In 2012, following the re-election of President Barack Obama, tens of thousands of Texas residents supported a movement to secede from the Union. Many Texans did not appreciate the encroachment of the big government policies of Obama and the inept leadership of the Republicans.
And why not? Secession has been a tradition in the United States over the years. It occurs when a state doesn’t believe in the concentrated power of Washington, which tends to regularly violate the 10th Amendment.
At the time, many pundits, analysts and politicians said the secessionist movement was racist. These are just some of the headlines that followed: “Let’s Be Honest, Red States Want to Secede Because the White Guy Didn’t Win,” “Secessionists Need To Stop Veiled Racism Talk And Secede From Earth” and “Secession Movement: It Is Neither Cute Nor Funny.”
What makes this ironic is that one of the most liberal states in the U.S. today wants to secede from the Union.
California residents have initiated a campaign to leave the U.S. because of Donald Trump’s victory.
The Yes California Independence Campaign is seeking to put the option on the November 2018 ballot that would give the thumbs up a statewide independence vote for spring 2019. It is being called Calexit.
Is the movement garnering much support? It’s only been a couple of days since Trump’s upset win, but its Facebook page has increased its support from 11,000 to 15,000 and it has received thousands of emails in support. It’s also handing out t-shirts and launching public demonstrations.
Louis Marinelli, the leader of the movement, stated that the election results suggest that California is far more liberal and progressive than the rest of the nation, and that if the country goes right then “we go left.”
Are you down with #Calexit like this supporter is? pic.twitter.com/3aOalrE7ZL
— Yes California (@YesCalifornia) November 10, 2016
“People are starting to come to the realization … ‘Wait a minute, this is not the type of country we want to live in,”‘ said Marinelli. “People said Brexit wouldn’t happen, and then they said Trump wouldn’t happen … Things that you don’t expect to happen are happening, so why not this?”
Meanwhile, Marcus Ruiz Evans, the organization’s vice-president, believes the state would “be better off if we were our own nation,” adding that “our ship can sail on its own.”
A small number of residents in Portland are trying to get Oregon to secede, too.
Prior to the election, Texas restarted its initiative to leave the Union. It was called Texit. Many on the left had chastized The Lone Star State because they viewed Texans as a bunch of rednecks who didn’t want a black man or a woman to be their president (SEE: 264,000 Texans want to secede from the Union following Brexit referendum).
You can conclude one thing from this: it’s OK for the left to secede from the Union because it’s noble and virtuous, but it isn’t OK for the right to secede from the Union because it’s racist. Uh huh.
Secession is important, whether Washington is controlled by Republicans or Democrats, because it decentralizes power. Remember, neither the GOP or the Democrats care about liberty, freedom and states’ rights. If a state can leave the Union then good for them! But to suggest that it’s because of racism is asinine, ridiculous and insulting. Anytime you can shrink the power of the state must be congratulated, though I doubt the likes of California and Oregon would be the paragons of liberty and freedom.
If California, Oregon and Texas want to leave then they should have the right, too. Of course, Oregon and California are only pushing this idea because their guy (or gal) didn’t win. To them, democracy is only a great idea when they get their way.
Ultimately, it is pretty hypocritical for these people to lambast Britons for wanting to leave the European Union or Texans for wanting to leave the Union. It can be condensed to this: now you know how they feel!
Are California and Oregon racist because an old, rich, white man won?
Zlatko says
Secession is not a right. No right to secede in the Constitution. Only traitors want to secede, be they Texans or Californians.
Reginald says
When states entered the union a contract was made between the state and the federal government. That contract has been broken by the feds in so many ways. Voiding that contract is logical. FYI rights come from God not government.
Liberteur (@Liberteur) says
If secession is not a right then we better give the British their country back!
JRATT says
I thought we had a civil war in the 1860’s that settled this issue.
The SCotUS has ruled a state does not have the right to leave the nation. The only way to do it would be to amend the Constitution, not going to happen.
Brad says
You don’t understand the Constitution if you believe the states don’t have a right to secede. You simply don’t understand it at all. Of course, an alarming percentage of Americans don’t.
JRATT says
Brad, Please tell me where in the US Constitution it says a state has the right to secede. I have read it several times and cannot find it. Just saying you can do something does not make it so.
BHO thought he could give the Dreamers citizenship rights, but a Federal Judge stopped it.
Brad says
JRATT, the constitution was meant as a means to limit the govt not the people. Meaning your whole paradigm is off. You don’t look for rights listed, you look for places that give the govt permission to possess that power. Nowhere does it give the govt the right to hold member states against their will. Plus the 9th and 10th amendments cover rights, powers and freedoms not specifically listed in the constitution.