Thursday, November 29, 2012

Should Texas Secede?

      President Barack Obama’s reelection has caused an appeal to be issued, calling for the Federal Government to let Texas, which is a conservative state to withdraw from the Union. This brings up the question, should Texas secede from the Union and is Texas able to secede. A petition was created, receiving over 65,000 signatures, stating the reason for the request, relating the continuing economic difficulties originating from the federal government’s incompetence to reform domestic and foreign spending. This sheds light on the fact that people are both scared and fed up with the federal government and that something not just needs to be done, but has to be done. Texas holds a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world, which leads me to believe it wouldn’t be a bad idea if Texas did secede from the Union. If Texas has the power to escape the growing national finical fire, why wait till we burn?

      
     The second question, can Texas secede from the Union? In Article 1, Section 1, it states that “Texas is a free and independent State, subject only to the Constitution of the United States” it doesn’t say anything about being directed either by Congress or the President of the United States. Nowhere, in either the Texas Constitution or the Constitution of the United States does it disallow the secession of Texas or any state for that matter. Furthermore, it is stated in both constitutions that “All political power is inherent in the people … they have at all times the inalienable right to alter their government in such manner as they might think proper”. Knowing this I believe anything is possible with the will of the people. If the majority of Texans want to secede, they will.  

1 comment:

  1. The Constitution itself does not prohibit secession, I think only the interpretation of the defeaters prohibits secession. I found this very interesting; Cheif Justice Roger Taney explained why succession is unconstitutional in a memorandum on 1 February 1861. (This is the Chief Justice of the United States BEFORE the Civil War even started)"The South contends that a state has a constitutional right to secede from the Union formed with her sister states. In this I submit the South errs. No power or right is constitutional but what can be exercised in a form or mode provided in the constitution for its exercise. Secession is therefore not constitutional, but revolutionary; and is only morally competent, like war, upon failure of justice." In other words, there is no way for the concept of independent secession to be exercised under the US Constitution, for no mode or form of such is provided in that document. Honestly I don't think Texas should secede for many reasons. Texas was crushed the first time and will be crushed again if it tries to secede from the union it voluntarily entered into. Another thing is that Gov. Rick Perry opposes the idea, dismisses it as silly and says to move on. Texas needs federal money to balance its budget, and the Texas Constitution requires a balanced budget. I honestly have no idea how they plan on Texas to go it alone. There’s a lot of boasting about the our economy and how it’s the best, but I haven’t seen or heard a solid plan as of yet.

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