By Brent Daggett: An uproar over the reelection of President Barack Obama last Tuesday
led to individuals residing in every single state filing petitions to
secede from the Union.In order for any White House petition to be considered, those circulating a petition need to gather 25,000 signatures.
As of November 14, the White House website shows that over 105,000 individuals have signed a petition to allow Texas to secede, all gained since November 9.
The petition, filed by Arlington, Texas resident Micah H. states:
“The US continues to suffer economic difficulties stemming from the federal government’s neglect to reform domestic and foreign spending. The citizens of the US suffer from blatant abuses of their rights such as the NDAA, the TSA, etc. Given that the state of Texas maintains a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world, it is practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union, and to do so would protect it’s citizens’ standard of living and re-secure their rights and liberties in accordance with the original ideas and beliefs of our founding fathers which are no longer being reflected by the federal government.”
However, the petitions are not just geared to mostly republican leaning states.
The Daily Caller reports as of November 14, every single state has signed petitions for secession and have placed the petitions in two categories:
Open petitions (still requiring signatures to reach the 25,000 mark):
Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.While other states include at least two competing petitions:
The extra efforts from two states — Missouri and South Carolina — would add enough petitions to warrant reviews by the Obama administration if they were combined into petitions launched earlier.With the many individuals in various states inquiring about secession, one must also look into if it is economically feasible to prosper if the federal government actually granted a state’s request to secede.
Other states with multiple efforts include Alaska, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Here is a graph depicting what states receive the most federal money per tax dollar:
While this chart has been circulating on the Internet for some time, PolitiFact, after reviewing the aforementioned chart, concluded, “The graphic’s data uses data from the 2004 election rather than 2008, and the figures on taxes and spending date back to 2005. There are fewer states that would be labeled Republican based on the 2008 election, and there’s a strong likelihood that tax and spending data would have changed as well. Because of this likelihood, we downgrade the accuracy of this generally accurate chart to Mostly True.”
Let’s keep in mind, while petitions have been filed, the actual governments of the states in question have not petitioned the federal government for a peaceful exit from the union, rather its a few (or, in some cases, many) individuals bringing the issue to light.
If enough signatures are garnered, I think it would be safe to assume the Obama administration will deny all the requests, as would most presidents regardless of political affiliation.
Maybe the threat of secession might force the government to actually reconsider their assault on our civil liberties, even though that might seem naive.
There are several questions a state government would have to consider if they wanted to secede and I have a few major question as well.
- What type of economic structure will be in place?
- How would social security, Medicare, health insurance and other benefits be doled out?
- How would infrastructure and education be funded?
- What type of banking system would be installed?
- Could the federal government consider the citizens of the former state illegal if they travel across state lines?
- Would a state militia get so overly consumed with power they would try and take over other states, which would completely defeat the purpose of what they seceded against in the first place?
But then again, if a state is granted permission to secede, the rest of the populace in the union could watch to see how successful it would be or how fast the state would dissolve.
While my views on this may seem on the fence given the unresolved questions and urgency of caution, I believe Henry David Thoreau would share the same sentiments:
“Is a democracy, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government? Is it not possible to take a step further towards recognizing and organizing the rights of man? There will never be really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly. I please myself with imagining a State at least which can afford to be just to all men, and to treat the individual with respect as a neighbor; which even would not think it inconsistent with its own repose if a few were to live aloof from it, not meddling with it, nor embraced by it, who fulfilled all the duties of neighbors and fellow-men. A State which bore this kind of fruit, and suffered it to drop off as fast as it ripened, would prepare the way for a still more perfect and glorious State, which also I have imagined, but not yet anywhere seen.”Edited by Madison Ruppert
Note: be sure to read Brent’s previous articles, “Civil forfeiture law could result in hotel owners losing their business” and “Jury nullification continues to gain traction across the United States“
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