We Need Another Declaration of Independence

By Charles Pitts

The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America invokes the self-evident truths that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that governments are formed to protect these rights and gain their just powers from the consent of the governed, and that when a government becomes abusive of these rights, it is the right — no, it is the duty — of the people to alter or abolish that government.

To say governments were formed to protect the rights of men would be historically incorrect. Almost all governments were formed by ruthless men exerting their will over others through the use of force. Some governments, over time, evolved toward the rule of law, perhaps only because their rulers saw that this would sanction their own continued enjoyment of the wealth that they possessed. In some instances, this evolution involved one or more "revolutions" in which those who were governed were able to better establish the rule of law.

The language of the Declaration of Independence should not be construed as an argument about the historical origins of government but, rather, as what would be true and just to an enlightened person, namely, that as persons and as communities of persons, we have the right and the duty to alter or abolish governments that become abusive of our rights. As Benjamin Franklin once put it, "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."

The concept of an inalienable right of secession was not original to the American Revolution. It can be traced to the scholastics, to Reformation politics, and to the most ancient Greek and Hebrew writings. Without going into a dissertation on the subject, let me simply point to the flag of the state of Virginia, which was designed by Thomas Jefferson. It depicts a female warrior (Athena) standing atop a slain tyrant (Zeus).

According to legend, Zeus, the greatest and most terrible of the gods, was supposed to be the god of law, yet he was himself lawless. When he heard that he would sire a child who would destroy him, he swallowed his wife whole to prevent it. But the child grew within him and then burst from him fully grown. This child was Athena, the goddess of victory, liberty, and peace. And, she did indeed slay her father. It should be easy to see, in this legend, how the rule of law might be established from a government formed through the use of force.

Today, the massive increase in taxes, taken by the force of a gun, along with out of control government spending and regulation, an unsustainable federal deficit, and ever increasing limits on personal freedoms all constitute such an abuse of the rights of men as to justify secession under the doctrine of an inherent right to secede.

How Do "The States" Consent to Secession?

In the United States, it is now well established that the country consists of "Red" (Conservative) States and "Blue" (Liberal) States, along with a few "Purple" (Battleground) States. Even in a so-called landslide, like 2008, only a few states "flip" from Conservative to Liberal, and these states go from close Conservative to close Liberal. Furthermore, the whole purpose of elections has become to decide whether Liberals get to raise taxes on Conservatives while adjusting the Alternative Minimum Tax so as to minimize the impact on themselves, and whether Liberals get to force acceptance of gay marriage onto Conservatives or whether Conservatives get to force unwanted pregnancies onto Liberals. In other words, there no longer is any pretense of Federalism in which domestic policy is left to the States of the Union.

What if the legislatures of "The Red States" sent delegates to a convention that drafted a new constitution for a “more perfect union” – A New America – which would take effect for those states that ratified it, providing that at least a two-thirds majority of them did so? For those who were not homeschooled, it may be necessary to point out that this was the process through which the Constitution of 1789 was created and through which eleven states seceded from the union provided by the Articles of Confederation, leaving Rhode Island and North Carolina as the only two states in that prior union. Those two states eventually also seceded from the prior union, thereupon making it a nullity, and joined into the new union.

While the Constitution of 1789 required the secession of 9 out of 13 states, does this mean that a supermajority of the states would be necessary for consent for the New America? It seems to me that a supermajority would not be necessary, but only a simple majority, for a U.S. version of what is called the "Velvet Revolution" in the former Czechoslovakia, now the Czech and Slovak Republics. In that country, dissolution involved nothing more earth shattering than a bunch of accountants who scurried about the country, totting up the value of the assets of the national government that would fall into the possession of each succeeding government so as to determine how to fairly apportion the national debt to the succeeding governments. Of course, in that case, both succeeding governments transitioned to membership in the European Union, guaranteeing the free flow of goods, labor and capital between them and the other members of the E.U., as well as guaranteeing certain civil liberties and democratic processes to the persons in each of the succeeding republics.

Looking at the electoral maps of the United States of recent presidential elections, it appears that the potentially disaffected Red States of a socially liberal, economically socialist Blue Nation constitute a nearly compact, self-contained block from the southeast coast to the Rocky Mountain west, plus Alaska. Indiana and Ohio appear as two Purple States jutting into an otherwise Blue Great Lakes region.

New Hampshire is a Purple State in a deeply Blue New England, but being a coastline state, it would not matter much that it was not connected by land to other breakaway states. Contrariwise, Colorado and New Mexico are two Purple or Blue States in the Rocky Mountain region that might wind up as enclaves of the Old America amidst the independent republics of the New America.

Of course, once it becomes clear that a majority of the Red States — and specifically those that are the most productive — are seceding, the remaining Blue States of Old America will have to consider their options. Will they continue to bail out the banks, corporations, the unionized public-school teachers, municipal workers, the UAW, and the bankrupt states of California and New Jersey, among others, when the burden falls much more heavily onto them?

A state like Minnesota, with a solid work ethic, which tends to vote Liberal in presidential elections, might think it could do better with the New America than with the moochers of Old America. Even Iowa, where they bury farmers only three feet deep nowadays, so they can still get their hand out, will have to weigh the pros of the ethanol subsidies they receive versus the cons of the taxes they will have to pay to subsidize everybody else. Possibly, once the rush gets underway, the only "state" that will be left in Old America will be the District of Columbia.

For the first time since the year 1860, Secession appears to be a viable option, in part because all other arrangement for the operation of the American union are deemed by many to have failed.

In truth, the Blue State folks also favor the dismantling of the Union – they just don’t know it yet. Indeed many Blue Staters speak wistfully of an American version of a European-style secular social democracy that would arise eventually once the Red States leave. But they have no concrete plans for any disconnection. So in the absence of any such plans, why not supply them with one? This makes Blue Staters willing accomplices or "co-conspirators," if you will. Of course, at present the Blue Nation has too much invested in the Union victory of 1865, so the Blue Nation is loath to abandon its heroic triumphs over Southern "barbarism." In fact, it would be better for the Secession movement to drop the term "Secession" itself in favor of "Dissolution" – a less historically-charged word that denotes a clean break from which both sides presumably benefit.

Naturally, Red Staters find this "kowtowing" to the Blue States more than a bit galling. And many relish the prospect of obtaining some "payback" for the humiliation suffered at the hands of the oftentimes insufferable Yankees. These thoughts of revenge are doubtless emotionally satisfying (and politically profitable in the Heartland), but it’s monumentally counterproductive. Since the goal today should be efficient Secession – nothing more and nothing less – it’s simply a huge mistake to demonize the Blue States and their inhabitants – although they damned well deserve it!

Simply tell the Blue States that it is time to separate, not in anger or with malice, but with mutual respect, admiration, and affection. Express to the Blue States that, since they evidently want to create an American version of a European secular social democracy, the Red States no longer wish to impede this important process.

Therefore ....

IN THE RED STATES OF AMERICA, July 4, 2010.

The unanimous Declaration of the United Red States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, – That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. – Such has been the patient sufferance of these Red States; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present Government is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these Red States.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United Red States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these States, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Red States are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Blue United States of America, and that all political connection between them and the Blue United States of America, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Signed,

The Patriots of the United Red States of America

Texas Takes the Field

”The best defense is a good offense.” Vince Lombardi

I’m using a football analogy today, since football is a religion in Texas. So, this is a “come to Jesus” altar call in football parlance.

Two teams are playing in a winner-take-all game. It’s Texas versus Washington for all the marbles. The game is now in sudden-death overtime, and the clock is winding down, with no time outs available for either team.

Washington’s offense has been pushing Texas up and down the field throughout the whole game. But the Texans have mounted a mighty defensive stand here in the final stanza.

It’s time for the Texas offense take the field.

There are a lot of actions that Head Coach/Governor Rick Perry and the Texas Legislature can do RIGHT NOW to “take the field” and start pushing back against the Washington team and win this game…once and for all.

Think about this scenario for just a moment. In this media-driven, 24/7 worldwide ocean of information and content, consider what would happen if Coach Perry called a news conference and read the following statement:

“Over the past few decades, The United States Federal Government in Washington DC has enacted law after law that taxes the citizens more, while regulating away more and more individual liberty. The passage of the Health Care legislation in Congress was the final act of tyranny to be forced upon the citizens of the state of Texas. I’m announcing that as of this date, we in the State of Texas will begin serious and solemn consideration of the sovereign act of secession from the United States of America. Within a few days, we Texans will come together in a Constitutional Convention to write a new constitution for a New Texas.

Enough is enough. To quote Sam Houston, Texas will again lift its head and stand among the nations.”

That’s all Perry needs to say. It would only take him 40 seconds if he was a slow reader.

Such a proclamation would galvanize the world media. Little else would be covered for days, perhaps weeks on all the major new outlets worldwide.

Then the Coach and the team would have to put up or shut up.

Here are ten “plays” for the Texas offense that could be run even before a Constitutional Convention was organized and gaveled to order.

1.Call an emergency session of the State Legislature to meet within 30 days with the following agenda:
2.Enact legislation that required each Texan who pays state taxes of any kind to pay the tax in gold or silver coin, or Egold.
3.Enact legislation to provide for the private minting of gold and silver coins as Texas legal tender.
4.Enact legislation that formally nullifies all Federal laws in Texas.
5.Enact legislation that strengthens the law enforcement powers of county Sheriffs in Texas, making the county Sheriff the top law enforcement officer in each county. As part of the Sheriff legislation, enact a statute that requires any Federal employee or sworn officer to obtain written authority from a county Sheriff to enforce any US Federal law upon a Texas citizen, with criminal penalties for any non-Texas officer violating the law.
6.Enact legislation that rejects the jurisdiction of any US Federal Court in matters of Texas sovereignty and nationhood.
7.Enact legislation that reorganizes the Texas Citizen Militia, comprised of all able-bodied men and women between the ages of 18 and 50. This bill would provide for immediate training and provisioning of the militia.
8.Authorize the Constitutional Convention and set the date within 90 days.
9.Draft a Texas Declaration of Independence and post it on the state’s website so that people around the world could read it before it’s delivered to Washington.
10.Draft a Texas Ordinance of Secession and post it on the state’s website so that people around the world could read it before it’s delivered to Washington.

How’s that for a sudden-death offensive series?

And what could the Washington team do in response? Breathe out threats? All that Texas is doing is “laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness” (from Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence 1776).

Football fans and lovers of Texas, one of these two teams is going to win. There will be no tie. Either Texas leaves The United States, or The United States turns Texas into a perpetual serfdom. There is no third option.

Who will win this game? Secession is the Hope for Mankind.