But Tuesday night, Wood stood in front of a crowd of his fellow conservatives at the Monroe County Public Library to convince them why the U.S. Constitution needs to be amended.
“For years I was like most people,” Wood said in an interview before his presentation. “I did not get involved in politics. I had a career. I had a family. I was moving around the country with my job.”
If he did not before, Wood got his political fix Tuesday night as his presentation was followed by critical questions from fellow conservatives of Monroe County, many of whom were skeptical of his ?proposal.
Wood, a graduate of Purdue University, is the director of the Indiana Coalition for the Convention of States Project, a group that is looking to amend the U.S. Constitution.
The process in which the Wood’s group is proposing is through an Article 5 convention of states.
Article 5 states that if two-thirds of the states vote to agree, then a convention of the states can take place to discuss amending the Constitution. If any amendment is approved by three-fourths of the states, then it is adopted.
But Wood said he is not proposing any specific amendments, just a ?convention of the states.
“This project is not proposing anything,” Wood said. “This is all about getting the states in agreement and moving forward to call a convention of states.”
But Wood said he would like to see amendments proposed that address term limits, fiscal responsibility and the overall limitation of the power of ?government.
Robert Hall, founder of Grassroots Conservatives located in Monroe County, invited Wood to speak in front of his group. Hall said his group is made up of constitutional conservatives, libertarians, Republicans and independents.
Some of those who helped organized Tuesday night’s event said they were inspired to get involved with the project after reading radio talk show host Mark Levin’s book “The Liberty Amendments,” where he proposed an ?Article 5 convention.
“I’ve encouraged them to read the book, to learn about it,” Hall said of Levin’s book. “Everybody hears about it in a different way, but that was my ?inspiration.”
In addition to his leadership of Grassroots conservatives, Hall also serves as a district captain with the Convention of States Project.
The National Chapter of the Convention of States Project is headed by Michael P. Farris and Mark Meckler, founder of Tea Party Patriots.
The meeting took place in a mostly full room 1B at MCPL. Hall said 70 people RSVP’d prior to the event.
Following Wood’s presentation was a rowdy question-and-answer session where attendees were skeptical of Wood’s group’s proposal.
Among the concerns by those who attended were those of possible hijacking of a convention of states by liberals and progressives and the fact Congress might not follow any new amendments.
Many people at the event doubted Congress would follow the proposed amendments if they were adopted.
So far none of the 27 amendments to the Constitution have been passed through a convention of the states, but rather through congressional vote. But Wood is hopeful about his group’s plan.
“Well, we’re shooting for 2016,” Wood said. “And it all comes down to we the people. People have to pick up and determine if whether they’re happy with the way things have been going on, and I would say based on the approval ratings of the Congress being in the teens, they’re not happy with what’s been going on.”
Wood, who currently lives in Fishers, Ind., said he only recently learned of the Article 5 convention and wished he became ?involved sooner.
“I’m embarrassed I haven’t gotten involved ?before,” he said.
