Title: My Buddy's Backhoe and Article V
Original CoS Document (slug): my-buddy-s-backhoe-and-article-v
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Created: 2023-03-12 13:53:43
Updated: 2023-03-21 03:00:00
Published: 2023-03-14 00:00:00
Converted: 2025-04-14T21:23:33.203992358
I often marvel that we have a tool given to us in Article V of the Constitution that we have failed to use for over 235 years. My understanding of that conundrum was enhanced recently by an interaction with a friend of mine.
I have a buddy who, like me, likes self-sufficiency and likes to mess with machinery. He purchased a used backhoe at an auction because he was tired of having to find a contractor and pay someone whenever he needed to dig a hole or a ditch. It is difficult and expensive to find someone who will do small jobs.
He was excited about his purchase and brought it home, parking it behind the shed. Each time I saw him over the next few weeks, I asked if he had been digging holes. Each time the answer was no, with a variety of reasons and excuses given. After about six months, I bluntly asked why he had not used his new tool.
“Well, you know, I don’t have any experience or training in using it, and those things can be dangerous. I have done some reading, and I have been ready a couple of times to start, but there always seems to be something else to do that is more urgent. I am glad it is there, and one of these days, when I really need to use it, I plan to fire it up!”
I joked that by that time it might have rusted away, or the fuel may have turned to jelly, and by the way, the only way to get comfortable with the tool is to slowly try it out and learn by using it.
Article V is kind of like that unused backhoe. It is time to crank it up and dig a few holes. Oh, we need to be careful about how we proceed, but we are not flying blind. Michael Farris, Robert Natelson, Mark Meckler, Tom Colburn, Mark Levin, and many others have done the research and advised precautions. Our instruction manual is pretty complete. We are ready to “fire it up.”
Even if the first holes do not come out very well, and we propose amendments that do not earn ratification, every hole we dig will educate us on how to do it better. This is not a one-use tool. We will get better at it – but it must be used to be effective.