WH shoots down secession petitions
The White House politely shot down the secession petitions circulating on the White House petition website late Friday, dashing the hopes of malcontents who have submitted petitions to allow their states to withdraw from the union in the wake of President Obama's reelection last November.
"Democracy can be noisy and controversial. And that's a good thing," wrote Jon Carson, director of the White House's Office of Public Engagement. "Free and open debate is what makes this country work...But as much as we value a healthy debate, we don't let that debate tear us apart."
Carson offered the would-be secessionists a history lesson, explaining that the Constitution guarantees "the right to change our national government through the power of the ballot - a right that generations of Americans have fought to secure for all. But they did not provide a right to walk away from it."
He also invoked the sad history of the Civil War as a cautionary tale for those who would so casually seek a repeat of our bloodiest conflict, writing, "More than 600,000 Americans died in a long and bloody civil war that vindicated the principle that the Constitution establishes a permanent union between the States."
"So let's be clear," Carson wrote, "No one disputes that our country faces big challenges, and the recent election followed a vigorous debate about how they should be addressed."
"We will need to work together - and hear from one another - in order to find the best way to move forward."
Popular in Politics
- Michelle Obama decries "slander" that educated blacks are "trying to act white" Play Video
- Adviser on White House scandals: "Partisan fishing expeditions" won't distract Obama 171 Comments
- Romney condemns "breach of trust" in Washington
- Benghazi-disciplined diplomat a prolific poet
- Obama: Racism is no excuse for not excelling Play Video
- Republicans continue beating Benghazi drum 110 Comments
- Officials on Benghazi: "We made mistakes, but without malice" 363 Comments
- Obama to discuss legality of drone program
"The vast majority of people who signed the Texas petition were from out of state."
Type_Z replies:
"How do you know this. I get the feeling you don't believe people."
Cub Scout replies:
"Easy, you go to "We The People" and view the signatures, most of which have the addresses of the Signees. Even if we assume that the signatures that have no address are all from Texas, Jim at Madison's statement is still true. How come you don't believe us?
Obviously, most now embrace "Hey, government - whatcha got for me today? Whaddaya gonna give me?"
In violation of the US Constitution, the Texas Open Meeting Act and other laws they prohibit "free and open debate". They don't want to "hear from one another" if hearing means that three decades of theft and misuse of public funds would be exposed.
http://tpr.org/post/source-banned-city-hall
fictional portrayal. It would be funny if it weren't so biased.
I've never considered myself Tea Party material, but I think I may understand their roots, lifestyles, cultures etc. I'm a moderate on social issues.
You are fooling yourselves if you think people reject Obama because of his color, which one? Appently his mother was white, his father black? Nevertheless, people reject Obama's push towards socialism and undermining people's dignity. Have you traveled the Midwest or understand the cultures there? They are a tough group, salt of the earth type. Their great or great great grandparents settled in the Midwest and surviving it was not for the weak at heart. Women and men worked hard for survival. They hunted and farmed to feed themselves and their families. They lived in sod homes enduring harsh weather extremes. "Can do" is in their blood. They don't care what color your skin is. Character now is something completely different, you are judged on character.
Redistribution of wealth is not appealing when they work hard and expect everyone else is free to do the same. If you don't want to work and share the blood, sweat and tears, why should you have any share of whatever profit there may be.
We have social programs for those that qualify under the law. No problem. If you can work but choose not to, well that does not make sense, illegal immigrants living off others blood and sweat does not make sense either. Other countries dont allow it. It is not financially sustainable. Life is can be hard, unfair, you suffer, you sacrifice, there is also great joy and content. These folks aren't dumb, they are extremely social, well traveled ( world wide, over and again ), well educated people. Don't mistake a laid back social approach for stupidity.
I'm telling you, socialism invades their freedoms. They are not interested and they mean it. Why would the left work so hard to destroy the freedoms that were so hard fought and won? It makes no sense to "conservatives". It is not greed, if their neighbor is hungry they feed them. They don't depend on government to do the things they do without fanfare.
All I'm asking is you stop to look at the realities. Houston, we have a problem, and I want it fixed without civil war. By the way, for MANY of these folks, owning guns is like owning a kitchen knife. Hunting would be the primary reason, for hunting, for food. Everyone has a gun.
Yeah, it was.
Not only was Lincoln a traitor, he was a HUGE racist.
---------------
This comes as news to me.
Care to offer a synopsis of proof of that claim?
I've read your comments, and you have seen to have offered little to none, at least concerning Lincoln.
*Thomas Jefferson, of Virginia, urged in the Declaration of Independence that the slave trade be forbidden. John Adams, of Massachusetts, urged that the clause be omitted.
*The statute of establishing perpetual slavery was adopted by Massachusetts, December, 1641.
*No Southern man ever owned a slave ship. No Southern man ever commanded a slave ship.
*The only State that made it a felony to buy a slave was Virginia. Thirty-two times Virginia legislated against slavery.
*The only colony to forbid slaves was Georgia.
*
"Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free." Thomas Jefferson, Autobiography, 1821
"[The Convention] thought it wrong to admit in the Constitution the idea that there could be property in men." James Madison
"There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it." George Washington
"It is much to be wished that slavery may be abolished. The honour of the States, as well as justice and humanity, in my opinion, loudly call upon them to emancipate these unhappy people. To contend for our own liberty, and to deny that blessing to others, involves an inconsistency not to be excused."
--John Jay
Made the rich richer as they did not have any labor problem and kept the average man down for he could not compete with no cost labor built upon black slavery.
President Lincoln in his Emancipation Proclamation evidently had in mind to colonize or segregate the slaves if freed:
"It is my purpose to colonize persons of African descent, with their consent, upon this continent or elsewhere, with the previously obtained consent of the government existing there."
He later said, in discussing the options of colonizing them with segregated areas of Texas, Mississippi and South Carolina:
"If we turn 200,000 armed Negroes in the South, among their former owners, from whom we have taken their arms, it will inevitably lead to a race war. It cannot be done. The Negroes must be gotten rid of."
Ben Butler responded to this by saying: "Why not send them to Panama to dig the canal?" Lincoln was delighted with this suggestion, and asked Butler to consult Seward at once.
Only a few days later, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln and one of his conspirators wounded Seward.