Ever since Texas demagogue and current governor Rick Perry put his foot in his mouth the other day, and said Texas might secede from the United States, there has been a big hullabaloo about this all over the country. Could Texas actually do that?Let me assure those of you in other states. The huge majority of Texans are proud to be a part of the United States, and we have no intention of going anywhere. So, what is causing this ridiculous talk of seccession?
Governor "Good Hair" Perry is in a tough re-election fight against Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and currently she's leading him in the polls by a significant margin. There is a significant portion of the Texas Republican Party that is composed of ultra-right-wing nuts. They are a small minority of the overall Texas electorate, but if they vote as a bloc, they could be powerful in the Republican primary. "Good Hair" was simply trying to unify and appeal to these nuts, because if he doesn't get all of their votes, he won't survive the primary -- let alone get re-elected.
But these ultra-righties are a loud group and give the impression they are more powerful and larger than they actually are. As an example, the local ABC affiliate here in Amarillo (Channel 7) is running a very non-scientific poll on it's website. The question they're asking is "Do you think Texas should secede from the union?" As of 11pm last night, 650 people had voted and 54% of them had said yes.
Now this could give the impression that the people of Amarillo want to secede, but that is just not true. The truth is that most people in Amarillo (and Texas) think the question is stupid and moot, and they've simply ignored the silly poll. But the ultra-righties are voting, and therefore the results are badly skewed and don't represent the feelings of most Texans.
In addition, Texas doesn't have any more right to secede from the union than any other state does. It is just a myth that Texas retained that right when they were accepted as a state. Just look at what happened the last (and only) time Texas tried to secede -- in the Civil War. That little skirmish seems to have settled the question of whether Texas or any other state has the right to secede.
Talk of Texas seccession may make great headlines, but it would never happen. Not only are Texans proud to be part of the United States, but we did NOT retain and do not currently have the right to secede.
The Republicans seem to be determined to not only consolidate their political base, but to also weed out their most intelligent members.
ReplyDeleteFor once, Texas Governor Rick Perry is correct. Many conservative and libertarian Americans agree that the right of peaceful, democratic secession by state convention is a legitimate constitutional right of every state in the union.
ReplyDeleteThere are only two solutions to the massive Washington national debt now threatening the economic future and prosperity of every productive American. One is peaceful secession on the state level from the Washington Empire leaving the illegitimate federal debts with the Washington and Wall Street interests who created the debts. The second alternative is a constitutional amendment by the states to cancel the Washington national debt. The cancel the Washington Debt by 12/21/2012 Constitutional Amendment is now online at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67594690498&ref=ts
Well said. We have to keep the truth out there and let the nation know that not everyone one in Texas is an ass hat.
ReplyDeleteThanks TBT-
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post yesterday on this topic.
Anonymous-
Rick Perry couldn't be right if you gave him a script. And both of your "solutions" are ridiculous -- give Obama a chance.
The only people screaming for secession in Texas happen to lack melanin and voted for McCain in the last election.
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