Posted on 01/12/2013 10:07:52 AM PST by Mozilla
The Obama administration on Friday responded to the wave of secession petitions that spread online following the November election, preaching unity over division and saying there’s no right to secede.
“In a nation of 300 million people — each with their own set of deeply-held beliefs — democracy can be noisy and controversial. And that’s a good thing. Free and open debate is what makes this country work, and many people around the world risk their lives every day for the liberties we often take for granted,” wrote Jon Carson, director of the Office of Public Engagement.
“But as much as we value a healthy debate, we don’t let that debate tear us apart,” he said.
More than two dozen states from all corners of the country filed online White House petitions after President Barack Obama’s victory over Gov. Mitt Romney, calling for the government to allow them to secede. Carson’s letter was filed in response to requests from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, all of which garnered the necessary 25,000 signatures.
(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...
Petition Response: Our States Remain United
By Jon Carson, Director of the Office of Public Engagement
Thank you for using the White House's online petitions platform to participate in your government.
In a nation of 300 million people -- each with their own set of deeply-held beliefs -- democracy can be noisy and controversial. And that's a good thing. Free and open debate is what makes this country work, and many people around the world risk their lives every day for the liberties we often take for granted.
But as much as we value a healthy debate, we don't let that debate tear us apart.
Our founding fathers established the Constitution of the United States "in order to form a more perfect union" through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government. They enshrined in that document the right to change our national government through the power of the ballot -- a right that generations of Americans have fought to secure for all. But they did not provide a right to walk away from it. As President Abraham Lincoln explained in his first inaugural address in 1861, "in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution the Union of these States is perpetual." In the years that followed, more than 600,000 Americans died in a long and bloody civil war that vindicated the principle that the Constitution establishes a permanent union between the States. And shortly after the Civil War ended, the Supreme Court confirmed that "[t]he Constitution, in all its provisions, looks to an indestructible Union composed of indestructible States."
Although the founders established a perpetual union, they also provided for a government that is, as President Lincoln would later describe it, "of the people, by the people, and for the people" -- all of the people. Participation in, and engagement with, government is the cornerstone of our democracy. And because every American who wants to participate deserves a government that is accessible and responsive, the Obama Administration has created a host of new tools and channels to connect concerned citizens with White House. In fact, one of the most exciting aspects of the We the People platform is a chance to engage directly with our most outspoken critics.
So let's be clear: No one disputes that our country faces big challenges, and the recent election followed a vigorous debate about how they should be addressed. As President Obama said the night he won re-election, "We may have battled fiercely, but it's only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future."
Whether it's figuring out how to strengthen our economy, reduce our deficit in a responsible way, or protect our country, we will need to work together -- and hear from one another -- in order to find the best way to move forward. I hope you'll take a few minutes to learn more about the President's ideas and share more of your own.
Tell us what you think about this response and We the People.
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I also got a response to the petition to Impeach Obama and of course it said that he would not be impeached. It basically said that debate was healthy and lied about Obama following the constitution and upholding laws in the books.
Well, we are not prisoners to dictatorships, so we must have the right to leave the union once it no longer serves its intended purpose and treads on our liberties.
If they move against the 2A, then they are breaking the contract, and it’s no longer valid.
Right. Nothing the White House can say can stop a state or states from leaving. It would help protect the state from a tyrannical government.
That’s what the Brits said in 1776, but the taxpayers at Lexington and Concord begged to differ.
Why are we going? It is our country.
Did the Kenyan point out that I am not responsible for the debts of my forefathers and by extention not responsible for actions they took by virtue of having been born in a certain place? I don’t recall seeing that word “perpetual” anywhere in the constituion either.. Perhaps I missed it. I do see such things as powers not specifically given to the central government are reserved to the states and or the people. I guess that does not count either in a government that wishes to pick and choose what is and what is not to be followed.
Ditto.
It always amuses me when mouthpieces for this government, which was founded on rebellious and violent separation from the British Empire, state that subsequent separation from itself cannot be contemplated.
Liar. No one signed those petitions because of "healthy debate" or unhealthy debate. Why not address the real reasons instead of hiding behind a form letter?
“... democracy can be noisy and controversial.”
Yes it can. That is why the United States was formed as a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy.
Those old white guys knew the difference.
“If they move against the 2A, then they are breaking the contract, and it’s no longer valid”
Exactly. The “union” is not some magical mystical beast. It is simply an agreement. If they ignore the agreement then we get to ignore it, too.
There is a natural right to self determination. The Constitution has no mechanism for secession. The Constitution can only recognize natural rights, it cannot grant or withhold them.
As to the assertion that secession has been settled and we are not allowed to leave the union, I would refer to this article . . .http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/01/on_secssion.html
So says the Undocumented-Tyrant by Fraud.
I'll tell you what I think of their response: they can print it out on paper, roll it up real tight and stick it straight up their candy asses!
Ah, and who’s going to stop them?
I have always wondered what would the federal government do if states just said “no more”.
What if the taxes that are sent to the feds just stopped being sent?
What if the state militia went to the boarder and stopped inter state travel, without permission?
Would the feds send in an army to crush them, or just give a press conference and say something or other?
(Talking about now, not two centuries ago)
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