Secessionist dreams live on in Freeperland

[LuckyTheDog]

A long rambling, long post which asserts that states have the "right" to secede: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2281160/posts

From the post:

The Tenth Amendment Despite all the above, and assuming that the Supreme Court could rule on the subject, there really was only one conclusion which the Court to reach, within the text of the Constitution. The simple fact is that the four corners of the document do not contain any reference whatsoever to the subject of a state leaving the Union. There is no permission, nor is there any prohibition. This lack leads us to look at the Tenth Amendment, which states that any powers not delegated to the Federal Government are reserved to the States or to the people. It should thus be incontrovertible that the power to leave the Union is a reserved power specifically held by the States or people under the Tenth Amendment. Recall that the people of the State of Texas voted to secede in a statewide election and that the election was held at the behest of the state legislature. In seceding Texas could very easily be seen as simply exercising a constitutional power reserved for it by the Tenth Amendment.

The responses are overwhelmingly positive. Some quotes:

People have a right to choose their own destiny and no government, particularly a morally corrupt one such as the one currently in power in Washington, can take that away. They didn't have that right in 1861 and they don't have it now.

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Why is it that only our side is restricted by the law? If Texas wants to secede, they should simply do it. And the Supreme Court and Congress can hold all the hearings they want, who cares? States should simply defy what’s going on in Congress, and aggressively rebel against any repercussions attempted by the commie vermin running our country.

COULD WE PLEASE SHOW SOME GUTS ON OUR SIDE, EVERYBODY?

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Damn right. Texas should tell Washington to shove it where the sun don't shine. Texas has seaports, oil, farm land, manufacturing, etc, and can survive without the corrupt rotten Washington we have now. We are no longer a free Country, but under King Obama and his corrupt machine. We have evolved into a Communists nation.

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Lincoln and his supporters wanted a centralized ,national government and they instituted it.
Hasn't anyone noticed the modern Communists speak of Lincoln with approval?

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The wealth that would move to Texas would be outstanding. Professionals, business, billions of dollars, etc. They could do it and hurt the Washington a22hats big time. Sure it would be hard at first, but within a short time Texas would be the richest Country in the World. Texas has a military now, every branch of the Service. They could give those Federal units a choice, join Texas or get the hell out. America is gone.

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I don’t give a d*rn what the Federal Government wants, as a citizen I have just as much right to interpret..withhold my delegated authority to govern as the Supreme Court has..and it is getting high time we as US Citizens get together and “seceede” or Re-”Indepedence Declaration” in order to preserve our liberty, peacefully on our part-of course!

[MrModerate]

1. I love the "don't give a d*rn . . ." They're willing to incite murder and revolution . . .

But actually type a fuckin' epithet? No, that would be *wrong.*

Clearly, bovine spongiform encephalitis is more widespread than previously reported.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. I imagine they would eliminate the 13th amendment from their new constitution

once they secede and raise the stars and bars.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. I always knew Lincoln sympathized with the Reds!

[Hosnon]

4. While I do sympathize with their plight regarding the Xth Amendment (it is without a doubt

the redheaded step-child of the litter), I think the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution make a strong argument that secession is not constitutional.

The Preamble to the Articles of Confederation states:

"To all to whom these Presents shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States affixed to our Names send greeting.

Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia." (Emphasis added.)

And the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution states:

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." (Emphasis added.)

I think a strong argument exists that the U.S. Constitution was a reconfiguration of the existing Union established by the Articles of Confederation - a Union that said Articles expressly characterized as "perpetual".

[krispos42]

5. Hmmm... you have to be voted into the Union, right?

Okay, then, get Congress to repeal the Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States. If Congress repeals it, and the people of Texas agree, then I guess they become the Republic of Texas again.

[stevedeshazer]

6. The secession of Texas and all Southern states is a fantasy.

Without federal funds from us evil Northerners and Midwesterners and Westerners, the Confederacy would strangle on it's own bile.

Apologies to all my friends from the South, but y'all know it's true.

[dysfunctional press]

7. can't we do something to MAKE them spend some of it on education...?

[johnaries]

8. I find it interesting ( hilarious!) that one of them actually remembers

Lincoln, who already answered this whole question once before. And who,IIRC, was actually a REPUBLICAN!

Actually, if Texas wanted to secede I'd be all for it. I've only been there a couple of times, but those were enough and I have no desire to ever return. I'm sure there are some very good people there - but I couldn't find them.

[MrModerate]

10. I'm from Texas. Emphasis on the *from,* and you're right . . .

There are lots of good people. Actually, some cities are sort of "liberal" -- Austin and (surprisingly) Houston come to mind. However, the good people are surrounded by loudmouthed knuckledraggers (and just.plain.evil fucks like Tom DeLay) and generally are drowned out by the chest thumping and farting.

If we could get the no-opposable-thumb crowd from around the US to emigrate there, I'd be in the forefront of a Texas secession movement.

As long as I didn't actually have to go there, of course.

[vadawg]

9. personally i believe that if a state wants to leave the union it should be allowed to

im not sure i like the idea of the will of the people of the state being usurped by the feds, though im pretty sure there are rules against it i like the more decentralised idea of government.