Important Fact: Our present-day federation of states evolved from a confederation of 13 sovereign countries that were former colonies of Great Britain. Under King George III, the British government exercised tyranny upon our forefathers. I point to the 23rd of 27 grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence:
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
Our forefathers, intent on avoiding future tyrannical central governance, formed a confederacy of the 13 sovereign states, calling the confederacy “The United States of America”. (Article I. The Articles of Confederation)
Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.
Article II. The Articles of Confederation
FYI: Each sovereign state was afforded ONE senator as a representative. Population was not a factor in the confederation’s constitution.
The confederation of states just did not work out. Over many weeks in a constitutional convention, the founders attempted to improve or fix. All attempts failed.
God used elderly Benjamin Franklin, the “least religious founding father”, to lead the delegates into a spiritual revival. After a season of prayer, the delegates crafted our present-day Constitution, hence this phrase:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Preamble to the federal Constitution
Our ingenious Founding Fathers incorporated a means for the ultimate authority of government to “We the People” by means of Article V of the Constitution. Allow me to draw for you a logical diagram of this Article.
Over several Texas State GOP conventions, my one proposed plank to the Republican platform has been to repeal the 17th Amendment. “Why?”, you may ask?
I point to a Fox News story titled Senate Republicans who struck deal with Dems fought off push to raise assault weapons purchase age to 21. Senator John Cornyn gave lip service to the 2nd Amendment prohibition of the U.S. Congress infringing on this amendment before he voted to infringe on it.
The Founding Fathers understood how a central government would eventually become a threat to the freedoms of our citizens. The Founders included provisions in the Constitution to assure us we can correct overreaches by any of the three branches of the federal government:
- The enumerated powers of Congress – Article II, Section 8
- The Bill of Rights – the first ten amendments to the Constitution
- Article V of the Constitution – We the People can call a Convention of States to address failures of the central government through the amendment process.
Learn from the Federal Register the Constitutional Amendment Process by clicking on this link.
John White
SD2, Rockwall, Texas
John N. White 