"From states across the country, Americans have filed petitions on the White House Web site seeking to secede from the union and form new state governments. While most of the petitions come from states that supported Mitt Romney in last week’s election, a few swing states and even the deep blue Northeast are represented. Petitions have been filed for Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. “We petition the Obama Administration to peacefully grant the State of Alabama to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own new government,” reads the Alabama petition. The following text is the same in most of the 20 filed so far: As the founding fathers of the United States of America made clear in the Declaration of Independence in 1776: “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” “…Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government…” Secession petitions filed on White House Web site
Re: States petitioning to suceed This sounds vaguely familiar........ But I highly doubt this is going to go anywhere. Just more, Obama was elected, the world is over as we knew it. :/
Re: States petitioning to suceed So, would this give us a bunch of states with their own individual governments and then another 20-something states with one US government, or would all states be responsible for themselves? Would they still be called the US if they're all separate?
Re: States petitioning to suceed For some reason, this moment is playing in my head: Dr. Cooper: "Formal protest?" Dr. Gablehauser: "Denied." Dr. Cooper: "Informal protest?" Dr. Gablehauser: [Slight pause.] "Denied." Also, very surprised New York's included. WTF.
Re: States petitioning to suceed Either way I see human rights violations up the ass especially in deep south states. but chances are it will just blow over.
Re: States petitioning to suceed Pff, they don't allow things up the ass in the south though Aye, this is really stupid though. I was also surprised to see New York up there tbh. I suppose they could be there for other non-election reasons...
Re: States petitioning to suceed The point of a secession is to stop bein part of a federation (understanding it as a union of equal entities). That means, each state will choose wich course of action to take after seceding. If they feel capable, they may form a new state (understood as the classic definition of a union of land, people, and a goverment; or a "country" if you prefer) and call themselves however they want, for example, in the case of Alabama, they may call themselves "Alabama Republic" or something like that. On the other hand, after seceding, they may decide to confederate with other seceded states and form a new federation (called however they want). Or even, join an existing federation or state. For example, Alta California (now State of California) and Tejas (now State of Texas) were part of the mexican territory, but they seceded because of "lack" of attention from the centralist goverment; and after that they added themselves to the USA. Hope I helped answer your questions!(*hug*)
Re: States petitioning to suceed The dude who created NY's petition is from North Dakota. Half the signers aren't even from NY. That explains that.
Re: States petitioning to suceed Well nothing is final here, these are only petitions that essentially, I could create and try to pass through my state. I'm sure these people dont even slightly understand how difficult this would actually be on everyone.
Re: States petitioning to suceed My guess is it's a bunch of bigots, racists, and other wingnuts from those states (or maybe not even from those states) and none of the actual requests are coming as a result of resolutions of the state legislators of those states.
Re: States petitioning to suceed I would normally be mean here and say that I'd file a petition to kick those states out of the country, but I feel really sorry for the people who live there and have to put up with oppressive people. Having those states secede would be terrible for queers, women, and minorities generally.
Re: States petitioning to suceed But how will this affect the LGBTQ community if it even goes further than the internet.
Re: States petitioning to suceed Very very badly if those states actually do secede. Basically, queers in the remaining united states will be doing much better for the loss of political dead weight. On the other hand, queers in the seceded states would be extremely harmed by such a move. They could even recriminalize gay sex for example. (If the states secede, then the constitution would no longer apply, and Lawrence v. Texas would no longer apply.)
Re: States petitioning to suceed Not if we make a quick dash for Canada. However this could just be upset Romney supporters that will calm down in a year or so.
Re: States petitioning to suceed Not all LGBT people could afford to leave... I mean, shit, if I had a lot of money, I would not be living in Helena, MT.
Re: States petitioning to suceed Political and private organizations that support LGBTQ interest won't stand for any of that.