money. \\ Steve Stechschulte’s resolution is pointed and specific. He wants Ohio to become the ninth state in the \\ nation to pass a resolution calling for a Convention of States for the purpose of proposing amendments to \\ the Constitution.  {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto008.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\   “That’s what we’re pushing for,” said Stechschulte, who is Ohio’s director for t[[http://www.conventionofstates.com/|he Convention of ]] [[http://www.conventionofstates.com/|States, a]] project of[[https://selfgovern.com/| Citizens for Self-Governance, ]]a group created by Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark \\ Meckler and constitutional lawyer Michael Farris. “We are hoping to do it before they get their heads \\ buried in the budget.”  Stechschulte isn’t a constitutional lawyer; he’s a software guy for an accounting reconciliation  company, a kid from Kalida who grew up with an appreciation for self-initiative. \\ “It’s a farming community, a lot of self-reliant folks, a place with a sense of community,” he said by \\ phone from his office in Columbus. “There’s Pioneer Days, sports — good basketball when we were \\ there — a community where everybody knew everybody’s name, which provided a sense of looking out \\ for each other.”  It’s how he sees a Convention of States: a democratic process, provided by the Framers of the  Constitution, that gives the people the opportunity to look out for each other and help one another avoid \\ abuses of power while promoting self-reliance.  “For a long time, we’ve said, ‘Someone else will take care of it.’ Then you say, ‘Why didn’t you  do it the way I wanted you to?’” he said of the average citizen. He said he chose to get involved \\ volunteering for the Constitution of States project because it’s something he believes in, and believes will \\ help the nation.  “The Convention of States allows people to have an emergency brake role, if needed,” he said.  Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, Congress must call a Convention of States to propose \\ amendments to the Constitution if 34 state legislative bodies pass resolutions, or “applications” for a \\ convention. The applications must all seek a Convention of States to deal with the same issue. For \\ Stechschulte and the Convention of States project, it’s curbing the power and jurisdiction of the federal \\ government, and, most important to this accountant, imposing fiscal restraint.  “This debt is becoming at a high enough level that it’s becoming dangerous,” Stechschulte said.  “That’s my personal feeling.”  While a Convention of States resolution died on the vine in Ohio’s legislature last year,  Stechschulte told a recent meeting of Top of Ohio Patriots in Bellefontaine that he has higher hopes for \\ 2017.  “We thought we had only nine people we could count on,” he said then, of politicians in  Columbus who are supportive of a Convention of States resolution. “Turns out we have 21, 24 people.” \\ And, given Donald Trump’s status quo-upending election to the White House, he believes there will be \\ more.  “The level of awareness and civic understanding has been growing and growing, and it’s  maturing,” he said. “If we really get people back in mindset of, we have to be engaged citizens, \\ understand what the government is and what our redress capabilities are, and soberly look at the solutions \\ and use the tools that the Framers gave us, we can impart the will of the people.”  And that is Steve Stechschulte’s resolution for 2017, encouraging people to become engaged  citizens and see to it that Ohio’s lawmakers, at least, operate on their behalf on an issue he believes most \\ Ohioans can get behind: amending the Constitution so that it limits federal overreach.  “There’s a solid constitutional basis for what we want to do,” he said of a Convention of States.  “It’s not, ‘Let’s grab the pitchforks.’ It was set up by the Framers.” \\ Reach Amy Eddings at 567-242-0379 or on Twitter, @lima_eddings. \\   **USA TODAY NETWORK – PRESS CONNECTS LTTE, Jan 4, 2017 ** Partisan politics aside, 72 percent of Americans feel America is headed in the wrong direction \\ and that our future prospects are deeply troubling. Also, that the monstrous federal debt, power \\ grabs of the federal courts, and escalating power and overreach of the federal government is \\ encroaching on our rights and freedoms.  {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto009.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\   That said, there’s a solution bigger than the problem — the Convention of States Project.  Article V of the U. S. Constitution says that upon successful “application” by 34 states, the states \\ can convene a Convention of States to propose constitutional amendments, limited to imposing \\ fiscal restraints on the federal government, limiting the power of the federal government, and \\ mandating term limits.  These amendments only become part of the Constitution after being ratified by 38 states, \\ rendering the “runaway convention” objection virtually unthinkable.  Those concerned about where America is heading can do something to help the Convention of \\ States Project turn it around, and it can be something as simple as signing the petition urging \\ your state legislators to support the project’s resolution; or getting involved as a volunteer. To \\ sign the petition and for more information about this exciting movement, please go to \\ [[http://www.cosaction.com/|COSAction.com ]] RICHARD GERMOND  BAINBRIDGE    Convention of States Project presentation set  //SALINA JOURNAL,( SALINA, KS), Jan 25, 2017 // A short presentation with a question and answer session on the Convention of States Project will be  presented by Art Howell, Carol Ann Bachofer and Bob Strawder at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Learning \\ Center Room 2 at the Salina Public Library.  The Convention of States Project proposes calling for a convention of states, as outlined in Article V  of the Constitution, to propose amendments to the Constitution that would curb what the \\ organization sees as overreach by the federal government in a variety of ways.  Go to[[http://conventionofstates.com/| //conventionofstates.com// ]]for additional information or call Bachofer at 826-7855 or Howell at \\ 577-7810.    [[http://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/in-your-opinion-it-s-high-time-for-a-convention/article_733cf845-443c-51cc-99ca-92fea5b8fd13.html|It’s HIGH Time for a Convention of States (TheDailyStar.com) ]] There is a movement spreading across the nation, which should receive more attention: The \\ Convention of States Project.   The proponents, of which I am one, believe that We-the-People have lost our correct position as \\ masters of government. Instead government, specifically the federal government, tramples willy-nilly \\ on the will of the people of the individual states.   Our constitutional republic was founded to allow the states the freedom to be the laboratories of \\ societal experimentation. The role of the federal government, which was created by the states, was \\ to be limited to 1) provide for national defense, and 2) facilitate commerce among the states.  Article V, of the Constitution, allows for the states to propose a convention to agree on potential \\ amendments to the Constitution. Thirty-four states must submit applications for a convention, using \\ similar language, before the Congress must decide on a place and time. That concludes Congress’s \\ involvement.  {{:cb_mirror_public:media:files_7362_pdfto010.png?nolink&918x1188 |background image}} 2017 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (LTTE) AND OPINION EXAMPLES \\   Thirty-eight states are required for ratification.  If you must restrict yourself to operating under a balanced budget, why not the federal government? \\ Should politicians stay in “public service” long enough to get rich off insider deals? Should you be \\ able to make decisions about how to live your life, or should some faceless, unaccountable \\ bureaucrat in Washington, D.C.?  If you love liberty, check out the Convention of States Project at[[http://siteencore.com/cnhi/crossvillechronicle/loading.html#rotftwetu=aHR0cHMlM0EvL3d3dy5iaW5nLmNvbS8%3D&ibothsahtrtd=aHR0cCUzQS8vd3d3LmNvbnZlbnRpb25vZnN0YXRlcy5jb20v&shtlp=aHR0cCUzQS8vd3d3LnRoZWRhaWx5c3Rhci5jb20vb3Bpbmlvbi9sZXR0ZXJzX3RvX3RoZV9lZGl0b3IvaW4teW91ci1vcGluaW9uLWl0LXMtaGlnaC10aW1lLWZvci1hLWNvbnZlbnRpb2| http:%%//%%www.conventionofstates.com/ ]] Clayton Bink