BRIAN WALTER/Journal Date: January 18, 2021

I like many, worry regularly about our country. When I worry about America and our problematic trajectory, I often recall a short poem. “Nations pass away, and history gives the cause of it, one single, simple reason in all cases because their people were not fit.” I think of how there are many different types of fitness: spiritual fitness, mental fitness, physical fitness and character fitness, to name a few. I wanted to renew my faith in America, I wanted someone to come to the forefront who exhibited all of these. The clearest sign to me would be someone who would consistently put his or her moral principles ahead of their allegiance to political party.

I never saw anyone emerge in the lead up to the 2016 election. I wanted to but I just didn’t. I began to think, do I even know anyone regardless of whether they were running for president that met this criteria? Then one day it came to me. Yes! Yes, I do and that one person is Tom Coburn. That alone was comforting. Yes, there are still good-to-the-core people and the very best I can think of is someone I have met and who lives right here in Oklahoma. Coincidence or divine influence? I chose the latter.

In early fall of 2016, right before the election, I somehow learned that although Tom had made the unusual move of resigning his Senate seat, out of disgust for what Washington had become, he had not abandoned his fight to save our republic. Then the strangest thing happened and I’m still not sure how, but I ended up in an email conversation with Tom himself. This was really big to me! It was even humbling to the point of slightly frightening that “Tom Coburn” was communicating directly with me. To borrow an old “Wayne World” phrase, “I am not worthy.” LOL. But seriously, that’s how it felt. I have tried to go back and piece together how it happened but can’t quite do it. My best guess is I read something in “The Oklahoman” that then lead me to a google search, that then lead me to send an email for more information, and then the response came from Tom. I really don’t know. Again, I have emails to and from Tom going back to 2016 to eerily just before his death. But the very earliest emails are missing. Odd or divine influence? I choose the latter.

Drinking from a Fire Hose

Journal Date: January 24, 2021

In these now missing emails, Tom guides me to the work of an organization called Convention of the States. This organization is committed to doing precisely that – bringing about a “convention of the states” to change the U.S. Constitution. It is an ambitious project based on Article V of the U.S. Constitution, which lays out two basic methods of amending the U.S. Constitution. These two ways basically bring a proposal through Congress or bring a proposal through a convention of the states. It is a fascinating, deep and complicated story of why Tom committed himself to this process. The process itself is simply stated in the Constitution, following through on such a change is a Herculean task. Even if one can get a proposed amendment approved, it must then be ratified by

In these now missing emails, Tom guides me to the work of an organization called Convention of the States. This organization is committed to doing precisely that – bringing about a “convention of the states” to change the U.S. Constitution. It is an ambitious project based on Article V of the U.S. Constitution, which lays out two basic methods of amending the U.S. Constitution. These two ways basically bring a proposal through Congress or bring a proposal through a convention of the states.

75% of the states. It is a very high bar in a country that is both deeply and evenly split. Our founders were either incredibly wise or God guided them, or both. In essence, Tom became committed to it because his thinking had evolved. When he wrote his book “The Debt Bomb” he was convinced that America could be turned around if we just elected the “right people.” When he wrote his last book “Smashing the D.C. Monopoly” his view had changed. His evolved thinking is what has guided me.

Tom and I exchanged emails several times as I worked to understand what he was working on and he worked to explain it to me. Ultimately, I decided that if he was doing everything he was doing, surely, I could do something. I decided I would give a talk at our local Rotary Club about his efforts and about the Convention of the States effort. It is September of 2016.

After my presentation to Rotary, I email Tom for an address so I could mail him a copy of the newspaper article from the Kingfisher Times and Free Press covering the talk. He sends me his home address in Tulsa, OK.

I mailed him the newspaper article and then also decided to try for what I considered a homerun. I had an upcoming business meeting in Tulsa that would finish in the early afternoon. I emailed Tom and suggested we meet face to face for coffee at a Starbucks. I had identified a Starbucks close to his home address. Rather than risk rejection by asking for a commitment, I just told him I would be at the Starbucks at 3 p.m. on the given day, “hoping” his schedule would allow him to meet me.

It never hurts to ask. He showed so much Christian humility in my opinion. He confirmed the next day his willingness to try to be there and ultimately, we did in fact meet. It was quite an experience.

For me, this was like being one-on-one with a celebrity. I was a bit in awe and you could feel the eyes of everyone in the Starbucks on us, or, more accurately, him. This initial feeling of awe quickly gave way to a feeling of drinking from a firehose. I was asking Tom questions about the very nature and viability of our country. He had a great amount of passion on these topics. I of course, knew this and indeed it was why I sought him out. But now not until he began to speak did I really understand the passion and conviction he possessed. Asking him leading questions, was like poking a grizzly bear with a stick! He moved from easy going to staunch defender of American values in an instant. One question might lend to five minutes of passionate and pitched response. We spoke or more correctly, he spoke for probably 15-20 minutes and then we wrapped up. I asked him to take a photo with me and he obliged. Did I feel kind of silly asking? Yes, I did. I am glad now I asked. Oh my, that would be an understatement.

It had happened! My hero had taken time to meet with me. Wow! Where do we go from here? Fate would soon answer that question. His book “Smashing the D.C. Monopoly” would soon come out. I would make a decision to purchase and read the book. The book would change everything.