Secession

[Ed W]

Some of our more cone-headed countrymen started a petition to secede from the United States, probably because it worked so well the last time it was attempted.  One of the more laughable arguments was that secession would "preserve our Constitution."  Yeah, somehow destroying the Union by declaring an independent state is preservation.  It's Orwellian.  And it's another example of the white-is-black Bizarro world some conservatives inhabit. 

http://redalertpolitics.com/2012/11/10/southern-states-issue-white-house-petition-asking-permission-to-secede-from-the-union/

I figured this was coming, but I really didn't expect it would be so soon.  If Oklahoma secedes, I'll be trapped behind enemy lines and probably subject to arrest for thought crimes, eventually being confined to a re-education camp as a means of 'preserving' the Constitution.

[nathanm]

You'd think they'd at least read the relevant case law (or ask an attorney). IIRC, the Supreme Court once ruled that states simply can't secede, except perhaps with unanimous consent of all the states, nor can they be kicked out. I don't really feel like searching for a citation at the moment.

[cynical]

No state has petitioned to secede.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Some of our more cone-headed countrymen started a petition to secede from the United States, probably because it worked so well the last time it was attempted.  One of the more laughable arguments was that secession would "preserve our Constitution."  Yeah, somehow destroying the Union by declaring an independent state is preservation.  It's Orwellian.  And it's another example of the white-is-black Bizarro world some conservatives inhabit. 


I figured this was coming, but I really didn't expect it would be so soon.  If Oklahoma secedes, I'll be trapped behind enemy lines and probably subject to arrest for thought crimes, eventually being confined to a re-education camp as a means of 'preserving' the Constitution.

Some obvious confusion - must be the 35% failure rate of so many of them to graduate high school.

Being led by the likes of Bachmann, who was mentioned in a different area earlier concerning her inability or, at the very least, unwillingness, to actually read that Constitution.

[nathanm]

No state has petitioned to secede.

That didn't stop the Supreme Court from making a decision on the subject so they could render a decision regarding civil war debt.

[custosnox]

That didn't stop the Supreme Court from making a decision on the subject so they could render a decision regarding civil war debt.

What I think that cy means is that it's not the states petitioning, it's some idiots that have filled out an e-petition online and trying to get signatures.  In fact, if you look through the signatures, there are a lot that aren't even from those states, almost like they want to get these states out of the union.

[nathanm]

What I think that cy means is that it's not the states petitioning, it's some idiots that have filled out an e-petition online and trying to get signatures.  In fact, if you look through the signatures, there are a lot that aren't even from those states, almost like they want to get these states out of the union.

Ah, gotcha.

[Gaspar]

Looks like Texas got the signatures necessary.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/peacefully-grant-state-texas-withdraw-united-states-america-and-create-its-own-new-government/BmdWCP8B

Arizona still has a ways to go.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/peacefully-grant-state-arizona-withdraw-united-states-america-and-create-its-own-new-government/GrZPNqcX

[Hoss]

Looks like Texas got the signatures necessary.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/peacefully-grant-state-texas-withdraw-united-states-america-and-create-its-own-new-government/BmdWCP8B

Cool.  Hopefully they could time it so we wouldn't have to change the flag (get rid of Texas, welcome in Puerto Rico!).

[Gaspar]

Oklahoma has a ways to go too.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/peacefully-grant-state-oklahoma-withdraw-united-states-america-and-create-its-own-new-government/Z0G2vNtF

[Teatownclown]

Sore losers..... line up.

[Townsend]

Texas Petition to Secede Reaches Threshold for Obama Comment

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/texas-petition-secede-reaches-threshold-obama-comment/story?id=17701519#.UKF7Toc0V8F

A petition for Texas to secede from the union, submitted to the White House, reached the number of signatures needed to draw comment from the Obama administration today.

The petition appeared on a section of the White House website called "We the People" that invites users with a U.S. zip code to submit or sign petitions about policy changes they would like to see. A petition must reach 25,000 signatures within 30 days for the administration to comment on it.

The petition to "Peacefully grant the State of Texas to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government," was submitted on Friday of last week. Just three days later, it zoomed past the 25,000 mark at 3:22 p.m. today and kept going.

In order to sign a petition, users must register with the site using a valid email address and entering their zip code. The site's terms of participation indicates it has mechanisms in place to block spam, but it does not say anything about verifying zip codes or state residency.

Many signatures on the petition came from Texas, but some also claimed to be from other states, including Flagstaff, Ariz., Pinebluff, Ark., and Rio Rancho, N.M. Some did not publicly list their residency.

At least 17 other states have similar petitions to the Texas secession request on the We the People forum including New Jersey, New York, Montana, Colorado, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Oregon and Michigan. The closest behind Texas was Louisiana with 15,617 signatures.

In 2009, Texas Gov. Rick Perry hinted that anti-Washington sentiment could lead residents of his state to seek independence from the union.

"There's a lot of different scenarios," Perry said. "We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot."

At time of publishing, Perry's office had not responded to a request for comment.

So far, the president has not commented on the petition and there is no guarantee that he will. The terms of participation give the president some loopholes.

"To avoid the appearance of improper influence, the White House may decline to address certain procurement, law enforcement, adjudicatory, or similar matters properly within the jurisdiction of federal departments or agencies, federal courts, or state and local government in its response to a petition," the site says.

The White House has refused to comment on a requests for an investigation into allegations that Rep. Chris Dodd took bribes, clemency for Native American activist Leonard Peltier and the release of accused WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning.

The White House did respond to a petition that gained fewer than 13,000 signatures this fall: the petition seeking the White House beer recipe.

[Teatownclown]

Texass was always a loser state. But that will change soon as it goes blue with immigrants!

[custosnox]

Texas Petition to Secede Reaches Threshold for Obama Comment

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/texas-petition-secede-reaches-threshold-obama-comment/story?id=17701519#.UKF7Toc0V8F

I'm trying to figure out why it's news worthy that less than .1% of the Population of Texas (many of which aren't even actually in Texas) signed this petition.  I mean, come on, you can find enough idiots in just about any state with a population equal to .1% of the population of that state that would sign the petition.  I wouldn't be surprised if a petition to kick Texas out of the Union wouldn't get even more signatures.

[custosnox]

wait, if Texas secedes from the Union, does that mean that anyone born there loose their citizenship to the United States, or just the people who live there?  Also, would that mean that non-citizens of the United States had been presidents of the US since the Bush family hails from there?  Would this de-citizizing be retroactive?  If so, does that mean that any Texas Citizen has to pay back any benefit they have received from being a US citizen?