Party heats up over Texas secession
From a Tea Party in Texas
We have all heard about the numerous Tea Parties going on nationally, thousands of which happened on Tax Day. Supporters of a conservative grassroots movement protested government spending, taxes and the economic stimulus package.
In Texas, many residents took to the streets with signs touting secession. While Texas Gov. Rick Perry did not come out and say that Texas should or would secede, some of his comments are being taken that way.
Politicalspeak
Here is the direct quote from Rick Perry:
“Texas is a unique place. When we came into the union in 1845, one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that. My hope is that America and Washington in particular pays attention. We’ve got a great union. There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, who knows what may come of that.”
Some people have taken this to mean he is threatening secession, and a lot of Texans apparently are all for it.
Yee-haw, let’s become our own country
This implication of secession, however small or vague it may be, has gotten Texans riled up like a peace activist talking about military loans. Aside from posters attached to sticks at the Tea Party rallies yesterday, there are a few more signs that some conservative Texans are jumping on the secession bandwagon.
Brand-new blog “Texas Secede!” addresses whether it is constitutional for Texas to become an independent republic. The answer, according to the site, is that the constitution doesn’t say it can’t. The site also advocates pretty heavily that the state take advantage of this not-necessarily-unconstitutional right:
Public opinion and ignorance won’t stop us from suggesting that secession is still a good idea for people who value their rights and personal liberty.
Blogger begs to differ
According to Texas Politics, Texas v White, a, 1869 U.S. Supreme Court case, said Texas cannot secede.
Wikipedia also reports that Texas v White says the Constitution prohibits states from seceding. However, Texas Secede! insists that … wait for it … no it doesn’t.
Here we go again. Once again, the idea of secession boils down to money. Machiavelli said that if the government were to take away a man’s house, his wife, children, parents, liberties, he won’t do anything but if they take away his property he will revolt. The American Revolution and the tea party that preceded it, along with the reason for Texas’ war of liberation from Mexico all had murkier reasons than a lot of people realize. First, the Revolution was only favored by the richest third of the population. The other two thirds were either against it, or couldn’t have cared less.
Also, the war for the creation of the Texan Republic had to do with two issues – first was the illegal immigration of white Americans into Texas (which is riotously ironic) demanding free land and to keep their slaves, which the Mexican government had outlawed. Yeah, they wanted liberty – in other words, they wanted liberation from the law of the rightful government.
Also, let no one be fooled by the States’ Rights argument for the Civil War. It’s bunk – it had everything to do with money. The thing was that the richest 10% of Southerners owned enormous plantations worked by slaves, a lot of slaves. The majority of Southern whites in the antebellum period weren’t even middle class, and most couldn’t afford slaves, but the landed Southern latifundia certainly didn’t want the end of their gravy train. They whipped up the States’ Rights justification as an afterthought – the Civil War had everything to do with protecting the income of a very isolated and privileged few, and very little else. Furthermore, the Confederate Constitution outlawed the abolition of slavery and also denied the Confederate States the right to secede.
I doubt that if any state seceding would result in a better life, in any way shape or form, for their citizenry, be it materially or by way of increasing liberty. Texas included.
Thanks for the history lesson. Almost an article in itself.