I read Dan Sewell’s July 14 column on the Convention of States campaign ( Push for ‘Convention of States’ makes some Ohioans feel edgy and suspicious ). While he closes by saying it’s understandable that the idea of a convention makes some people feel uneasy, Mr. Sewell glosses over many urgent questions about this untested and frightening possibility for our country, and in doing so, grossly underestimates the threat at hand.
Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution , Congress is required to hold a constitutional convention if two-thirds of state legislatures (34 states) call for one. But here’s the catch: there are absolutely no rules for an Article V Convention outlined in the Constitution.
That means the group of people convening to rewrite our Constitution could be totally unelected and unaccountable. There is nothing limiting the convention to a single issue, so the delegates could write amendments that revoke any or all of our most cherished rights and freedoms − the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to peaceful protest, the right to privacy − even the right to vote.