2012 U.S. state secession petitions

In 2012, a number of state petitions to allow state secession were set up using the White House's petitioning system. The petitions, which had no legal standing, were set up after President Barack Obama won the 2012 presidential election. Ultimately, eight petitions crossed the threshold of 25,000 e-signatures necessary to trigger a response from an Obama administration official.

The 2012 re-election of President Barack Obama led to the petitions.

The petitions prompted responses from various state governors and other elected officials, most of whom rejected the notion. In January 2013, a White House staffer officially responded to the various petitions, noting that secession was inconsistent with the United States Constitution.

Petitions and counter-petitions

In 2012, a series of online petitions were launched on the WhiteHouse.gov "We the People" electronic petitioning system, asking for secession for various states; the petition for Texas garnered the most signatures, quickly garnering the 25,000 necessary to trigger a response from an Obama administration official.[1] The petitions were largely in response to President Obama's reelection in the 2012 presidential election.[1]

There were eventually secession petitions set up for all fifty states, with six (Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas) reaching the 25,000 threshold.[2] The Texas secession e-petition ultimately received the most e-signatures, almost 126,000.[3]

Responses

Counter-petitions

The petitions prompted others visitors to launch "counter-petitions, asking that the president stop states from seceding"[4] or to deport secessionists.[5] The petitions were started by individual citizens, not by the states themselves, and have no legal standing.[6]

Governors

The petitions prompted responses from several state governors who rejected the idea. A spokeswoman for Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama said "Governor Bentley believes in one nation under God" and "We can disagree on philosophy, but we should work together to make this country the best it can be."[7] Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee said: "I don't think that's a valid option for Tennessee...I don't think we’ll be seceding.”[8] The press secretary to Governor Rick Perry of Texas released a statement saying Perry "believes in the greatness of our Union and nothing should be done to change it" but "also shares the frustrations many Americans have with our federal government."[9]

Conservatives

Conversely, a spokeswoman for Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas said that Paul "feels the same now" as he did in 2009, when he said "It’s very American to talk about secession -- that’s how we came into being."[10]

A number of conservative media figures devoted time to discussing the petitions, such as Phil Valentine[11] and Sean Hannity.[12]

White House

In January 2013, the "secession petitions filed by residents of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and five other states, as well as one counterpetition seeking the deportation of everyone who signed a secession petition," received an official response from White House Office of Public Engagement director Jon Carson.[3] Carson rejected the secession notion, writing that open debate was positive for democracy but that the Founders had established a "perpetual union" and that the Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. White (1869) that individual states had no right to secede.[3][13]

See also

References
  1. Kevin Cirilli (November 13, 2012). "Secession petition leader: Obama's baked". Politico. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  2. Danielle Ryan, White House receives secession pleas from all 50 states, Los Angeles Times (November 14, 2012).
  3. Manny Fernandez, White House Rejects Petitions to Secede, but Texans Fight On, New York Times (January 15, 2013).
  4. Sarah Parnass, Texas Secession Petition Ignored by White House, ABC News (December 10, 2012).
  5. John Archibald (November 14, 2012). "White House petitioned to deport secessionists -- and legalize pot". Al.com Blog. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  6. John MacCormack (November 14, 2012). "Secession petitions grow, but without legal weight". Associated Press staff.
  7. George Talbot (November 13, 2012). "Gov. Robert Bentley: No secession for Alabama". Al.com. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  8. Heidi Hall (November 13, 2012). "Governor not signing Tennessee's secession petition". The Tennessean. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  9. Kevin Liptak (November 13, 2012). "Rick Perry doesn't support secession petition on White House website". CNN. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  10. Elizabeth Flock (November 13, 2012). "Ron Paul Still Feels 'Secession is Very Much an American Principle'". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  11. Staff. "News You Need To Read 11/12-14/12". Phil Valentine. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  12. Stephanie Condon (November 14, 2012). "Secessionist leader: Texas should separate from Marxist states". CBS News. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  13. David Taffet (January 15, 2013). "White House responds to Texas secession petition". Dallas Voice. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
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