Federalist vs States Rights
Do states have the right to secede? Texas Gov Rick Perry has been talking a lot about it lately. Obviously, there is strength in numbers, but is this a viable option for independent states as a response to a larger and larger federal gov’t?
Thems thats has the guns makes the rules. I thought this whole thing was settled some time ago.
Johnny Abacus
23 Apr 09 at 12:31 pm
They have the right to secede, but they’ll probably have to fight for that right just like the last time. The president would make the same argument as Lincoln did; that the Constitution is continual, like the articles of confederation, and that secession is a breach of contract whose commission may be punished by use of force. There is also precedent that the federal gov’t can use force to reclaim its land (if it wants to). This was primarily used in the case of military bases and fortifications (leading to Fort Sumter), but I’d be surprised if it wasn’t expanded to parks, historical monuments, etc..
TL;DR : The states have the right, but the government won’t recognize them. Rights aren’t given from the government, they are given to all of us at birth. We have the right to sovereignty, we just can’t expect the government to respect our rights.
MDerosier
23 Apr 09 at 9:32 pm