Novi Times

The Michigan Convention of States has issued the following press release: 

Uncontrolled and absurd federal spending. Executive orders that read like royal edicts. Supreme Court justices who deal with critical cases in one way: dismissal, without comment, due to a lack of standing. These offenses are merely a fraction of what has come out of Washington D.C. in the last nine months—actions the D.C. bureaucrats, elected and unelected alike, have been salivating over for years.

Like many Americans, you may find these actions deeply troubling. You are likely a part of the 70% of Americans who are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. You may be scared, confused, and angry. But what can you do?

On Monday, October 25 at 6:30pm, Dave Vigna is hosting a town hall about the Michigan Convention of States (MI COS), a grassroots organization dedicated to checking the power of the federal government. Please come to the Milford Senior Center to listen, learn, and ask questions. See for yourself what you can do.

Event: MI COS Town Hall, hosted by Dave Vigna

When: Monday, October 25, 6:30 pm

Where: Milford Senior Center, 1050 Atlantic St., Milford, MI 48381

Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/2y1bcpUcI

Vigna understands well the burning desire to do something. A former Michigan Air National Guardsman, Vigna joined at the tail end of the Vietnam War to fulfill his service obligation. He served and left, subsequently beginning his life as a lawyer, husband, father, and grandfather. He was satisfied to watch American politics unfold as an interested observer until September 11, 2001, when he felt himself activate. In the aftermath of 9/11, Vigna contacted his former unit in the Guard, but upon arrival at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, he found out he was 18-months too old to reenter. For Vigna, “It was one of the saddest days of my life and one of the greatest ironies. I had joined the military at 18 years old, just wanting to get it out of the way and without any particular feelings of patriotism. But on this day—when I was ready to devote the remainder of my life—they didn’t need me.”

Once again, Vigna returned to his life after a brush with the U.S. military, following politics closely, but without action beyond the occasional letter or phone call. That is until the morning of November 4, 2020, when the unconstitutional government overreach rampant throughout 2020 came to a head. Vigna, once again, felt himself activate. He and his wife Kitty attended events after the election, including the January 6th rally, and were amazed by the happiness and camaraderie of the other attendees. Despite the constant stream of injustices handed down by federal bureaucrats, each attendee was polite, respectful, and appreciative; every speaker spoke on behalf of America and what they built with their blood, sweat, and tears. Vigna was inspired.

So he returned to the “brilliant, but hopelessly impractical” idea he had read about once before—calling a Convention of States—and discovered the COS Action non-profit and their excellent resource page. Realizing that he was too quick to judge and satisfied regarding the wisdom and practicality of the project, Vigna signed the petition...

What is a Convention of States?

Article V of the U.S. Constitution grants the states the right to propose amendments to the Constitution. The process for calling the convention is rightly arduous: 34 states must pass a Convention of States resolution through both legislative chambers, delegates from each state must attend an amending convention to develop the amendment(s), and 38 states must agree upon the new amendment(s) to become law.

COS Action and its Michigan chapter, the MI COS, educate citizens regarding Article V, help legislatures draft Article-V-related resolutions, and confront federal overreach through grassroots activities. The COS resolution, passed in 15 states, aims to 1) give stolen power back to the states, 2) make common-sense restrictions to federal spending, and 3) impose federal term limits on congressional members, supreme court justices, and other federal bureaucrats. Signing the petition indicates to your state legislators that you support the project, the resolution, and their right to take back their power. While 15 states have passed the resolution, many others are close to passing it in their states. 

Vigna got involved because he wants to be able to tell his father—a World War II veteran and recipient of two bronze stars—upon their reunification that he “didn’t stand by and watch but rather got in the fight to preserve for our children and grandchildren what he’d [Vigna’s father] given so much for in his own life.” And as Vigna says, “this isn’t about which party is in power but rather the enormous power grab by the federal government over the past several decades...The events of the past several years have been highly partisan, but the solution [a Convention of States] to the problem isn’t. Both sides gain when decisions are made by the people or their local representatives. Only the privileged elites lose.”

So, if you are ready to do something—if you are ready to be a part of the solution—sign the petition, read the materials, and come out to Vigna’s town hall on October 25. You will realize, as Vigna did, that you “don’t need advanced education or special training except that provided by COS... all you need is a love of country and the willingness to take a stand.”