Appreciating a Miracle

The state of California is considering a state constitutional convention because:

“Look anywhere in California and you'll find a crisis," Grubb continued. "Our education system used to be the best in the country, now we're 49th or 50th. Our transit network is the worst in the nation, our water system is on the verge of collapse, and our prison system is overflowing. The Legislature is responsible and they aren't able to do their jobs."

Government hard at work! The more government you have the more problems you have. The government is a general framework not a prescriptive function. It sets the rules for citizens to function within those boundaries.

If you read the article what you find is that most Californian’s are against a constitutional convention because they don’t trust the politicians or the influence the special interests will have if they open up their constitution to changes. The people’s instincts are right because in California the constitution has been tinkered with over 500 times. I can’t imagine how many pages it is but I would venture to say more than 500 pages.

Our US Constitution is 4,400 WORDS! My mini pocket constitution that I carry with me is 37 pages, little tiny pages, for the entire founding of a government designed to protect the individual 13 colonies that became the United States. Think about that, not only did our founders agree to unite thirteen states they did it in less than 4500 WORDS!

Here is why they could achieve such a miracle; wisdom! The wisdom to know that government is a necessary evil, only to be trusted with limited powers as to protect citizens from the inherent human nature to control, understanding that more government equals less freedom, and that individual freedom is the right of every human, and that it is given to us by God.

Compare that to today and California’s dilemma. The reason they want to change the constitution in CA is to make it easier to raise taxes therefore giving government more control, and the citizens of California less freedom. A bit different from our founders. The cancer of government expansion is just that, once it takes control it multiples and destroys all productive “organs” around it including the American Dream. The citizens of California know this and have every right to be concerned about this convention. But I ask; how come we can’t do what our founders did over 200 years ago? I thought we were more advanced?

The right approach is to set guidelines before the constitutional convention is convened. No current politician could partake in the convention. Attendees would be randomly chosen from the voter rolls of the state. They could choose to bring one advisor to the meeting. And lastly the constitution would have to be 4400 words or less.

California may need constitutional changes but there is a great example of how to create one, it is called the US Constitution. In light of how difficult it is to get anyone to agree on anything today, the fact that we have our US Constitution constitutes a miracle… And for every miracle we have only one person to thank; God!