OUR VIEW: Constitutional convention would be a mess
Published: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 5:35 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 5:36 p.m.
The idea of a second constitutional convention for the United States has been percolating since the 19th century, and it’s not been associated with a single party or philosophy. Various groups, convinced that the founding fathers either didn’t get it right or didn’t act with sufficient clarity in 1787, have called for a re-do.
Most recently, legislatures in 20 states (including Alabama) have passed resolutions calling for a constitutional convention under Article 5 of the present document to pass a federal balanced budget amendment.
No such convention is currently scheduled. No such convention is likely to be scheduled for years, if not decades. That hasn’t stopped Republican legislators from trying to make sure Alabama is ready, should it happen at some point.
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One can only imagine what a 21st-century constitutional convention would be like. This effort is being driven by conservatives, but does anyone think liberals wouldn’t be out, loud and in force, trying to get their ideas enacted? (Some Occupy Wall Street participants talked last year about a constitutional convention). The streets would be filled with advocates and protesters, the Twittersphere would implode and the media coverage would be proctological and endless. The results could rip the country apart, rather than producing a new governing document to unify it.
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20140122/NEWS/140129926/-1/xtotebook?p=1&tc=pg#gsc.tab=0