To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Petition For Redress of Grievances
WHEREAS THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION PROVIDES THAT:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
BE IT RESOLVED THAT WE, THE PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in order to form a more perfect Union, by, for and of the People, shall elect citizen Delegates on June 1, 2012 to convene and attend a "CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0" the week of July 4, 2012 in the City Of Philadelphia to prepare and ratify a PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES to be served upon the United States Congress, Supreme Court and President prior to November 6, 2012.
I. Voter Qualifications and Election of Delegates.
Between June 1, 2012 and June 7, 2012, the People, consisting of all United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who have reached the age of 18, regardless of party affiliation and voter registration status, shall elect two Delegates, one identifying as male and one identifying as female, by online vote, from each of the 435 Congressional Districts, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to represent the People at a CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0.
The office of Delegate shall be open to all United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who have attained the age of 18 years. No candidate for Delegate to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 will be permitted to run on a party line or use any party label while running for or serving as a Delegate. No candidate or Delegate may take contributions from any source except to fund his or her trip to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 in Philadelphia. No politician holding elected or appointed office at the time of the Delegate election, including members of Congress, are eligible to run for or sit as a Delegate to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0.
The 99% Working Group and its steering committee shall organize, coordinate and transparently fund the election of Delegates. The Delegates shall be free from the corrupting influence of corporate money and all funds raised by the 99% Working Group shall be used for the purpose of funding the election of Delegates.
II. CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 on July 2nd-4th, 2012
In addition to ensuring a free and fair election of the Delegates to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0, the 99% Working Group shall be responsible for raising sufficient funds to secure a venue wherein the 878* Delegates may convene, deliberate and ratify the PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.
Because the time to deliberate in Philadelphia will be limited, the Delegate candidates and elected Delegates shall meet electronically, or in person if possible, to confer with the People to write the PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.
Similar to the first two Continental Congresses of 1774-1776, the elected Delegates alone, in consultation with their constituents, will be responsible for the content of the final petition ratified in Philadelphia. Moreover, the Delegates to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 shall implement their own rules, procedures, agenda, code of conduct, internal elections and/or appointments of committee members and officers to efficiently and expeditiously accomplish the People's mandate to present a PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES to all three branches of the government of the United States of America before the 2012 general election in November.
III. Ratification of the Petition for a Redress of Grievances.
The PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES, ratified by CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0, shall be non-partisan and specifically address the critical issues now confronting the People of the United States of America due to the corrupting influence of unlimited money flowing into political campaigns and the urgent need for election reform.
The ratified PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES will be signed by the Delegates and presented at a reading ceremony at Independence Mall on the afternoon of July 4, 2012. The Petition will then be presented to all 535 members of Congress, the 9 members of the Supreme Court, and the President of the United States for response before the November 6, 2012 general election.
IV. Suggested Content of the Petition for a Redress of Grievances.
Each state delegation to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0, prior to June 15, 2012, shall submit to the 99% Working Group, a list of their state's five most signficant grievances against the federal government. The grievances from each state will then be compiled into a master list of suggested grievances to be voted upon by the Delegates during the three day convention in July. The final PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES may or may not include the following six points suggested by the 99% Working Group:
1. An End to Corporate Personhood
2. The Overturning of the Supreme Court's Decision in Citizens United v. F.E.C.
3. The Elimination of Crony Capitalism and Was...
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
BE IT RESOLVED THAT WE, THE PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in order to form a more perfect Union, by, for and of the People, shall elect citizen Delegates on June 1, 2012 to convene and attend a "CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0" the week of July 4, 2012 in the City Of Philadelphia to prepare and ratify a PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES to be served upon the United States Congress, Supreme Court and President prior to November 6, 2012.
I. Voter Qualifications and Election of Delegates.
Between June 1, 2012 and June 7, 2012, the People, consisting of all United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who have reached the age of 18, regardless of party affiliation and voter registration status, shall elect two Delegates, one identifying as male and one identifying as female, by online vote, from each of the 435 Congressional Districts, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to represent the People at a CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0.
The office of Delegate shall be open to all United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who have attained the age of 18 years. No candidate for Delegate to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 will be permitted to run on a party line or use any party label while running for or serving as a Delegate. No candidate or Delegate may take contributions from any source except to fund his or her trip to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 in Philadelphia. No politician holding elected or appointed office at the time of the Delegate election, including members of Congress, are eligible to run for or sit as a Delegate to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0.
The 99% Working Group and its steering committee shall organize, coordinate and transparently fund the election of Delegates. The Delegates shall be free from the corrupting influence of corporate money and all funds raised by the 99% Working Group shall be used for the purpose of funding the election of Delegates.
II. CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 on July 2nd-4th, 2012
In addition to ensuring a free and fair election of the Delegates to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0, the 99% Working Group shall be responsible for raising sufficient funds to secure a venue wherein the 878* Delegates may convene, deliberate and ratify the PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.
Because the time to deliberate in Philadelphia will be limited, the Delegate candidates and elected Delegates shall meet electronically, or in person if possible, to confer with the People to write the PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES.
Similar to the first two Continental Congresses of 1774-1776, the elected Delegates alone, in consultation with their constituents, will be responsible for the content of the final petition ratified in Philadelphia. Moreover, the Delegates to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 shall implement their own rules, procedures, agenda, code of conduct, internal elections and/or appointments of committee members and officers to efficiently and expeditiously accomplish the People's mandate to present a PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES to all three branches of the government of the United States of America before the 2012 general election in November.
III. Ratification of the Petition for a Redress of Grievances.
The PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES, ratified by CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0, shall be non-partisan and specifically address the critical issues now confronting the People of the United States of America due to the corrupting influence of unlimited money flowing into political campaigns and the urgent need for election reform.
The ratified PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES will be signed by the Delegates and presented at a reading ceremony at Independence Mall on the afternoon of July 4, 2012. The Petition will then be presented to all 535 members of Congress, the 9 members of the Supreme Court, and the President of the United States for response before the November 6, 2012 general election.
IV. Suggested Content of the Petition for a Redress of Grievances.
Each state delegation to CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0, prior to June 15, 2012, shall submit to the 99% Working Group, a list of their state's five most signficant grievances against the federal government. The grievances from each state will then be compiled into a master list of suggested grievances to be voted upon by the Delegates during the three day convention in July. The final PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES may or may not include the following six points suggested by the 99% Working Group:
1. An End to Corporate Personhood
2. The Overturning of the Supreme Court's Decision in Citizens United v. F.E.C.
3. The Elimination of Crony Capitalism and Was...
Why is this important?
From June 1, 2012 to June 7, 2012, an online election will take place and the American People will elect two Delegates from each of the 435 Congressional Districts. The online election will be run by the People, not the government, and therefore each voter must register to vote (http://www.the99declaration.org/voter_registration) even if already registered to vote in government-run elections.
The Delegates who are elected will represent the People at a CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 in Philadelphia the week of July 4, 2012. Everyone who registers as a voter at http://www.the99declaration.org/voter_registration will have an "e-ballot" emailed to them when the polls open on June 1, 2012.
During the week of July 4, 2012, the 878 elected delegates will meet in Philadelphia at CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 to ratify a Petition for Redress of Grievances, a legal document authorized by the Petition Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Once signed and ratified, the Petition will be read at a rally at Independence Hall the afternoon of July 4, 2012. A press conference, speakers including Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig and author Catherine Crier, and live music are planned.
The Petition for Redress of Grievances will then be served upon all 535 members of the 112th Congress, the nine members of the Supreme Court and the President of the United States. These politicians will be asked to publicly take AN ANTI-CORRUPTION PLEDGE to redress the grievances contained in the petition and demand an end to money corrupting our politics.
Following the 2012 general election, the Delegates will give the 113th Congress, the President and the Supreme Court a reasonable time to redress the grievances listed in the ratified petition. If the grievances are not redressed to the satisfaction of the Delegates, they will reconvene in their respective districts and begin to organize a grassroots campaign to elect independent candidates to Congress in the mid-term election of 2014. The Petition will also create a legal basis for a lawsuit against the government to compel it to redress the grievances.
The Delegates who are elected will represent the People at a CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 in Philadelphia the week of July 4, 2012. Everyone who registers as a voter at http://www.the99declaration.org/voter_registration will have an "e-ballot" emailed to them when the polls open on June 1, 2012.
During the week of July 4, 2012, the 878 elected delegates will meet in Philadelphia at CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 2.0 to ratify a Petition for Redress of Grievances, a legal document authorized by the Petition Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Once signed and ratified, the Petition will be read at a rally at Independence Hall the afternoon of July 4, 2012. A press conference, speakers including Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig and author Catherine Crier, and live music are planned.
The Petition for Redress of Grievances will then be served upon all 535 members of the 112th Congress, the nine members of the Supreme Court and the President of the United States. These politicians will be asked to publicly take AN ANTI-CORRUPTION PLEDGE to redress the grievances contained in the petition and demand an end to money corrupting our politics.
Following the 2012 general election, the Delegates will give the 113th Congress, the President and the Supreme Court a reasonable time to redress the grievances listed in the ratified petition. If the grievances are not redressed to the satisfaction of the Delegates, they will reconvene in their respective districts and begin to organize a grassroots campaign to elect independent candidates to Congress in the mid-term election of 2014. The Petition will also create a legal basis for a lawsuit against the government to compel it to redress the grievances.