When I first moved south of the Mason-Dixon Line, after spending my growing up years in Illinois, I was surprised to be met by some Southerners who still held onto the Civil War. Or, ahem…. The War of Northern Aggression (to be said in your best Scarlett O’Hara voice). To go from a place where a flying Confederate flag meant one thing, to the South, where people were trying to convince me it meant something entirely different, was confusing, to say the least.
The secessionists are still at work today. In fact, just this week, a secessionist convention is taking place in the foothills of Tennessee. But this time around those wily Southerners have interesting bedfellows. The North. Groups from Vermont, California, Hawaii, Alaska…. And many other states…. Will join together for several days to scheme and plan and dream of what they would call a better future. A future that involves secession from the U.S.A.
I still have a low tolerance for Confederate flag waving and the talk that “the South will rise again,” but I am fascinated by this powerful discontent that leads some people to think that they could do this thing called government much better than our established U.S. system. I find myself increasingly agitated by what I deem as a lack of guts by our elected officials to stand up for the social changes that need to happen in our country. The fact that our congress people won’t even ensure that our transgendered brothers and sisters are included in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is a travesty. And I have to admit that my hope is fading fast when it comes to the changes that a Democratic president would actually be able to make upon election.
Maybe these secessionists are on to something. Where are the revolutionaries when you need them?
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“Where are the revolutionaries when you need them?”
My father toured with a Russian ballet troupe in the late 60’s. He asked them if revolutionary change could happen in the USA. Their answer: no, because true revolutionaries are prepared to die for their freedom.
Freedom means the right to create your own reality. Trying to get special favors from a society and government run by elites who give little favors while robbing you of your money, your freedom and your life — when those nukes finally start falling, as they will by the time the maniacs in chiefs get finished. Community based secession, not big state secession, is the best idea, however. Cause even in small states majorities can oppress minorities. Let people form new communities, rearrage old ones, try creative combinations, freely and let those communities network and confederate as needed to take care of real issues like crime, aggression, pollution. Let other issues be solved through actions of free humans and mutual aid.
Carol in dc
We were honored to participate again at the annual North American Secessionist Convention. Once again, we were the only participants representing the resurrected government of the Republic of Texas. Naturally, among the first amendments we made to the 1836 Constitution, we removed the slavery, racism, and sexism. You’ll love our 14th amendment especially, as it not only reiterates our insistence that our gov’t may not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, etc., it even mandates a Diversity Committee to make sure. We’ve also issued our first marriage recognition certificate to a lesbian couple; we’re happy to issue them to GLBT’s and Poly’s (although of course we can’t guarantee that the US will recognize them). I’m sure we’re the only RT group that will do this!
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[…] Gay Charleston: . . .I am fascinated by this powerful discontent that leads some people to think that they could do this thing called government much better than our established U.S. system. I find myself increasingly agitated by what I deem as a lack of guts by our elected officials to stand up for the social changes that need to happen in our country. […]