As I’ve traveled the country teaching on the Constitution the last four years, I’ve talked about the need for an Article V Convention of the States to address the Federal government’s tyrannical abuses. I am so excited to see momentum building behind this idea as more and more conservative thinkers are expressing their support for this tool given to us by the Founding Fathers. There are many conservatives who are afraid to follow Article V of the Constitution as a way of restoring the proper balance of power between the states and the federal government, so I’m going to be discussing this topic and answering their objections over the next few weeks in a series of posts. If you have questions you’d like to see addressed, just leave them in the comments below. To kick off the series, I’d like to share a letter I wrote with my good friend and mentor David Barton. David has also been giving a lot of time and research to the idea of an Article V Convention, and is appearing next week on the Glenn Beck show to discuss it. Watch this blog series closely. We’ll be announcing a special Wallbuilders Live! online telecast with David Barton, Rick Green, & Mike Farris to discuss the Convention of States. Visit www.ConventionofStates.com for more information.

by Rick Green and David Barton

Fellow Patriots,

It is exciting to see such a renewed interest in basic constitutional principles. Liberty lovers across America are studying their past in order to find ways to stop our federal government’s explosive growth and sprint towards socialism.

Fortunately, our Founding Fathers, with their thorough understanding of human nature, created constitutional means to restrain the federal government when it exceeded its jurisdiction. One specific means was the Constitution’s Article V amendment process by means of a Convention of the States. This is a proper solution.

We have not come to this conclusion lightly. Like many of our conservative friends, we initially avoided this constitutionally-specified process due to a fear of what might occur, or what could happen. But after years of research and studying the Founders’ original intent for this amendment process — and after years of witnessing an unconstitutional reshaping of our federal government — we are both confident that this is the correct course of action.

The Federalist Papers declare that the Constitution specifically furnishes each part of government “with constitutional arms” for its own “effectual powers of self-defense.” One such arm of self-defense that the Constitution gives to the states is an Article V Convention of States. For states to refuse to use this tool would be like going into a street fight, but refusing to use one of your biggest and most effective weapons. And it is illogical to consider the use of any constitutional provision as a threat to the Constitution. It makes as much sense as violating the free-market system to save it, or breaking health care to fix it.

We urge you to support all of the Constitution, and thus the efforts of the Convention of States to pass their extremely well-thought-out and strategic legislation in your home state and join us in a call to restore our constitutional republic.