States’ secession attempts
One would think that most political bickering would occur immediately prior to a presidential election, and certainly much bickering does. This year, the debates and controversial issues that defined the election prompted many to voice their opinions, often brashly and without sensitivity. Anyone who was on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking sites on Nov. 6 knows the extreme to which individuals took their beloved political opinions on this monumental day.
However, the bulk of the polarized, partisan bitterness has plagued our nation after the election. And it continues to plague us. But don’t take the abundance of hateful post-election statuses as evidence of this—take the secession petitions that residents have signed in nearly every state.
Yes, you read that right. Secession. If you recall, secession is the act of officially withdrawing from a nation, something that occurred prior to the Civil War, when 11 southern states left the Union. But unlike other individuals who religiously subscribe to the “slippery slope” fallacy, I am not arguing that these secession attempts are going to ignite a modern-day civil war. That’s not my point.
My point is that these petition attempts, which are filed though the White House’s “We The People” website, are absolutely inane.
First of all, exactly how practical is a self-governed state sandwiched in a much larger nation? The answer—it’s not. Although I certainly do not recommend secession, and I doubt any states will successfully secede in the foreseeable future, I would like to see how a state could feasibly commit this act. A secession reality show, perhaps? “True Life: My State Seceded?” The concept is nearly ludicrous. A single state would simply not survive.
But enough with the humor and impracticality implicit in these secession threats. Secession does have its roots in the premise of democracy and in the freedom of the people. After all, the vehicle for these petitions, the “We The People” program, is designed to give all citizens a voice and an opportunity to improve our government. In addition, many of the secession attempts derive their justification from the Declaration of Independence, which reads that it is the “Right of the People” to “alter,” “abolish” or “institute new Government” when government “becomes destructive.” In fact, one of the main secession petitions for the state of Indiana directly quotes this section of the Declaration of Independence.
In theory, secession could be an important tool, to be used only when political dissonance proves too impossible to resolve. Remember that the Declaration of Independence was written when the colonies sought independence from British rule. This was arguably both revolution and secession. Obviously, these acts were needed, and we would not today be here in the United States of America without them.
Wait, what was that—the United States of America? There’s no unity in today’s secession attempts, unless unity is defined as hatred for President Obama as our reelected president. I’m not saying people can’t hate the Obama administration with every bone in their bodies, because they can. But after the election, when our nation’s leader is set for another four years, I propose that those who aren’t happy with the results at least tone down their hatred and, more importantly, remember that this is still a democracy. Obama is not a dictator—if he were, citizens certainly wouldn’t be able to petition the government with the “We the People” website. As long as we maintain the ideals of democracy, there is no place for secession in our nation.
We, the people, must accept that there will never be a perfect president who will please everyone. To secede on the grounds of discomfort with the administration is childish and unwarranted. There are other, more proactive ways to voice one’s political opinion, such as pursuing legislation. Secession, although unlikely to occur, would be what we commonly call “running away from the problem.” Yes, the polarization of today’s politics is a nightmare, but it’s something citizens can navigate and improve. We may be divided now, but we must strive for unity.
