My State House Representative, Esther Helton, has signed a pledge to support an Article V Convention calling for an amendment to the US Constitution to impose term limits for US House and Senate seats. While I personally think that Chuck Fleishmann needs to be forcibly retired, there are several issues with this proposal.
1) Thus far, all proposed amendments to the Constitution have originated in the Congress and were then passed by the requisite number of states.
2) In the entire 235 year history since the ratification of the US Constitution there has never been an Article V convention called by the states.
3) Article V is unclear as to whether a convention can be limited to a specific reason to be considered as specified in the call and it is also unclear as to who can adjudicate the scope of a called convention of the states.
4) In this current state of distrust in our nation, I fail to the see the urgency in calling for a potentially divisive enterprise when there are other options available.
While I realize that the think tank that gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 was imperfect, I trust their collected wisdom more than I trust the partisan mouthpieces calling for a present day Constitutional Convention that could completely alter our form of government with its checks and balances for a Fascist Oligarchy that forces conformity or destruction.
Wayne Cook