If at First You Don't Secede...

There is a firestorm sweeping the nation.  Petitions have been created on the We The People website, set up by the administration of President Obama, by people asking that their states be allowed to secede from the United States and establish their own governments.  I lost count in there somewhere, but it appears there are about 60 petitioners asking for their states to be allowed to go their own way.  But, aren't there only 50 states?  Apparently, there are some major power struggles going on within Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois. 

The website above, I believe to be a good idea.  Quite often there are issues, of which the government is unaware.  Major issues which affect a significant portion of the population.  This gives anyone the opportunity to have their voice heard.  If enough people are interested in an issue to sign a petition, the issue will be addressed.  The results may not be perfect, but you will know your voice has been heard.

Someone could propose that the Public Office to Regulate Nudity, Entertainment of Adults and Lapdancing (PORNEAL, the secret to government success is a good acronym) be created and that I be named Chief Inspector (with an annual salary of $74,987 and an annual budget of $11,000,000, cover charges add up), all it would take is enough signatures and I could be well on my way along the road to ruin.  Alas, it would probably end in some ugly tabloid scandal.  Sigh.

One thing these petitions make painfully obvious is, a significant number of highly vocal people, who are extremely critical of our government, are sadly lacking in knowledge of the process of government.  For a state to secede from the United States, there are 2 possible paths.  The legal process begins when a majority of the citizens convince the state of the need.  After that, the state, needs to convince Congress of the wisdom of the action, which would then (I'm assuming) require ratification by 2/3 of the remaining states.  The other route requires enough armed people to take control of the state government, then seal the states borders and declare it's independence.  Notice how neither route involves placing a petition, which has no legal status, on a website?

However, let's put on our boots of derangement, leap off into fantasy land, and see where secession takes us.  For the purpose of this exercise, I'll use Indiana (new name: Republic of People Who Get Upset About Changing Their Clocks Twice a Year, abbreviated to "Duh").

Duh, has declared its independence and life is wonderful, at least until the alarm goes off that first day.  Looks like the cable isn't working, or the cell phones.  Strangely, the internet also seems to be having problems.  You'll have to run to the bank to check on your accounts.  Sadly, the banks are closed.  A rather harried bank employee is explaining that all bank assets have been seized to pay outstanding debts to the United States.  Has the whole world gone mad?  Look around.  The Land of Duh has no recognized government, no recognized laws, no accepted currency and the future is not exactly bright.  All roads leading out of Duh are blocked, all airports are closed.  Until diplomatic relations are established with the United States, no interstate (international now) commerce or travel is allowed.  My personal estimate is that in less than 72 hours, the rioting and looting would make the L.A. riots of 1992 look like a church supper.  I Pledge Allegiance to Duh...

Judging by how seldom it is done, and done well, the most difficult thing for a person to do, is think.  Before rushing off to sign a petition (other than PORNEAL), think it through.  Rather than crying about mistakes made in the past, or making disaster predictions for the future, work on today.  What is past is history, an excellent field of study, but unchangeable.  The future is undetermined.  What we do today, sets the course.