Column: Montana Secession Threat Just Childish Politics

This story was written by Jessica Hensley, Kansas State Collegian

"Screw you guys - I'm goin' home!"

This is the line - originally uttered by "South Park" character Eric Cartman - that comes to mind when describing the response of several dozen Montana politicians - including Montana Secretary of State Brad Johnson - to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the most recent court case dealing with the Second Amendment.

The cause of the Montana politicians' hissy fit, D.C. v. Heller, was ruled on Thursday. According to CNN.com, the case questioned whether or not a sweeping ban on handguns within the limits of Washington, D.C., violated the Second Amendment, which grants all Americans the right to bear arms.

According to an article in the June 2008 edition of Reason Magazine, days prior to the D.C. v. Heller case being heard by the court, Montana politicians presented a joint resolution pointing out that when the federal government approved Montana's state constitution, it included a clause which grants "any person" the right to bear arms. The federal government recognized that clause as consistent in meaning with the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The joint resolution suggested that if the Supreme Court came down on what Montana representatives viewed as the "wrong side" of D.C. v. Heller, Montana might secede from the United States.

Montana didn't become a state until 1889 and therefore missed out on the Civil War, but to threaten secession in this day and age is nothing more than a cheap ploy. It is overreaching and ultimately empty gestures like this that are becoming far too common in politics today.

Using the threat of secession in an attempt to gain leverage is similar to a 10-year-old child threatening to run away from home if he or she does not get his or her own way with parents. It is not the way national and state politicians should behave. We are people and one nation in the U.S. and we discuss our differences and negotiate solutions on common ground - "United We Stand," remember?

The Supreme Court struck down the handgun ban, 5-4, and Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the opinion for the majority. The implications of this decision for Washington, D.C., will be far-reaching; for Montana, not so much.

Having gotten their way, at least for now, Montana will remain a part of the U.S., though it seems unlikely that the threat of secession would have been explored further had the court gone the other way.

However, if this behavior is any indication of the dedication of the politicians of Montana to maintaining the peace and integrity of our nation, perhaps we would be better off without their participation in the U.S. political process. In today's political climate, we need a willingness on the part of our politicians to discuss the issues, not an adamant refusal to participate.