So… The latest from the mostly white, mostly rural, mostly uneducated, mostly overweight, mostly (add in your own category here)… slice of America is pushing for a Convention of States to amend the Constitution? I’m not so sure that I don’t think it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. (Sorry about the triple negative there, but it’s a complex thought.) I just think our conservative “friends” might need to be very, VERY careful what they wish for.
Some are thinking this would be a good way to take gerrymandering and voter suppression to the next level; lock out those pesky voters who disagree with their notion of a “great” America that oddly enough – seems to be more like “Trump Land” than anything else. Others think it a way to get around those school districts and educational systems that aren’t kowtowing to the latest desire to move America back to the middle ages in terms of freedom, sexuality, education. Kill off all those queers once and for all by outlawing any discussion or education that’s “obviously” what’s turning some of their kids gay. Some are just blatantly looking at this as a way to kill off ANY thinking that doesn’t fit into their narrow, republican, MAGA worldview. (These are the folks that continue to think idiotic things like Trump won, the sky is actually green, Covid vaccines are a plot to micro-chip everyone, and those damn “libs are a-comin’ fer yer guns!”
But I find I’m of decidedly mixed thoughts about the whole idea. Say we get 34 states signing on to have a convention that is empowered to actually amend our 235-year-old Constitution? OK… It’ll all be on the table then. So, let’s take the opportunity to kill the current version of the 2nd Amendment, which is nonsensical (despite what our dysfunctional SCOTUS thinks) and craft gun control laws that might actually STOP the daily killing America is now known around the world for. Let’s strengthen the 4th, 6th, and 14th amendments, kill the 12th completely and never again worry about a President being inaugurated even though he actually lost the popular vote, maybe add a 28th amendment that dictates that Congress members are entitled to no more health care than they are willing to provide for the rest of our citizens (maybe that will finally get them off the dime and stop allowing big pharma and for-profit healthcare companies to call the shots about our well being?), and who knows what else unforeseen con
sequences these clamoring voices appear to not be thinking about?
In other words? OK conservatives… Let’s go for it! Let’s have your little convention of states. But you’d better be very careful what you wish for… You might actually just get it. And find that you’ve opened the door to unimagined changes and consequences that’ll have heads exploding all over Magaland.
And liberals? There’s a lesson and warning for all of you here as well. You’d better – FINALLY – learn to get off your asses, get out and vote and pay attention to how the conservatives keep schooling you on how to play dirty politics.
Worth reading about: worth pondering as well.