Title: Why we need a Convention of States
Original CoS Document (slug): why-we-need-a-convention-of-states
Login Required to view? No
Created: 2022-06-14 17:12:30
Updated: 2022-06-22 03:00:00
Published: 2022-06-15 02:00:00
Converted: 2025-04-14T21:17:43.375452378
I am a Marine Corps combat veteran of Vietnam and retired senior manager from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). I spent the last 13 years of my career at VA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. as Chief of Policies and Operations and then as Director of Headquarters Health Administration Service for veterans’ health administration.
In those roles, I worked closely with U.S. Congressional members of both parties in both chambers, regarding veteran legislation and veteran concerns.
Those interactions left me with the strong opinion that far too many of our legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, were not truly concerned with what was best for our veterans and by extension the citizens of this great nation.
Rather, those interactions led me to believe that their primary concerns were with what promises to make to get the veterans’ votes for re-election; what position to take on pending legislation to garner support of veterans and their family members; or what legislation could they propose to get veteran support for re-election.
The problem was, I had already been trying to get their support on a verity of veteran issues prior to their upcoming re-election. Attempts always seemed to end with unfulfilled promises to support legislation which would truly be beneficial to our veterans if they were re-elected.
Then, if and when they were re-elected, we would go over the same issues with the same promises with the same results.
Why the failed promises? Fear of failing to pacify their party position; fear of loosing re-election donors; fear of unions and/or fear of big corporations. In return for their going along to get along, they were offered positions on key committees, party support for re-election, and money, lots of money, flowing in from the rich, some of which went into their own pockets.
They did not even act in the same manner when dealing with other federal government departments or agencies.
And where did their inaction lead? The rise of the bureaucrats, of which I was one, who truly govern our country through regulations which carries the same weight as law.
In spite of their failed promises to their constituents, they seemed to get re-elected time and time again. With each successful re-election, these politicians became more emboldened as they realized that they are not going to be held accountable for their broken promises or continuous failures to act in the best interest of the people.
These politicians use the media to create divisiveness between us with accusations that all their broken promises, all their failures, and all of our country’s problems are the fault of the other party and as such their hands are tied.
Legislators in Washington have totally lost touch with their constituents, and because of distance, have little chance of interacting with them on a personal basis in order to confront their failures and broken promises.
We need a solution that will let “We The People” of this nation go around the Washington political establishment and rein in the out of control federal government, permanently.
We know there's a solution. Convene a Convention of States, as allowed by Article V of the Constitution, with restricted authority to proposing only amendments that will: 1) Impose fiscal restraints on the federal government; 2) Limit its power and jurisdiction; and, 3) Impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress.
We the People can do this. We together can return our Republic to what our founding fathers intended this great nation to be, free to choose our own destiny. But it takes dedication, time, and the willingness to reach out to our families, friends and neighbors.
Are you willing to step up to the plate and do more, because more is what is needed right now, not later. Your decedent's are dependent on you to do the right thing and become more involved to see this through to success.