Posted on 09/08/2013 4:42:26 PM PDT by markomalley
The push by 50 western Virginia counties to secede in 1863, forming West Virginia at the height of the Civil War, was led by a charismatic store-clerk-turned-lawyer who famously urged his supporters: “Cut the knot now! Cut it now! Apply the knife.”
West Virginia was the last state to break off from another. Now, 150 years later, a 49-year-old information technology consultant wants to apply the knife to Maryland’s five western counties. “The people are the sovereign,” says Scott Strzelczyk, leader of the fledgling Western Maryland Initiative, and the western sovereigns are fed up with Annapolis’s liberal majority, elected by the state’s other sovereigns.
“If you think you have a long list of grievances and it’s been going on for decades, and you can’t get it resolved, ultimately this is what you have to do,” says Strzelczyk, who lives in New Windsor, a historic town of 1,400 people in Carroll County. “Otherwise you are trapped.”
Strzelczyk’s effort is one of several across the country to separate significant portions of states from, as he puts it, “the dominant ruling class.” Nearly a dozen northern Colorado counties are the furthest along, with nonbinding referendums set for November ballots. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is making a move to join with parts of Wisconsin. Northern California counties want to form a state called Jefferson.
Historians, political scientists and the leaders of the movements say secession efforts are being fueled by irreconcilable differences on issues such as gun control, taxes, energy policy, gay marriage and immigration — all subjects of recent legislative efforts at state and federal levels. The notion of compromise is a non-starter. With secessionists, the term “final straw” comes up a lot.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
It seems like everyone is looking to secede.
This revolution is based upon population density.
Colorado, Maryland. Like rolling pebbles before a landslide. This is looking interesting.
So many of these popping up. Colorado, California, now Maryland. Fair enough. Marylanders essentially live under the tyranny of the Bowling Ball Mikulski and her stooges in Baltimore who gerrymander like there’s no tomorrow.
There’s a movement in northern California as well.
You sure can’t blame them.
It’s a really nice thought.
Maybe we in Western PA can split from the Philadelphia liberals too.
Hey! “Strzelczyk” is my middle name, and even I can’t pronounce it!
North Baltimore and Harford Counties would go too. Cecil County, also. Everything along the Mason and Dixon line.
Love how these historic backgrounders neglect to mention West Virginia wasn’t just the last state carved from an existing one, it was the only one carved out without the consent of an existing one.
Allegheny County should have a wall around it if that were to happen (Well, even if it doesn't happen, it still needs a wall around it).
Centre county is unhelpable because of all the LGBTABCXYZ studies professors and clueless coeds at PSU.
Erie county is being handled... sorta. GE is moving a huge portion of locomotive manufacturing to a non-union facility in Texas... expect thousands to be put on the welfare rolls and economic collapse... or they can all become Boehnercare "Navigators".
Whatever... I am pretty certain at this point there is a plywood shack outside of Lincoln, Montana that's in my future.
I also hear it's cool to wear grey hoodies now... you know, "for Trayvon".
Hey, wait! Don’t leave us on the Eastern Shore with the commies.
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