the will and concerns of the people aren't drowned out by the financial influence of the few
• Where politicians devote more time to their constituents than to their fundraising
• Where political decisions are made on principle, without the distorting effect of lobbyists
• Where individual citizens have access to clear information about their leaders and are empowered to end the imbalance of power in Washington and our state capitals
• We believe this vision is achievable and central to the success of the republic
The Tea Party movement spontaneously formed in 2009 from the reaction of the American people to fiscally irresponsible actions of the federal government, misguided "stimulus" spending, bailouts and takeovers of private industry. Within the first few weeks of the movement, Tea Party Patriots formed to support the millions of Americans seeking to improve our great nation through renewed support for fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free market economic policies.
After reading the conferences welcome message below, I strongly recommend investing the time necessary to witness firsthand the impartial tones of hope and confidence expressed within the conferences introduction video and within the second video, which contain the conferences opening remarks.
One may view all of the conference video's here. Enjoy, and then pledge to take the appropriate action required of you as a true and free American.
Democracy in America is stalled.
From the Right and the Left, citizens are increasingly coming to recognize that our Republic does not work as our Framers intended. Reform of any kind is stalled by a status quo that profits from blocking change. No side in the political debate benefits from this inertia.
The Framers created a method for escaping from captured government -- an Article V Constitutional Convention. If two-thirds of the states pass resolutions calling for a convention, then all sides will have the opportunity to argue for the changes they believe will restore our Republic. Any amendment proposed must then be ratified by three fourths of the states to become law.
On September 24th 2011, people from across America and across the political spectrum convened at Harvard University to discuss the advisability and feasibility of organizing towards a Constitutional Convention. The conference's lead organizers are both proponents and opponents of an Article V convention and we actively encourage the participation of those who support a convention and those who oppose holding a convention at all.
Lawrence Lessig and Mark Meckler will co-chair the conference. Lawrence Lessig is the director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University and the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He co-founded Change Congress, which aims to reduce the influence of private money in American politics. For more, see "How to sober up Washington" -- an essay by Lessig and Mark McKinnon on corruption in Washington, voters' disillusionment, and the need for an Article V convention. Mark Meckler is the Co-Founder and a National Coordinator for Tea Party Patriots (along with his Co-Founder and fellow National Coordinator, Jenny Beth Martin), the largest grassroots tea party organization in the nation with over 3,500 chapters spanning every state.
Introduction and Purpose of Conference:
Opening Remarks: Harvard Law School, September 24, 2011