Republicans are trying to play hardball over the fiscal cliff, but angry Romney supporters have given President Obama a trump card to play. If Obama would let the top petitioning red states leave the union, the fiscal cliff would be avoided. Lots of angry Republicans have petitioned the White House to let their state secede, but in order to qualify for consideration the petition has to get 20,000 signatures in 30 days. So far, Louisiana (31,630), Florida (26,393), Alabama (24,898), Tennessee (24,636), and North Carolina (23,393) have all qualified for consideration. South Carolina (18,527), Arkansas (17,801), Colorado (17,006), Arizona (16,160), Indiana (15,939), Michigan (15,315), Missouri (15,138), Kentucky (14,702), Mississippi (14,508), and Oklahoma (14,181) are knocking on the door for consideration.
The dark red and blue states on the map below received $1 more of federal tax money back than every dollar they contributed.
As you can see, the top states that want to secede also received the most federal tax dollars. (The exception is petition leader Texas, but they have their own reasons besides Obama’s win for believing in their own independence.) By the 2010 numbers, Mississippi ($2.47) and Alabama ($2.03) both took in twice as much federal tax money as they paid. South Carolina was just eight cents behind at $1.92. According to a 2006 Tax Foundation study, Louisiana took in $1.45 for every dollar. Tennessee took in a $1.30. Arkansas took in a $1.47, and Oklahoma took in a $1.48 for every federal tax dollar they paid.
The fiscally conservative House Republicans should be jumping for joy at the prospect of cutting some of the most dependent victims who are mooching off federal dollars from the budget.
The problem is that the majority of the top petitioning states are the base of the Republican Party. If these freeloading red states were allowed to secede, not only would America’s deficit issues be resolved, but the Republican Party would never win another national election on their own.
The greatest irony of the 2012 campaign came when red state voters were defending Mitt Romney’s 47% comments. What these red state GOPers don’t get is that Romney was talking about them.
After failing to elect the candidate who would have cut off their economic lifeblood, red states are trying a different path to self destruction.
They are dreaming of world where Obama isn’t their president. A collection of states where their freedom will only be matched by their lack of economic self sufficiency.
Red state Republicans are dreaming of a Confederacy of Poverty, and I say President Obama should make their dreams come true.
PoliticusUSA
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Andrew Carvin
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
No. They owe us blue states tons of money. Let the redneck hickerbillies leave, but the land belongs to America. TAKE AMERICA BACK VOTE DEMOCRAT! What the Republicans want is the complete destruction/subjugation of anyone who is not a RICH WHITE YOUNG STRAIGHT CHRISTIAN MAN. Unemployment will do nothing but increase wherever Republicans have power. I made a video about unemployment, and how we can fix it. It’s at my YouTube channel Zarrakan, and here’s the name:
2012 6 5 ZOC Job Pyramid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6qjvLSCtpc
Watch it, share it, and join the fight against those who want to kill all of us with destructive social policies.
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marilyn logiudice
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 1:37 am
What makes me laugh is that they call themselves Christians, the kind that walk into church and walk out without hearing one word said frm the Bible.Hypocrites!Not about the good for people, it’s about getting the vote back for republicans.Using all the buzz words “those people” All these rednecks don’t even realize its them they’re spking about and want to take away frm.Voting against their own interests and what can help them in life like going back to school,a decent job,infastructure,…let them all go and they should never ask for a damn thing or help frm us.Let them see what it’s really like not to be a US citizen.Loved what you wrote Andrew.Would love to hear more.Have been so busy lost touch because of medical illness.Not my fortay,but was to ill to capture the importance of what is happening.Please keep me informed. Thank you.
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Jenkins
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 6:55 am
“Let the redneck hickerbillies leave, but the land belongs to America.”
NO. The land belongs to the people who own the land. America is not the owner. The United States of America is not the owner. The federal government is not the owner. The state government is not the owner. The county government is not the owner. The town government is not the owner. The owner of the land is the people who bought it and have been paying the taxes on it. They are not renting or leasing the land. They own it. If you can’t understand that then you are greedy. You are trying to take something that belongs somebody else. That is theft. You area thief. Bad boy.
Also, based on your word choice, it is clear that you are also an arrogant, racist, over generalizing, hypocritical urbanite. Grow up.
If you want things then go earn the money to buy them. Don’t steal them from other people.
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 7:30 am
You are right and you are wrong. While you may own the land, the government at any level can take it from you under eminent(s) domain or any number of other nice little programs.
You went off on a tangent there. He wasnt trying to take the land. You must learn when its proper to use typical right wing talking points and when not to use them.
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Karlyn Lotney
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 8:53 am
What ignorance and irony. American “landowners” have no right to purchase the land they think they own, as it was never theirs to purchase. It belongs to Native Americans. Our forefathers are the thieves and we have benefitted from their crimes.
When are you going to begin arrangements to quit your life of crime and give it back to its rightful owners?
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 8:55 am
Really? Thats a pretty tired old argument dont you think?
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Sandra
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
By your logic Jenkins, America, the land belongs to the Mexicans and the First Nations peoples or Native Amerians Indians, Inuit and others since they inhabited the land for thousands if not millions of years prior to the white man’s excursions across the seas in search on conquer. Most of the land was stolen from them and they were murdered in the thouosands, tribes annihilated and those that survived kicked off and herded like animals onto reservations where they still are today.
Game up Jenkins, you and the eegits barking for secession do not own the land or the natural resources, the American ie ALL Americans own it.
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nomad
Nov. 17th, 2012 at 2:39 am
If you want things then go earn the money to buy them. Don’t steal them from other people.
Did you even bother to read the article? Jason writes:
..the top states that want to secede also received the most federal tax dollars.
Isn’t that stealing things from the states that are paying their fair share from the amount of money they are taking in? You seem to think it applies only to individuals, but why not states? If the states want things from the government, why shouldn’t they go out and earn them?
I really don’t think you’ve thought this idea through very well.
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Daryl Hallman
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
I was born a Yankee in Pa., I now live in
Alabama… and I say let the south rise again…though if you look at the figures half the states are north or west… Pennsylvania though blue has always been republican…hmmm.. your facts and ignorance prove nothing… to arms this country must go… for I am not redneck I am Yankee at all that matters is protecting ones family…. The government has always in my time of 40 years been mislead and corrupted under the lessor of kind…
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nomad
Nov. 17th, 2012 at 2:43 am
I am happy that you found a suitable place to live. Given what you have written, I think you will do every well there. You should consider running for office. Perhaps only Alabama could appreciate your way of thinking.
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boil
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 11:14 pm
i love one petition, that states the city of austin wants to secede from tx…. how great is that?
red state clucks dont realize that calif. is carrying their sorry ass…
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boil
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 11:16 pm
and by the way sports fans, LA county has more voters than 40 states….. f’ the hicks….
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novenator
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 11:16 pm
love the simple logic!
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ibwilliamsi
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 11:21 pm
Love the simple logic, but it can’t be done without amending the constitution. They may make a lot of noise, but their representatives are NEVER going to let that happen.
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JustNosy
Nov. 13th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
I’m not holding my breath for the Republican leaders to speak out and tell these idiots the facts of life sans FOX Noise. Romney could come out of hiding and explain to them that his was a legitimate loss. Like I said, not holding my breath.
White Whine.
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Sandra
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 2:05 pm
‘White Whine.’ Good one, I must remember it.
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A Walkaway
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 12:01 am
(Eyes rolling)
I’m glad my head has been stuck solidly in the books for the last month (exception – to vote and an occasional short break). Jeesh… talking succession. They didn’t learn their lesson before and I don’t know if ANYTHING can break through those hard heads.
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marilyn logiudice
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 1:27 am
They said the republicans would say and do anything to win the election.I guess so.Let these states leave and take the republicans guns and shoot anyone of them that crosses the path to America.I’d advise anyone in these states that are democrats to get out!Racist states and people just can’t handle they loss the election and trying to blame president for all. Now that the majority is no longer white their strategy of trying to fire up the white angry man that”those people” are taking their money.What these idiots don’t understand is that this money is used for nat.disasters,infastucture,first responders,..idiots.Keep voting against their own interests.They’ve been voting against it so long they don’t even realize it anymore.Let them all go!They’ve been doing this for 30 yrs!”these people” all the buzz words to make t/wht man angry.Republicans want your vote.They thnk if they can get the latino vote they can go back to electing repubs.Whatever they accuse the (D)of giving away,we should give it away-twice as much.In the next 8yrs or so there won’t be a wht majority.The old ones will die off.Gonna be left out in the cold.Screw the tax cuts for the rich! People forgot the 47% remark.Pubic needs to come to their senses.Republicans do not have your back, they have their own interests and those listening to them are real idiots voting and doing things against their own interests and whats good for them.Unreal!
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KatzKids
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 4:48 am
Yes, give them part of what they want – the freedom to not be American citizens anymore since they hate the government & our President so much.
Deport them back to the Countries of their origin since they have rejected America. Do a DNA test on them all & when it is established what countries they came from, in general, send them back. Let them be free from all of us. They have NO right to live within the USA, to benefit from our beautiful country in any way, use our resources the USA and it’s citizens own. Let them discover in real time the results of their sedition. They want to have their cake & eat it too. They should lose all rights and privileges when they reject America. Allowing them to stay in their “own little countries” within the USA would be putting the enemy at our door stops. Unacceptable.
The sane citizens of those states will be happy, healthy & productive without them.
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Tina
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 5:31 am
I say,give Texas back to Mexico.They ought to love that.haha
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Rho
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 5:54 am
Even though Florida is a blue state now, and the bulk of the wealth is on Millionaire’s Row, and along certain places like the Emerald Coast and the Gold Coast, much of our population are the Hispanic voters, the Black voters, and logic minded people looking for simple solutions to fix this country. The reason Florida takes in more tax money than it sends in is due to the high population of seniors that had migrated south for retirement from the Northeast and Rust Belt. Mind you, many of these seniors might not be with us much longer, and this will make the state even bluer, or it might make us go more grey (independent in local offices). Even if this splinter cell might have enough votes to make us secede, there are far too many old veterans here that believe in what they fought for to let it happen. I saw this first hand over the course of the last election cycle this past year.
http://drummondforcongress.org/2012/pbca-meet-the-candidates-night-william-cleave-drummond-ii/
Florida won’t secede. From D-Day to the War on Terror, we have too many retired soldiers to let that happen.
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Sandra
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Reform Party? That name gives me the chills. We had a Reform Party here in Canada that started out as a Regional Party from Alberta that was so neo conservative and racist and downright extremist, they couldn’t make traction in the rest of the country. They soon changed their tune and had to retire their extremist views to become acceptable, they are now the Conservative Party that currently holds national power under Steven Harper. There are still some holdovers from that party but they are kept on a tight reign.
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Rho
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
If you’ll check their website, you will find that they are in no way like the Canadian reform party.
http://reformparty.org/ Our candidate for the 2012 race was a beautiful (literally) black man that runs an IT business, and is from Ohio. No, this was the party that was founded by Ross Perot in 1992. Big difference!
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Nikita
Nov. 15th, 2012 at 5:54 am
Don’t discount the seniors, there are many more seniors from the Midwest here now and that is helping to change the state from red to blue. It is the native Floridians that are republican.
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Linda1961
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 6:05 am
I see a big mess – there are people like me who live in a Red state, but who voted for Obama and don’t want to secede. There are people in Blue states who voted for Anybody But Obama, and want to secede. If the country splits in two, I’ll be moving from South Carolina to a state that is still part of the USA. I suspect others will do the same, and some will move from the USA to whatever they call new nation (Neo-Confederacy?).
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SinghX
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 7:46 am
O the proud and noble tribe of the Americana Jackass Neanderthals who “think” that they are superior and can just take all the toys and “go home”…amazing!
They are bred on ignorance, greed, hate by watching one of two channels of entertainment programming designed to keep their brains triggering on all the above, plus a constant focus fantasy rescue dolls (sky-gods that swoop down and “save” them).
It’s our fault; we let them vote as regular Americans and they aren’t. Look at them; they “think” they can “vote” to “secede”.
We, as Americans, do need to give them a place to dwell, a bed to flop in, a food supply they can access 24/7 as we are a compassionate people. But, instead of allowing them land that they “own” (to deplete and pollute), an encampment area would be a better choice for all of America.
After all, we don’t want Jackass Neanderthals escaping and trying to steal things, like our democracy… if they want to “vote” let them get in line with all the rest of those who want to migrate in order to have the privilege to live in a democracy, Until then, put them behind their own Biblical Curtain designed to keep them and theocracy out.
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Aduro
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 7:53 am
What I see is massive butthurt from defeat in the election, even when they had unfair advantages in many ways. They just need to stop throwing tantrums and accept defeat. If they secede, then they will be in complete economic disaster…
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Tracy Spencer-Brown
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 8:01 am
You forget that there are folks who live in these states (like me) who are both liberal and Christian, who are not in line with these politics. Please quit stereotyping. It only encourages stereotyping on the other side, too!
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Rho
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
let’s not forget the moderate Pagans, either. This is too much insanity, and not enough logic. Did Cthulhu get into office when we weren’t looking?
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 8:13 am
Just think, whacked out christian states wanting to fight the muslims yet not having a military nor protection from the US.
Tariffs on every product that leaves these states. Corporations moving out and leaving behind huge unemployment numbers. Texas massacring illegals that enter the state
And then after 4 years of poverty, they will want to come back when Obama is gone. Just think of the revenues the fed could raise by charging them everything they owe the US in back payments
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LMo
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 11:32 am
“And then after 4 years of poverty, they will want to come back when Obama is gone.”
OR, after they’re gone, we could declare Obama “President-for-life” and they’d never come back!
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Ashley Ward
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
President for life? Are you fucking Mad???? You people amaze me. Y’all are all mind controlled puppets molded by the media.
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
I think they were being facetious. Try to relax
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Nikita
Nov. 15th, 2012 at 6:04 am
Thanks, Ashley’s reaction made my day – I needed a good laugh.
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luciboo
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 8:31 am
Liberals could only dream.
Maybe it is time to resolve this issue which has been simmering since the Civil War. There should be a petition showing how many liberals want the conservative states to secede. I bet that would give them pause to realize we are as sick of them as they are of us.
We want this country to go forward not back to the 50′s.
Wouldn’t it be great to see whose vision in government is right. Bet I know who wins!
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Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 8:46 am
I am thinking of starting a petition to force them to leave.
Of course I dont want them to, but they are holding this country back from any type of advancement
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Trista Harris
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 9:46 am
It’s already been done go on the https://petitions.whitehouse.gov
Deport Everyone That Signed A Petition To Withdraw Their State From The United States Of America. but you need to sign up for an account to sign it.
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luciboo
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 8:48 am
Shiva
I’ ll sign your petition!
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Vanessa
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 8:58 am
If these states were to secede then millions of the most disadvantaged and poorest of the country would be left to the mercy of a government who would despise, exploit and oppress them.Millions of that number being supporters of the president and the union. Now, if after having paid taxes for my whole life to this federal government for my protection and they just unloaded the fiscal burden of my state and left me ( and millions like me) to the wolves, that would not be very American now would it? Ask yourselves if you would REALLY support the notion of leaving women and minorities to such a horrible fate within your own country, while the military runs about all over the globe liberating other country’s minorities from oppression, just to save the country from a fiscal burden? Cutting off the weakest to save the wealthiest is a republican notion, not a democratic one.
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Chris
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 9:11 am
It’s hard to believe the number of people I know who are an disability but stll hate the President. They walk around, do stuff, and don’t look like they couldn’t do something useful for their income. They would surely lose it if Romney/Ryan ever got in.
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William
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 9:15 am
Give them Alaska, export any one who want to relinquish their citizenship to Alaska(because Alaska is large enough to hold all of them), Then approve Puerto Rico for State hood so we don’t have to change the flag
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TLMMSW
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 10:07 am
Dear Red States:
We’re ticked off at your Neanderthal attitudes and politics, so we’ve decided we’re leaving.
We in New York, Mass and CA intend to form our own country and we’re taking all the other Blue States with us.
In case you aren’t aware that includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Md, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Vermont, the rest of the Northeast, and DC also. We’ll also take any “swingers” who want to join us.
We believe this split will be beneficial to the entire nation and especially to the people of our new country called “The Enlightened States of America” (E.S.A).
To sum up briefly:
You get Texas, Oklahoma, AZ and all the slave states.
We get stem cell research, the best beaches, and we’ll take all of the creative gay people you don’t want anyway.
We get Barack and Michelle, Bill & Hillary, Andrew Cuomo, Elizabeth Warren, and Diane Feinstein. You get Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, Donald Trump, and Todd Akin, with tin hats all around.
We get the Statue of Liberty. You get OpryLand.
We get Apple, Intel, Microsoft and all the smart technology. You get WorldCom, the Koch Bros, Karl Rove and all the coal/oil pollution.
We get Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UC and Princeton. You get Ole’ Miss.
We get Silicon Valley, NYC, San Fran, Seattle, and Bill Gates.
You get Alabama and Arkansas.
We get two-thirds of all the tax revenue. You get to make the red states pay their fair share.
Our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition states, so we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of angry single moms and deadbeat dads.
With the Blue States in hand we will have firm control of 80% of the country’s fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation’s fresh fruit, 95% of America’s quality wines (you can serve Ripple at your state dinners), 90% of the best cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the…
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mediabeing
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Super Comment! I’m sharing it with FB pals!
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Rho
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
no GMO corn in my food, yay! Pack up the Lembas bread, baby, we’re be joining you all shortly, although, I will miss my Florida winters.
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Julia Marks
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 10:36 am
God, wouldn’t I like to see Texas without Medicare or Medicaid. No social security. No government assistance to their schools, on any level (no subsidized school lunches, etc.). No FEMA for repairing their homes, etc., after a hurricane or a tornado or any other disaster. No government help to repair and build up the infrastructure.
The state would get to pay for everything. People’s retirement. People’s health care. People’s education. No more federal student loans.
And then this state would be at the mercy of anybody they want to do business with because federal antitrust regulations would not apply to them. Texas would be, in essence, a foreign country, subject to export and import laws.
Please, please, let me watch this happen. If only for ten years or so.
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mediabeing
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Your comment doesn’t touch on it; still, I’d like to assume that you’re wanting those Dummy states to eventually awake from their bad case of the stupids and get real, right?
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Chris
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 10:59 am
I live in a red state. I’m a liberal. Just because I am not the majority, do not lump me in with others in my state.
There are actually a lot of us in Tennessee. Especially in Davidson county and Shelby county.
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Gregg L. DesElms
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 11:30 am
Your posting, Mr. Easley, goes too far; and given the tenor of this place (which, don’t get me wrong, I love), that’s saying a lot. I get the overarching point you’re trying to make…
…however, even as a means of illustrating the sheer ridiculousness of the secession cry, the invitation to those making it to “go ahead and do it” roundly dishonors the memory of the 750,000 men who sacrificed their lives for — and the manifold more than that, for at least another generation, whose entire lives were turned almost literally inside out by — the greatest and most consequential war in American history: The Civil War.
As Ken Burns helped Americans to understand as never before with his stunningly magnificent “Civil War” TV series — first aired in 1990, and, to this day, the most-watched program in the history of PBS — the tentacles of that great war extend to the present day, and affect the lives, still, of literally millions of Americans, and the very culture that is America’s south.
No one understood, better than this nation’s 16th and greatest president, Abraham Lincoln, the absolute imperative of holding-together the United States; a cause for which his presidency greatly suffered, and for which he, too, ultimately gave the greatest full measure of devotion. Every American could benefit, right now, in the din of this ridiculous — and ridiculously minority — call for secession, from (re-)reading Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
I love your work, here, but I humbly request that you write, in the future, about this secession silliness with at least one non-negotiable inalterably in mind: That, no matter what, there must be no seceding by anyone, at absolutely any and all costs.
FYI: Burn’s “The Civil War” series will be re-broadcast on PBS, starting Sunday, April 3rd thru Thursday, April 7th, from 8:00 to 10:00 PM. Check your local listings.
_________________________________
Gregg L. DesElms
Napa, California…
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mediabeing
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 11:58 am
THOSE PEOPLE, who want to leave the nation may do so, but the land stays.
If they’re on Our land, they have to play by the basic-most rules.
I understand there’s some lovely property in the Baja region, and the Gobi.
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Ingrid Buxton
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
How about congress passing a law that requires money out = money in except for disasters?
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David Menard
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
I didn’t vote for Obama or Romney.voted green party. Now as for the red states wanting to secede cause Their favorite plutocrat lost. Cry me a river. Want to secede? Don’t let the door hit ya in the ass on the way out and take the bible belt with you!
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Inez
Nov. 14th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Christian bigots. Love thy neighbor. Still the slave master mentality. Another civl war in the offing? It was suggested by adisgruntled redneck. Are allthose hoping to secede among those states with right to carry gun laws?
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Angela L Wood
Nov. 19th, 2012 at 6:00 am
People need to read the Federalist Papers and the Anti Federalist Papers. When they are complaining about the Constitution being broken. When our founding fathers signed the Constitution they made it illegal to succede from the Union and then went and fought a Civil War to prove the fact. So let hear it for not breaking the Constitution.
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