When Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, a number of deep blue states threatened to secede, claiming that he ‘stole the election’ from Hillary Clinton after ‘colluding with Mother Russia’ and Vlad Putin.
None of that was true, of course, but that didn’t stop the blue states from believing it had and making their threats.
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Of course, none of them did formally secede, but now that actual election fraud appears to have taken place, there is secession talk again, only this time among red states or, more precisely, one great, big red state: Texas.
Claiming that the federal government is “out of control and does not represent the values of Texans,” a state representative from the Hill Country wants to give Texans the option to opt out of the union.
State Rep. Kyle Biedermann, R-Fredericksburg, told his supporters on Facebook that he plans to file a bill allowing for a referendum on secession.
A “Texit” if you will.
Biedermann wrote on Facebook:
“The federal government is out of control and does not represent the values of Texans. That is why I am committing to file legislation this session that will allow a referendum to give Texans a vote for the State of Texas to reassert its status as an independent nation. This legislation perfectly aligns with Article 1 Section 2 of the Texas Constitution which reads: ‘All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit. The faith of the people of Texas stands pledged to the preservation of a republican form of government, and, subject to this limitation only, they have at all times the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think expedient.’ #Texit”
Naturally, Biedermann has gotten the usual amount of hate-bot traffic in response, as well as some from real people who reason that it’s “illegal” or “unconstitutional” to secede.
On the first part, yeah, of course, it is, since the Supreme Court declared it so following the Civil War. But on the latter, the Constitution is actually silent on the question, providing only for a manner in which states can be admitted.
But even so, a majority of people in a state who genuinely want to secede aren’t going to care about ‘the law’ or what the Supreme Court ruled regarding secession in 1868 – much as people who have it in their minds to shoot people don’t really care that the store they’re about to enter has a “no guns allowed” sign on the door. So that argument is moot.
But think about it: Haven’t some states already ‘opted out?’ Didn’t California, Oregon, Washington, New York, and a handful of others essentially tell the Trump administration on a regular basis they aren’t going to be paying much mind to federal mandates, laws, and edicts?
Haven’t states that have passed recreational marijuana laws nullified the federal prohibition on smoking weed for fun?
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And so on.
Even Rush Limbaugh believes we’re reaching a point of such incivility and division amongst ourselves there is no way we can continue to coexist, and he’s an eternal optimist.
Maybe he’s right. Maybe Biedermann is onto something. After a stolen election and revelations this week that China and Wall Street really run America, what is left to defend?