Modern Secession
396 words.
I sometimes wonder what kind of political situation would be so divisive that states might try to secede from the Union again. This came to mind again recently when Virginia legislators proposed that the Commonwealth acknowledge the wrongs of slavery, and a flood of pro-Confederacy people bubbled up to the surface here in the Virginia blogosphere. I have to admit I was a little shocked and awed at the vehement, almost violent reactions of some of these Virginians. It struck me that these were exactly the sort of people who would probably support a modern secession, if for no other reason than to get away from what one blogger charmingly called “race pimps.”
The legality of secession is, I think, a hotly debated topic, but it’s way outside the scope of my education. I can’t find any evidence to say it’s illegal, so I’m just going to assume it’s as legal now as it was in 1861.
Some Googling on this subject brought me to this interesting site: American Secession Project. It’s a site dedicated to, well, I’ll just quote it: “Dedicated to placing secession in the mainstream of political thought as a viable solution to contemporary problems.” Basically, I guess they’re saying that people should consider secession as a legitimate response to major problems in the Federal government.
So what might people secede over today? Before the Civil War, the southern economy was driven by slave labor, so it makes sense that slave states would secede when their livelihood was threatened. Many years ago I thought abortion might be divisive enough to split the United States, but it’s not really a region-specific issue, and I don’t think there’s much of an economic component.
These days I’m inclined to think immigration might be the issue that sparks a modern secessionist movement. It’s somewhat regional, it’s economic, and it’s got that essential “us vs. them” component that would really get radicals up in arms. What if the federal government really cracked down on immigration and started shutting down any business found hiring illegal immigrants? It seems like small business owners in places like California, New Mexico and Texas might start seriously considering secession as an option to keep their livelihood.
Yeah, I know, it’s pure fantasy. It’s a slow day.
Thomas Krehbiel writes The Krehbiel Strikes Back, a generally centrist commentary on news, media, politics, and culture.
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