**Previously Recorded by Phyllis Schlafly (10-98, 5-18-10)**
The Father of the United States Constitution, James Madison, wrote a strong warning against ever calling a new constitutional convention. Let's recall some of his compelling reasons.
1) A new convention "would no doubt contain individuals of insidious views, .
. . seeking alterations … [that] might have a dangerous opportunity of sapping the very foundations" of our Constitution. Yes, a new convention could, indeed, "insidious'.' proposals such as elimination of the Second Amendment, global government through treaty law, new constitutional rights (such as same-sex marriage), and elimination of the Electoral College.
2) Madison warned that we could not presume that "the deliberations of the body could be conducted in harmony." He was so right. A new convention would be a wild and raucous political event of world-class magnitude. Have you ever attended a hotly contested Republican or Democratic National Convention? Think of the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968 or Republicans in San Francisco in 1964. Now imagine the Obama demonstrators and the John McCain demonstrators trying to agree on language to adopt.
3) Madison trembled for the result of another convention in the "temper of America" in his time. We should, indeed, tremble for the result "in the present temper of America." Just remember that Obama's proclaimed goal is "fundamentally transforming the United States of America," and a new constitutional convention could do exactly that.
4) Madison reminded us that the first Constitutional Convention "assembled under every propitious circumstance." Those propitious circumstances included having George Washington as convention chairman. Somehow, we don't see any George Washington or James Madison today, and we don't want to put our fate in the hands of men who think they can improve on the work of George Washington and James Madison.
