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(AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
As Independence Day approaches, some Texans are wondering if we may be celebrating another “Texas Independence Day” in the years to come. Governor Rick Perry’s response to the heated rhetoric in the state capitol this April, during the Texas tea party protests, about a possible secession from the union has received nation-wide publicity—publicity that is good for an incumbent governor facing a well-known opponent in an upcoming gubernatorial race.
Governor Rick Perry has locked himself into an ideological battle against Washington over the 10th Amendment (pertaining to federalism and the states' rights). During the recently concluded 81st legislature in Texas, Rick Perry and many conservative legislators were resistant to terms of stimulus funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). Perry and others stood in opposition to the federal government on the basis that they shouldn’t tell Texas how it can spend that money in its own state.
According to the Austin-American Statesman, “state lawmakers plugged a hole in the 2010-2011 budget by using $12 billion in federal stimulus money” while Texas’ rainy day fund which is estimated at over $9 billion remains intact. Democrats in the Texas Legislature and the U.S. Congress “have fumed, saying the $3.2 billion in education money from the federal stimulus should have gone directly to the school districts, instead of to bailing the state out of its budget jam.”
Not acting in accordance with the federal government’s terms for the ARRA could lead to the loss of future stimulus funding. A recent article on dallasnews.com reports that Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin “accused Perry and state GOP budget writers of creating an artificial shortfall in Texas’ education budget, then trying to fill it with federal stimulus money . . . [which] won’t create jobs or extra resources meant for local schools.”
Governor Perry heeds the conservative electorate’s call for secession and a sovereign republic free from the interference of the federal government. Yet, he is more than willing to risk the outcome of educational funding in Texas to keep cash under the mattress. His criticism of Washington’s high spending and “Orwellian” control over the economy is adding fuel to the fire.
Those who are not from Texas may not be familiar with the “secession movement”. There is a network of organizations that raises support for states’ secession from the union based on our “loss” of rights due to government control. While there is nothing that suggests Governor Perry or any other Texas politicians are members of this movement, the mere mention of secession can have dire implications.
TexasSecede.org published a fact sheet about Texas secession on their website. They claim that Texas and other confederate states during the civil war “withdrew from the Union lawfully, civilly, and peacefully, after enduring several decades of excessive and inequitable federal tariffs heavily prejudiced against Southern commerce. Refusing to recognize the Confederate secession, Lincoln called it a ‘rebellion’ and a ‘threat’ to ‘the government’ . . . and acted outside the lawfully defined scope of either the office of president or the U.S. government in general, to coerce the South back into subjugation to Northern control.”
I visited their sister website TexasFlagMan.com. There I found that they sell t-shirts, stickers and patches promoting secessionist propaganda, some including the confederate flag. I looked again at the passage quoted in the above paragraph and noticed the phrase “federal tariffs heavily prejudiced against Southern commerce.” Commerce?—slavery.
TexasSecede.org also said in their fact sheet that the South’s rejoining the Union “only affirmed that violent coercion can be used—even by governments . . . to rob men of their very lives, liberty, and property.” In the span of 5 pages, the fact sheet contained language pertaining to ‘life, liberty, and (specifically) property’ in seven different places. Property?—slaves.
It is not hard to conclude that Rick Perry has enormously divergent views from Democrats in Washington. But, his attempt to gain the attention of President Obama and the national media by pushing the secessionist movement is a very tricky proposition. He must tread lightly or else he might inadvertently get pulled into a delicate debate over racial issues during the 2010 gubernatorial race.
Comments
Larry Kilgore for Texas Governor 2010 - Secession!!!
Sean may want to pursue his "link" with commerce and slavery, with the facts concerning the huge fortunes made by the importation of slaves to this country by Northern business interests, before they decided it was immoral "AP" (after profits). So hanging the albatros around the neck of the South alone is missing half the story, and ignores the North's complicity in that along with a multitude of other sins.
The constant link between freedom and slavery is so incorrect. States rights does not equal slavery. It is a week argument and quite frankly character assignation. Why not present a valid argument for centralized government you seem to support.
The states were designed to be Laboratories of Democracy. It is foolish to fear a corrupt or oppressive state government without a fear of the same at the federal or even international level. At least at the state level EVERYONE can vote with there feet if they feel there rights are taken away.
Our laws are flowing in the wrong direction: Federal, State, Local, People. This should be flipped. We must not forget the government works for us.
I heard the speach, but there is nothing on his site supporting that movement. See: www.rickperry.org/media/perry-i-dont-advocate-secession
Show your upport the 10th Amendment on Facebook: bit.ly/1aZevc
I kicked your assess once, and I'll do it again. If I have to. Succession = treason.
And dont think I didn't notice that you want to succeed only AFTER a black man is president.
We have always wanted to seceed....your boy don't mean anything to us.
It's political puffery. Texas will always be a part of the union. Argue for or against it all you want.
Slave, Slaves, Slaves, BS BS BS
We are sick and tired of this propaganda! This writers type wouldn't tell the truth or even know it if it slapped him in the face.
If the State of Texas Secedes I will leave my home state and go fight. The Government has become to large for it's own pants. States have a right and when a Government presents us with taxation without representation it is time to leave the Union.
Just typical.
Using a 140 year old argument to debate a modern issue. Why can't opponents just understand that slavery isn't an issue anymore. Does anyone have any idea how many African Americans call Texas their home? There are even African Americans INSIDE the RoT movement.
Race has nothing to do with secession. No matter how much you scream about it, the two have nothing to do with one another.
If you're opposed to secession, then that's great. Although I beg you, please come up with a legitimate rebuttal for a change rather than this tired illogical garbage.
Mr. Harris claims that in his ninth paragraph that the term "property" refers to slaves. Here I would disagree. The estates of many southern landowners were confiscated, looted and burned by northern soldiers and the Union they represented. The Civil War was fought over more than just slavery, which is something we all should bear in mind.
Abraham Lincoln is obviously speaking from ignorance. Any Texan would know that we have contemplated secession for many years; NOT JUST SINCE OBAMA WAS ELECTED. This is not a black/white or slavery issue. Secession was frequently spoken of throughout my childhood, as many of us would welcome the independence of The Republic of Texas. This not a new issue, nor one of race, but rather a proud people seeking to govern themselves as opposed to a federal government of proven irresponsibility.
Personally I love the United States or at least I love the idea of what the United States used to be.However since I cannot vote people such as Chris Dodd , Barny Frank or Nancy Pelosi ouy of office what is our recourse for getting a fair deal from Washington D.C. I am tired of hearing the lieing of Barney Frank describing did not have anything to do with the theft at Fanny and Freddie we all know better.Most of the problems with the economy are at least made worse by the very norheast( New York,New Jersey, Michigan etc and the far west lead by a fisically irresponsable California. That basically leaves most of the country to suffer for their misdeeds.Since I cannot have any influence on what these irresponable fools do mabe the best thing to do is leave the Union.
The constitutionally based prescription for dealing with a state which refused to make slavery illegal is to expel that state from the union and refuse to trade with it while SUGGESTING (not forcing) that other nations also refuse it trade. With the institution of slavery in place, the goods that the state produces are highly suspect of being stolen, in that the labor to produce the goods was taken against the will of the provider. The actions of the North had nothing to do with freeing the slaves. (Remember there were Northern slave states) It was a violent money grab for tariff receipts from southern ports and was a total affront to the constitution. Texasnationalist.com
um... the thing that i find comical about texans and all these other advocates for "states rights" is that, do you truly honestly believe that your STATE government will turn out to be any different? ...that's also making the HUGE assumption that you would even be allowed to secede for anything longer than a day or two. ...how naive.
Abraham Lincoln...what an a#%hole. You are indeed correct my RACE PIMP. I do wish to SUCCEED, WITHOUT YOUR Communist, Kenyan, Muslim PIMP in THIEF.
"SIC SEMPER TYRANNUS"
the one thing i have learned about texans ,if you ask a true texan about the US, he will tell you i am a Texan first an American second, Amen
" He must tread lightly or else he might inadvertently get pulled into a delicate debate over racial issues during the 2010 gubernatorial race." Oh come on...wishing to secede is based on political and economic grounds, not the color of the president. Give me a break. Im tired of hearing that bull. Just cause he is black does not mean we have to tiptoe around his feelings. Opps dont mean to question you mister obama. Oops didnt mean to disagree with you mister obama.I dont wanna be called a racist... come on....... liberals need to stop using that defense for EVERYTHING.
What all of this talk of slavery is ignoring is the fact that the first civil war was not at all about slavery. Later historians have rewritten history to try and make slavery the issue when in fact it was actually a rather minor side issue. The overriding reason for the civil war was indeed the Jeffersonian ideal of strong state and local governments and a very weak federal governmment vs. Hamilton's ideal of a strong federal government able to enforce its will on the state and local populations. Hence we have the issue of no state law being able to supercede federal law. The south was, in reality fighting for the Jeffersonian view. Slavery was actually becoming economically extinct..especially with the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney. Mechanization was accomplishing the same work more quickly and efficiently then slave labor. The South was fighting for their ability, as sovereign states and citizens, to make their own laws without interference of federal tyranny.
Interesting take on the Texas independence movement, but I really have to wonder why you used TexasSecede as your source on the "secessionist movement" when the much larger, much more rational and much more mainstream Texas Nationalist Movement has far better credentials. TNM knows that using the Civil War argument doesn't work; instead, we favor an independent Texas because it is culturally, economically and historically unique from the other states. THAT is a more sound basis for independence -- and the United States has championed the right of self-determination around the globe for more than a hundred years.
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