Free Republic

Voters in Weld County will vote on whether to secede from Colorado after commissioners this week unanimously agreed to put the question on November’s ballot. Weld County, the largest of several that have been seriously discussing breaking away to form their own state, joins three other counties in putting the question to its citizens. Several others are also considering referring the measure to voters or waiting to see if citizen initiatives show support for the idea. . . County leaders have also been alarmed at attempts to strengthen regulations on oil and gas developers, which are heavily invested in rural...

Infuriated by what they see as the long arm of Washington reaching into their business, states are increasingly telling the feds: Keep out! Bills that would negate a variety of federal laws have popped up this year in the vast majority of states - with the amount of anti-federal legislation sharply on the rise during the Obama administration, according to experts.The “nullification” trend in recent years has largely focused on three areas: and national standards for driver’s licenses. It’s touched off fierce fights within the states, and between the states and the feds, as well as raising questions and court...

<p>A proposal backed by several Colorado counties to form a new state called North Colorado is getting public support.</p> <p>More than four dozen people showed up Thursday at the first public meeting to discuss a proposal to form a 51st state. Nearly all of them said they support secession. The Greeley Tribune reports people from Weld, Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Washington, Yuma and Kit Carson counties are included in the discussion.</p>

Will North Colorado become America's 51st state? That's what some residents in the Centennial State are pushing for. Representatives from eight northern counties convened Monday, CBS Denver reports, to "begin mapping the boundaries for the new state they say will represent the interests of rural Colorado." The secession movement stems from "a growing urban-rural divide," with state lawmakers in Denver passing sweeping gun control legislation and calling for more renewable energy and less oil and gas production—a big part of northern Colorado's economy. “Northern and Northeastern Colorado and our voices are being ignored in the legislative process this year, and...

AKRON, Colo. (CBS4) – There’s a growing effort to create a 51st state out of parts of northeast Colorado. Ten counties, including Weld and Morgan, started talking about seceding last month. Now some people Lincoln and Cheyenne counties say they want to join a new state they’d call “North Colorado.” Organizers of the secession effort say their interests are not being represented at the state Capitol. Representatives from the 10 counties held a meeting on Monday in the town of Akron in Weld County to begin mapping the boundaries for the new state they say will represent the interests of...

Being a Texan who resides in Texas these days, hearing neighbors talk of secession is not at all an uncommon occurrence, even if it is spoken of as more of an idea that has merit rather than an eminent plan of action. No, most Texans are proud, not only of being Texans, but also of being Americans. American citizenship is a treasure, a part of being a Texan, and visa versa. We believe in the Texas Constitution as well as the U.S.Constitution. Indeed, is that not at the heart of the issue when talk of secession makes entrance into conversation?...

GREELEY, Colo. – A county in Colorado that was immortalized in the novel and 1978 miniseries “Centennial” once again could achieve fame as it finds itself in a unique position among America’s counties – considering a bid to become the 51st state. Weld County is one of the nation’s largest counties, and at nearly 3,000 square miles it is larger than the combined land areas of Rhode Island, Delaware and the District of Columbia. The county was also immortalized in James Michener’s “Centennial,” a novel about a fictitious town whose history mirrored the history of the state. County officials have...

Colorado secede? Counties weigh exit plan to form state of 'North Colorado' Colorado secede? It sounds implausible, but the idea of counties withdrawing from one state to form a new one isn’t impossible. But some big hurdles – like the US Constitution – make it very difficult. It’s an uphill climb that looks Rocky Mountain high, but a collection of independent-thinking counties may mount an effort to secede from the rest of Colorado and form their own new state. The idea is rooted in the political rift that many Coloradans – especially rural ones – feel with a Denver-based state...

As a sign of just how divisive the recently ended Colorado legislative session has been, it may very well result in a literal division of the state. As many as eight counties composing the rural, oil and gas-rich northeast corner of the state are pursuing a plan to cut ties with a capital city they no longer feel represents their interests and come together as the 51st state in the country: North Colorado. “We’re actually going to pursue it,” said Weld County Commissioner Douglas Rademacher, a farmer whose jurisdiction is spearheading the effort. “Frankly, we’ve been ignored in northeastern Colorado...

Radio host Dennis Miller and National Review columnist Mark Steyn considered Thursday the possible outcomes if the United States continues down the path of socialism. If socialism became the prevailing governing philosophy, Miller speculated, escaping it wouldn’t require a move to the Australian outback. Instead he suggested heading for the state of Texas, because it would be the first place to push back against it. “If I ever do flee, don’t think fleeing has to involve you going over to Alice Springs or something,” Miller said. “I’m going to Texas because that’ll be the first place that pushes back. They’re...

Radio host Dennis Miller and National Review columnist Mark Steyn considered Thursday the possible outcomes if the United States continues down the path of socialism. If socialism became the prevailing governing philosophy, Miller speculated, escaping it wouldn’t require a move to the Australian outback. Instead he suggested heading for the state of Texas, because it would be the first place to push back against it. “If I ever do flee, don’t think fleeing has to involve you going over to Alice Springs or something,” Miller said. “I’m going to Texas because that’ll be the first place that pushes back. They’re...

Ordinarily, I’d thank you for writing. But truth is, I am not grateful you wrote; your note last week was one of the more troubling things I have read. I do not blame you for leaving it unsigned. “We stand together,” I had written. “We stand defiant. And we stand with Boston.” You disagreed. “Your wrong pal we do not STAND TOGETHER.OH MY GOD we need a CIVIL WAR.The American people against the LIBERAL DEMACRAT SCUM that we have let allow SCUMBAGS like those that would BLOW UP people in BROAD DAYLIGHT to be here ... WE NEED A CIVIL...

Scotland wants the Bank of England to bail it out if there is another financial meltdown—even if the country breaks away from the UK. Scottish Nationalists are insisting they want to keep the pound as their currency and retain the Bank of England as the “lender of last resort”. But an influential committee of peers has warned it would be “implausible” for the Bank to accept risks over which it had no control. It also attacked one of the main parts of Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond’s economic blueprint as “fanciful”. …

For example, one will virtually never hear that the Palmer Raids, Prohibition, or American eugenics were thoroughly progressive phenomena. These are sins America itself must atone for. Meanwhile, real or alleged “conservative” misdeeds — say McCarthyism — are always the exclusive fault of conservatives and a sign of the policies they would repeat if given power. The only culpable mistake that liberals make is failing to fight “hard enough” for their principles. Liberals are never responsible for historic misdeeds because they feel no compulsion to defend the inherent goodness of America. Conservatives, meanwhile, not only take the blame for events...

This nation is closer to a Civil War than it has been since 1861. Scary thought, isn’t it? Especially to those who have seen war and know from personal experience what it is like. If you are older than 35, would you ever have dreamed that one day, in our lifetimes, our country would be reduced to this? Sometimes it makes me want to cry for America. It makes me want to throw a fit and smash things, rage and scream like a wild man. I want to grab my weapons, march to Washington DC, stand up in front of...

The Lone Star state boasts all-star status when it comes to job creation and economic growth. Writing for City Journal, Wendell Cox brings us a great in-depth look at one of the healthiest state economies in the U.S. Texas job creation is well above the national average, with the number of jobs having grown 31.5 percent since 1995. Even more impressive, many of the new jobs were high-paying, coming from professional and technical fields. Cox explains why: A pro-business climate has unquestionably been a substantial advantage. In its annual ranking of business environments, Chief Executive has named Texas the most...

On Jan. 18, 1863, troops from the 64th North Carolina Infantry under the command of Lt. Col. James Keith lined up 13 men and boys, ranging in age from 13 to 60, made them kneel and shot them at point-blank range. Then the soldiers tossed the bodies into a shallow grave, from where they were later reclaimed by family members for burial. This incident in Madison County, N.C., known to history as the Shelton Laurel massacre, was hardly the worst example of violence visited on civilian populations during the Civil War. On Aug. 21, 1863, scarcely a month after the...

Sean Hannity, a FoxNews prime time anchor for conservative news and views, says that secession is not necessarily a radical concept. Hannity is currently ranked No. 2 in Talker Magazine's Top 100 Talk Host in America. His remarks came yesterday, Jan. 11, 2013, during his evening show. At the end of his program, Hannity has a short opinion segment where he espouses his opinion on the day’s hot topics. He oft times incorporates his personal feelings into that segment, as he did yesterday. (Listen to the audio and video below) Quoting him from the show, he said, ““The states are...

On his Friday radio show, conservative talker and Fox News host Sean Hannity warned that the United States may fall apart if tax rates remain high. “The states are now fighting and battling against their own federal government,” Hannity said. ”Same thing with individuals. If you live in a state like New York, New Jersey, California [or] one of these high-tax states [where] 60-plus cents of every dollar goes to taxes, you’ll say, ‘What the hell am I doing this for?’” “A lot of people have told me that,” Hannity continued. “A lot of people are moving. … I noticed...

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...