14 November 2012 by Published in: General musings 26 comments

Apparently, Georges Santayana was correct when he wrote “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Thousands of whiny morons, unhappy that more than 50% of Americans voted to re-elect Barack Obama as president, are now filing secession petitions. Like a bunch of whiny children who didn’t get their way, these imbeciles are now threatening to take their toys and go home. WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

From today’s edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Disgruntled voters petition White House for their states to secede from the Union
Edward Colimore, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 6:16 AM

The petitions on the White House website won’t be granted. They’re the aftereffects of a heated presidential election season, folks simply blowing off steam, historians and scholars say.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans unhappy with the result of last week’s voting have signed petitions on behalf of at least 35 states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

What do they want?

For the Obama administration to “peacefully grant” the states permission to “withdraw from the United States of America” and create new governments.

Secession.

“We did fight a Civil War over this issue,” said Perry Dane, a professor at the Rutgers School of Law in Camden who clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court. “The White House will respond and will say as considerately as it can that secession is off the table.

“You win some, you lose some,” he said.

The petitions, located on the White House’s “We the People” website (https://petitions.whitehouse.gov), are “very likely an expression of alienation and frustration,” said Randall Miller, a professor of history at St. Joseph’s University. “People question the legitimacy of the election and it’s their way of saying, ‘I’m taking myself out of this.’ ”

By late Tuesday, a total of more than 13,000 people had signed two petitions seeking nation status for Pennsylvania, where Obama defeated Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by a 52-47 percentage ratio. For the more Democratic-leaning New Jersey, nearly 11,000 had signed a similar petition. At least 5,400 others had signed one for Delaware, where Obama also was the victor. The number of signatures had doubled, even tripled, since the beginning of the week.

Texas and Louisiana – where Romney won – had about 82,000 and 30,000 signatures, respectively. Petitions that attract 25,000 signatures in 30 days will receive a “response” from the White House, the website says.

On the flip side, there are petitions on the White House site that call for the Obama administration to deport or exile everyone who has signed a secession petition.

One asks the administration to permit the left-leaning city of Austin to secede from Texas but remain part of the United States.

“The Internet allows you to find like-minded people. And in this faceless anonymity, you can egg each other on,” said Andrew Shankman, an associate professor of history at Rutgers-Camden. “It doesn’t take much to sign a petition.”

The secession petitions are “not a serious political proposal,” he said. “This is the last expression of rage because [the petitioners] didn’t get what they wanted on Election Day. They’re sounding off.”

The “We the People” website allows citizens to create and sign petitions. They provide first names but not the last, just initials.

Many – like one created by Karen G. of Hazleton, Pa., and another by Joe. R. of Sewell – quote from the Declaration of Independence: “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands . . . ”

Others, such as a petition seeking Oregon’s secession, take another tack: “The people of Oregon would like the chance to vote on leaving the Union immediately. The Federal Government has imposed policies on Oregon that are not in Oregon’s best interests, and we as citizens would respectively [sic] and peaceably separate ourselves from a tyrannical Government. . . . ”

The White House lacks constitutional authority to let states secede, but that hasn’t stopped disgruntled voters.

The issue of secession was not confined to the Civil War. New Jersey grappled with it about 40 years ago, when the southern part of the state attempted to split from the north.

“There was a big movement, with petitions drawn,” said Paul Schopp, a historian who lives in Riverton. “The south was upset that most of the tax dollars were going to the north.”

The postelection petitions are “an effort by average citizens to exercise their constitutional rights,” he said. “It’s a peaceful form of redress.”

Other countries have faced similar issues. A referendum will be held in 2014 to determine whether the people of Scotland wish to withdraw from the United Kingdom, Dane said. Quebec has occasionally sought to secede from Canada and the country’s Supreme Court has said that’s not out of the question.

In Texas, Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who often has expressed frustration with the federal government, did not endorse the secession petitions and has said he did not want the Lone Star State to break away.

“The Civil War showed once and for all and forever that secession is illegal,” said Andy Waskie, a Temple University professor, historian, and author. “The combat, effusion of blood, and sacrifice ended that question.”

Citizens “have to seek other means of redressing their grievances,” he said. “The Union is permanent.”

Obviously, these self-centered whiners have lost sight of the fact that the last time someone tried to secede, 600,000 Americans died. These whiners don’t like President Obama or his policies, so they want to secede. They’re just not willing to accept the idea that a majority of U.S. citizens voted for the man and that their guy lost. WAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

This issue was resolved in Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 (1869), wherein the United States Supreme Court determined that there is no right of secession and that the Union is forever. Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, writing for the Court, observed:

The Union of the States never was a purely artificial and arbitrary relation. It began among the Colonies, and grew out of common origin, mutual sympathies, kindred principles, similar interests, and geographical relations. It was confirmed and strengthened by the necessities of war, and received definite form and character and sanction from the Articles of Confederation. By these, the Union was solemnly declared to ‘be perpetual.’ And when these Articles were found to be inadequate to the exigencies of the country, the Constitution was ordained ‘to form a more perfect Union.’ It is difficult to convey the idea of indissoluble unity more clearly than by these words. What can be indissoluble if a perpetual Union, made more perfect, is not.

He continued:

When, therefore, Texas became one of the United States, she entered into an indissoluble relation. All the obligations of perpetual union, and all the guaranties of republican government in the Union, attached at once to the State. The act which consummated her admission into the Union was something more than a compact; it was the incorporation of a new member into the political body. And it was final. The union between Texas and the other States was as complete, as perpetual, and as indissoluble as the union between the original States. There was no place for reconsideration or revocation, except through revolution or through consent of the States.

Chase continued:

Considered therefore as transactions under the Constitution, the ordinance of secession, adopted by the convention and ratified by a majority of the citizens of Texas, and all the acts of her legislature intended to give effect to that ordinance, were absolutely null. They were utterly without operation in law. The obligations of the State, as a member of the Union, and of every citizen of the State, as a citizen of the United States, remained perfect and unimpaired. It certainly follows that the State did not cease to be a State, nor her citizens to be citizens of the Union. If this were otherwise, the State must have become foreign, and her citizens foreigners. The war must have ceased to be a war for the suppression of rebellion, and must have become a war for conquest and subjugation.

Resolving the issue once and for all, the Supreme Court held:

It is not necessary to attempt any exact definitions within which the acts of such a State government must be treated as valid or invalid. It may be said, perhaps with sufficient accuracy, that acts necessary to peace and good order among citizens, such for example, as acts sanctioning and protecting marriage and the domestic relations, governing the course of descents, regulating the conveyance and transfer of property, real and personal, and providing remedies for injuries to person and estate, and other similar acts, which would be valid if emanating from a lawful government must be regarded in general as valid when proceeding from an actual, though unlawful, government, and that acts in furtherance or support of rebellion against the United States, or intended to defeat the just rights of citizens, and other acts of like nature, must, in general, be regarded as invalid and void.

And that, as they say, is that. There is no right of secession. These whiners need to just suck it up and move on. The country survived George W. Bush’s eight years. It will also survive Barack Obama’s. Get over it. Shut up and quit whining.

Scridb filter

Comments

  1. John Foskett
    Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 11:12 am

    Among other things, this is yet one more example of how poorly American history is taught in our schools. This is the same crowd who floods the office of that Canadian immigration attorney in NYC after every election with requests to emigrate to Canada so thast they can avoid the perils of “doversity” and how it robs them of their voting rights. (Put aside the fact that these nitwits have obviously never flown into Toronto, driven down Davie Street in Vancouver, or attended a First Nation day). Ain’t no cure for stupid.

  2. Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 11:25 am

    John,

    As Ron White so correctly says, “you can’t fix stupid.”

    Scary, isn’t it?

    Eric

  3. Ray S
    Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 11:50 am

    President OBAMA BIN LADEN (AKA Barak Obama) and his cabinet members has committed more Atrocities’ to the United States, and the citizens of the United States then any other terrorist group the world has ever seen. But, the LIBERALIST’s like the flavor of the KOOL AID even though in goes against the Constitution and dozens of laws that the citizens of the U.S. live by daily. Ah! That’s the magic word: CITIZEN! We do but, OBAMA BIN LADEN and all the other illegal aliens don’t because THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW. It means nothing to him or them. Laws were made to be followed. If they came here illegally what makes you think that they will change their law breaking habits once they become a legal resident? There are forms, laws and proceedures to follow when trying to immigrate to the U.S. But, for someone that has submitted 3 different birth certificates in the past 4 years, each one as fraudulently funky as the next, and not even using his own Social Security Number?! There are no laws; at least not where OBAMA BIN LADEN is concerned. I don’t want to waste anymore time and money on his illegal moral majorities. There is a right way and a wrong way, but then there’s OBAMA’s way, which means I’m doing this and you can’t stop me. Seceding is the last alternative that the CITIZENs of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA have to keep it, the UNITED STATES ALIVE AS A NATION UNDER GOD WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. Not just the illegals.

  4. Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 11:55 am

    Ummm., okay.

    Your Kool-Aid is apparently tea flavored.

    Like I said, you can’t fix stupid.

  5. Kimberly
    Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 12:26 pm

    When I read this news report yesterday, my first thought was: Republican philosophy: “I think, therefore I am entitled.” Oh, and I also wondered what time recess was…

  6. Lew Taylor
    Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 12:43 pm

    Eric,

    Glad to see you still have a sense of humor and allow the posting by Ray S to be available for all of us to get a chuckle. I love CAPITALIZATION when you want to get a point across and also his poor grammar — it is “have committed more atrocities,” not “has.” Oh well, as you said, you cannot fix stupid.

  7. Lew Taylor
    Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 12:48 pm

    I am sorry — I should not have included the comment about his grammar. I am sure that you (and others) do not need to have that pointed out.

  8. Alton Bunn
    Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 1:52 pm

    I’ve found the whole thing to be pretty funny and not to taken seriously. I read somewhere that similar petitions were made 2004 and 2008; they didn’t go anywhere of course.

  9. Tom Clemens
    Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 2:14 pm

    Ray,
    Wow, Obama bin Laden, Atrocities, illegal aliens??? Do facts have any meaning to you at all? Gotta admit, your rant is funny.

  10. John Foskett
    Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 3:10 pm

    I’ll have what Ray’s having. Looks like a fun way to pass this ridiculous lockout.

  11. Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 8:36 pm

    Working a project in Brownsville TX a coupla years back, my archeologist friend surveyed the sticker on the window of one of our volunteer’s pick-ups. He was a judge with a grossly over-sized coil. The sticker read SECEDE. My friend raised himself to his full 6′ ‘3″, leaned over and said, “Secede, huh?” A pause …. expectant judge …. “How’d that work out for y’all last time?”

  12. t. stager
    Wed 14th Nov 2012 at 10:58 pm

    Hi Eric, If Obama had lost some on his side would be whining too. The truth is that it’s extremely hard beat the sitting president especially when he’s a give away artist….but hey…that’s politics and the beauty of our system is that we get the opportunity every 4 years decide who our leader will be. Let’s just hope that in our lifetime and in that of our children and grandchilren, that this great part or our democracy will continue.

  13. Dennis
    Thu 15th Nov 2012 at 5:04 am

    I first saw this story while out for a lunch with the Child Bride and another couple on Tuesday. The segment was on a channel run by one of the TV evangelists/Religious Right. Now that made for a comforting thought while dining on my short order!

    There is whining after every election, but this is ludicrous!

  14. Chris Evans
    Thu 15th Nov 2012 at 12:11 pm

    I think democracy will probably continue its somehow survived Pierce, Buchanan, Coolidge, Hoover, Nixon, Carter, Bush and Harding, etc. I think it’ll make it.

    Just remember if you think President Obama is a mediocre or terrible President he has a lot a company with other Presidents.

    Everybody will be better off when they remember we have only had a handful of great to very good Presidents and 40% to 50% of the population hated even them when they were in office.

    People have decried the state of our union since Adams vs Jefferson vs Burr for President in 1800. The papers had the United States going to hell in a hand basket around 1800 and it would be totally collapsing when Jefferson took over. Heck the US even got over the British torching our White House and Capitol, somehow.

    I think if it can survive a Civil War that killed 700,000 people, overcome a great depression, and help win World War II it could still do about anything if it wanted to.

    Chris

  15. Thu 15th Nov 2012 at 3:42 pm

    >When the South had the audacity to declare these same fundamental rights for themselves

    Well, for some of themselves. There were several million southerners for whom they had no intention of granting “fundamental rights.’

    the Confederacy died a fitting death, thank God.

  16. Thu 15th Nov 2012 at 6:40 pm

    Dr. Miklosik,

    While I appreciate your time to write, this blog does not exist as a means for you to shill your revisionist, nonsensical claptrap. Neo-Confederate garbage has no place here. Consequently, your comment has been deleted. Your comment was also deleted because it was entirely irrelevant to the discussion at hand.

    If you wish to leave comments that (a) are relevant and (b) are not shilling revisionist claptrap, you are welcome to post here. Otherwise, I will continue to delete your comments.

    I trust that I have made myself abundantly clear.

  17. Todd Berkoff
    Thu 15th Nov 2012 at 11:03 pm

    I say let them secede this time. Who needs them. Maybe they can join Mexico.

    What is interesting is that these states that have started these secession petitions receive the highest amount of federal aid compared to what they pay in taxes than the other states. http://www.examiner.com/article/states-most-wanting-to-secede-also-receive-the-most-federal-money

    They want to separate themselves from the federal government, but don’t you dare touch their medicare or social security benefits!!

  18. Ken Noe
    Fri 16th Nov 2012 at 12:18 pm

    The Alabama petition was started by a man who is angry at the government for shutting down his business. It was topless car wash in Mobile.

  19. Paul W
    Fri 16th Nov 2012 at 12:32 pm

    First, the secession petitions are ridiculous. You do not ask for secession. You declare it. Secondly, I voted for neither primary candidate as my vote was irrelevant in my state.

    Did you really expect a radical republican-led court to rule secession was legal? Do ou expect that a federal government would ever declare that sub-entity secession is legal? Of course not.

    Should we consider ourselves today part of the commonwealth because the DoI is a document of secession in itself? The war only proved the secession attempt was defeatable, not that it was illegal. War cannot prove something illegal or not.

    There are 53M out there who voted against the President because they see his policies going where much of Europe is today economically, socially, politically. It’s irresponsible to paint them as morons. Should we call the 56M supporters of Obama Marxist-Leninist-Statists? It’s like calling al lawyers blood-sucking, money-loving parasites.

  20. John Foskett
    Fri 16th Nov 2012 at 7:08 pm

    The DoI/AWI was a rebellion by colonies, not a “secession”. Small detail…

  21. PHW
    Sat 17th Nov 2012 at 11:00 am

    As long as we’re confronting illegalities, there’s the pesky issues of the the creation of West Virginia in violation of the Constitution and the annexation of Hawai’i to contend with. Also…if the states never actually seceded, why did they have to be “readmitted” and their representatives not seated 1866–and then not all of them?

    Seems like the feds are talking out both sides of their mouths

  22. John Foskett
    Sat 17th Nov 2012 at 12:45 pm

    We disagree on the “readmission” issue. That was not a concession that the states had lawfully “seceded”. Instead, the US put down a rebellion by several states (see the Constitution on rebellions) and imposed conditions upon their right to resume full participation in the Union/Congress, etc. directed at rejecting the prospect of another rebellion ( loyalty oaths, ratification of anti-slavery measures, etc.). In another words, they never left the Union. Instead, by engaging in an unlawful rebellion they forfeited certain rights of full participation until the rebellion was fully rooted out.

  23. PHW
    Sun 18th Nov 2012 at 10:38 am

    Parse it however you want. Justify the ‘perpetual union’ however you want. The fact is, the right of people to associate with whomever they want was suppressed. What happens when the “more perfect union” fails? Should every state be dragged into the abyss?

    What happened in 1776 is no different than in 1860. I prefer a state to have more control over its own affairs. You prefer statism.

  24. John Foskett
    Sun 18th Nov 2012 at 12:16 pm

    Be careful telling me what i prefer. What happened in 1776 was a rebellion. What happemed in 1861 was also a rebellion. Now go read the Constitution and tell me what it says about “rebellion”. And then tell me what equivelant provisions were in place in 1776 regarding the thirteen North American colonies of the British Empire.

  25. Jones
    Thu 13th Dec 2012 at 12:58 pm

    Cherry picking a single supporting case doesn’t validate your opinion of succession being illegal. The argumentum ad hominem… “whiny morons”, “whiny children”, “imbeciles”, “whiners”, and “stupid” doesn’t work either.

    It’s a joke to think they could petition the White House for succession. I assume most who signed it and are just using Obama’s facade of listening to his constituents. Regardless, it’s still lazy. If they want their country to reflect their values, then they have to work to change it just like the progressives did.

    Even though that progressive takeover is taking my country in the wrong direction and it’s against most of my beliefs, the general advance has been just amazing! Obama’s rise to power is a remarkable story and says a lot about the current American massive cultural divide.

  26. Sat 08th Aug 2015 at 6:46 pm

    I now live in Texas. NJ for 50 years and saw it crumbling under the policies of liberal Democrats and forced socialism. Thank God for states like Texas where Americans can live free.

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