Twelve Lights: An Overview

Strategy & Purpose of the Project

 

Initial Aim:  The Twelve Lights League (TeLL) proposes the interactive book, Treatise on Twelve Lights, by Robert Struble, Jr., as a motion to the great parliament of public opinion.

 

Ultimate Purpose:  To restore America the Beautiful under God and the Written Constitution.

            TeLL would wage this campaign under the banner of one Arch-Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, an interlocking unit of political, economic and cultural reforms subdivided into a total of 12 sections.

            For specifics see chapter twelve, outline followed by the full prototype text of the arch-amendment.

 

 

Feasible Means whereby to Enact such an Arch-Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

Insurrection of suede:  Populist upsurge on behalf of an Article V “convention for proposing Amendments” (fifth article, U.S. Constitution).

            Positive aspects of such an Article V Constitutional Convention:

·        Legal, non-violent means

·        Closest thing we have to a national referendum

·        Precedents:  The U.S. Constitution itself originated in a somewhat similar type of assembly, the Convention of 1787, as called by the continental congress.
        An Article V Convention was used once with effect in the 20th century, spurring submission of the 17th Amendment (direct election of U.S. Senate, 1913). 
        Two near successes: Ended one application short in the 1960’s (on apportionment of state legislatures) after death of its leader, Sen. Everett Dirksen of Illinois.  By 1983 reformers had 32 of the required 34 applications for a convention to propose a balanced budget Amendment. 

 

Perspectives on a U.S. Constitutional Convention.  Albeit revolutionary as a means to bring about fundamental reform, an Article V Convention is more moderate than the three alternatives:

·        Deceive ourselves that the country is basically sound.  Confine politics to usual channels.  Fine-tune the polity, economy and culture rather than address fundamental flaws.

·        Make accommodations to the reality.  Resign ourselves to failure of the American experiment, thus dooming our descendants to forms of governance that are antithetical to democracy and to the written Constitution.  In other words, abandon hope.

·        Take up the sword.  Attempt to restore the republic by means comparable to what George Washington accomplished with the continental army.

 

Downsides of a U.S. Constitutional Convention:

·        Past instances under Article V served only as pressure tactics (no convention actually convened).

·        Difficult to bring a convention into existence by lobbying 2/3 of the state legislatures to submit the requisite applications as per Article V.

·        Likely that such a convention will not in fact convene without the threat of mass civil disobedience (at least) looming in support.  Heretofore, most Constitutional Amendments have preempted some form of populist upsurge.  More than a few times, ratification was by dint of previous or impending armed revolt.  In other words constitutional reformers are likely to lose unless they carry the big stick.

 

Sacred / Secular Subdivisions of such a Movement:  left-center-right coalition of reformers

Five Corner Coalition (left to right)

 

LEFT		CENTER	RIGHT
1	2	3	4	5
Labor        Peace & Environment (Workers)        (Anti-war protestors) (Greens) (anti-WTO, etc.)      (anti-corporate globalism)		Governmental Cleanup (Voters)	Domiciliary Security       Religion & Morality (Householders) (Gun owners)              (Believers) (anti-globalism; pro-US sovereignty)

 

Difficulties in Forming such a Coalition:

·        Compared to a single issue coalition, a constellation of issues might make it more difficult to hold the alliance together.

·        Sacred / secular fault lines within the coalition might become disruptive or destabilizing.

 

Four of many Advantages in Forming such a Coalition:

·        “Firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence” (Declaration of Independence, 1776):   Sacred component of the coalition would again solicit the special favor of Almighty God.

·        Quench the culture war:  Would unite in common cause elements hitherto mutually antagonistic.  Ancillary benefit would be to defuse the bitter polarization in American society.

·        Colossal political force for reform:  In proportion as it holds together as a functioning alliance, such a combination would wield enormous power for change.

·        Necessity:  Coalition offers real hope for restoration of what was best before America's polity, economy and culture degenerated to current conditions.  To achieve the proposed radical turnabout by democratic means is impossible otherwise than by unorthodox political action backed by a potent coalition.