United States Secession Petitions
Added 11 years ago by Don • Updated about a year ago by Brad
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| Overview • Background • Notable Developments • Online Reaction • Search Interest • External References • |
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Tags: politics election petition entry of november 2012 protests of 2012 america
Overview
United States Secession Petitions refers to a series of requests filed on the United States government’s “We the People” website for several states to secede from the Union following the reelection of United States president Barack Obama in November of 2012.
Background
On November 7th, 2012, following Barack Obama's victory in the United States presidential election, a petition was filed on the White House's “We the People”[1] website asking for the Obama administration to “peacefully grant the State of Louisiana to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government” (shown below). Within seven days, the petition received over 33,000 signatures. According to the site’s “Terms of Participation” page,[19] the White House will issue a response to the petition if it reaches 25,000 signatures within 30 days.
Notable Developments
Additional Petitions
On November 9th, a second petition[2] was created calling for the White House to grant the state of Texas secession from the United States, which received over 100,000 signatures within five days. The same day, a petitition[10] was created to grant a pizza party to the rest of the United States of America if the State of Missouri successfully seceded from the union. Also on November 12th, a counter-petition[6] was submitted to “deport everyone that signed a petition to withdraw their state from the United States of America,” receiving over 17,000 signatures within 48 hours. A similar petition[17] for the city of Austin Texas to withdraw from the state of Texas was submitted the same day. By November 14th, petitions to secede had been filed on the White House website for each of the United States 50 states.
Media Coverage
On November 10th, the political blog Red Alert Politics[8] published an article reporting that 15 states had issued White House petitions asking for permission to secede. On November 12th, Gawker[3]published an article by staff writer Neetzan Zimmerman, which noted that unilateral secession had been previously ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. The same day, Yahoo News[9] reported that 20 states had filed secession petitions. On November 13th, The Daily Show mocked the petitions with a clip from the 1971 musical film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in which the character Willy Wonka apathetically pleads "stop, don't, comeback" (shown below).
On November 14th, the news site WND[11] published an article reporting that there were a total of 40 state petitions to secede and The Daily Caller[12] noted that over 675,000 site members of We The People had signed petitions. The same day, the U.S. politics blog America Blog[15] published a post titled “Let the South Secede,” noting the disproportionate amount of federal money received by Southern states that traditionally vote Republican (see also: Jesusland).
Governor Reactions
On November 13th, The Dallas Morning News[13] published an article reporting that Texas Governor Rick Perry did not support the secession petition and that he "believes in the greatness of our Union and nothing should be done to change it." The same day, the governors of Tennessee and Alabama both rejected the secession petitions. On the following day, The Times-Picayune[14] quoted Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal saying the state's petition to secede was "silly."
Online Reaction
On Reddit
On November 13th, Redditor magicclubpresident submitted a post titled "A Helpful Chart to Put the Texas Secession Petition in Perspective" to the /r/texas[5] subreddit, which featured a a pie chart showing the amount of Texans who signed the petition compared to those who didn't (shown below, left). The same day, Redditor haydennt submitted a post titled "ELI5: what will happen if Tennessee or Texas secede" to the /r/explainitlikeimfive[18] subreddit, which received over 1,000 up votes and 820 comments within 24 hours. Also on November 13th, Redditor skinnymojo submitted a post to the /r/PoliticalHumor[7] subreddit, featuring a photoshopped image of "Faux Nooz" reporting that Glenn Beck was elected president of a new country made up of the seceded states (shown below, right).
Search Interest
Search queries for the keywords "secession united states" saw a significant increase following the United States presidential election in November of 2012.
External References
[1] Whitehouse.gov – Peacefully grant the State of Louisiana to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government
[2] Whitehouse.gov – Peacefully grant the State of Texas to withdraw from the United States of America
[3] Gawker – We the People Petitions Filed in Nineteen States Seeking Permission to Secede from the Union
[4] Politico – Rick Perry Says no to Texas Secession
[5] Reddit – A Helpful Chart to Put the Texas Secession
[6] Whitehouse.gov – Deport Everyone that Signed a petition to withdraw their state from the united states of america
[7] Reddit – 20 states secede
[8] Red Alert Politics – Americans in 15 states issue White House petitions asking permission to secede
[9] Yahoo News – Secession petitions filed in 20 states
[10] Whitehouse.gov – Justice for Missouri Secession
[11] WND – Secession Madness! Now 40 States Join Petition Fray
[12] The Daily Caller – White House secede petitions reach 675,000 signatures
[13] The Dallas Morning News – Rick Perrys Office Says He Believes in the Greatness of our Union
[14] Nola – Governor Bobby Jindal calld Louisiana Secession Petition Silly
[15] America Blog – Let the South Secede
[16] Al.com – Gov Robert Bentley – no secession for Alabama
[17] Whithouse.gov – Peacefully grant the city of Austin Texas to withdraw from the state of Texas
[18] Reddit – EL15 – what will happen if teneesee or texas secede
[19] Whitehouse.gov – Terms of Participation
Entry Editors ( 2 )
Recent Images ( 17 )
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When Wyoming and Texas are in talks of seceding from United States
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Mildly interesting
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Judges on Motorcycles
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![Article Talk Read Edit View history Search WIKIPEDIA Austin Blockade The Free Encyclopedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Z Main page Contents Featured content Current events X Random article Donate to Wikipedia Wikimedia Shop The Austin blockade (24 June 2013-12 May 2014) was one of the first major international crises of the Dumfuckistan War. During the era following the reelection of President Barrack Obama, the "Free State of Texas seceded from the United States. Texas' capital city, Austin, TX, quickly seceded from the now-former State of Texas, choosing to remain with the US. In retaliation, Texan militia forces blocked the Austin's railway, road and waterway access to the United States. Their aim was to force the Austin to capitulate and rejoin the secessionists. In response, the United States organized the Austin airlift to carry supplies to the people in Austin.112 The United States Air Force flew over 200,000 flights in one year, providing up to 4,700 tonnes of daily necessities such as fuel and food to the Austonians3 Help About Wikipedia Community portal R Recent changes Contact Wikipedia By the spring of 2013, the effort was clearly succeeding and, by April, the airlift was delivering more cargo than had AC-130 takes off from Kirtland AFB to deliver previously been transported into the city by rail. The success of the Austin Airlift brought embarrassment to the Texans who had refused to believe it could make a difference. The blockade was lifted in May 2014 and resulted in the creation of two separate Texas states.3 The Federal Republic of Texas("Dumb" Texas) and the State of Texas (Austin) split up the former State.3] In remembrance of the airlift, the airport in the former capital city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017 supplies to Austin ▼ Toolbox Contents [hide] gloo I (launch) J What links here K Related changes User contributions 1 Post-Election division of Texas 1.1 Texas secession on petitions.whitehouse.gov 1.2 The Redneck zone and the US's rights of access to Austin 1.3 The focus on Austin and the elections of 2012 E-mail this user U Upload file Q Special pages Permanent link Page information 2 Political division 2.1 The Bernie Sanders Plan 3 Military Action 3.1 Retaliation and the "5 hour war 3.2 Texas reduced to radioactive glass](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/list/000/438/732/ae3.png)
Fictitious Wikipedia entry on the "Austin Blockade"
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Politics: I haz a headache
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Stop. Don't. Come back.
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Comments ( 88 )
I live in Missouri, and someone mentioned us having a petition to secede, with 9000 signatures on it. I thought is was kind of ironic, because on the Missouri Flag, it says "United We Stand. Divided We Fall"
As a Texan:
I wonder if the people who signed these actually think their state is going to be allowed to secede.
What a bunch of whiners.
"No! The guy I don't like is president now? The entire country should just secede, it's the only solution!"
There was even petition in liberal states like New York…no way I want to secede from the union yet. Only if Rick Santorum becomes the leader.
Do I need to mention the LAST time states tried to secede. It's wasn't too bad. Just something called THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR!! THE WAR THAT RESULTED IN THE DEATHS OF 750,000 AMERICAN SOLDIERS BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH!!!
And I believe it was Abraham Lincoln, correct me if I'm wrong, "A house divided is a house that will fall"
To be fair, regardless of who wins, the losing party is full of people who threaten to move to another country or hide in a bunker for four years. This is stupider and even more immature though, since if they could (which they can't) it would affect the people who live in the state and want to be a US citizen.
I've looked at the Louisiana petition on at least three occasions and couldn't help but face-palm. Not only is the thing a joke, what makes it worse is the fact that a third or more of the signatories aren't even from the state! Nothing but people who got their jimmies rustled; butt hurt because their candidate didn't win and so feel the only course of action is to be childish.
This is…no. Just no.
I was I was disappointed with my state's governor election, but that doesn't mean I want to move to another state. To quote the rolling stones, "you can't always get what you want"
Don? Creating an entry for something OTHER than an advice animal?
Well now I've seen everything.
Well my ex moved to Louisiana a while back… if it becomes it's own country can we just nuke it?
Politics SRLY!?
@Everybody who wants to secede…
This is literally the stupidest thing I have ever seen on the internet
Discussion thread here in case anyone's interested
@Crimson
I dunno, I still don't think this beats the time Pizza was declared as a vegetable. That was an astronomical level of stupidity that makes even secession sound smart
Holy shit balls. I'm surprised how many people are being down-voted for criticizing the notion of seceding from the United States of Fucking America
Well, that's a chapter in my book I'm glad I can close on. Even though I don't live there anymore, the South will never cease to amuse me.
It's kind of scary when you see people who legitimately want to secede from the US, and even scarier when you see their teenage children fucking agree with them.
So much for being the UNITED states of America.
Well, I guess this won't be happening again.
Well, as a Californian, we are screwed.
You know I've been thinking, its sad to see how divided this country has become. Just look at this. To see this many people say that they want to actually tear this country apart, is somewhat worrisome for me.
Please link to real video sites, not nationalistic firewall/ paywall sites like Hulu… The internet is not just the USA, or what is left of it :-)
Why can't the slave states and the free states just get along?
I can't wait to see how this turns out.
Total number of petition signers: 34,118
Total population of United States: 311,591,117
Yeah…good luck with that.
"We'll make our own country. With blackjacks. And hookers. You know what? Forget the country!"
I'm sorry but for once I have to say something that sounds ignorant: This hasn't really influenced the internet very much and I don't think it deserves a confirmation.
I'm sorry, guys. I just can't see the justification (and I usually can). Plus this is mainly about America. Not particularly World Wide Web global, in my humble opinion.
I'm 16 and I'd rather secede from the United States than have a commie president who thinks he's king and supports those fing terrorists…
I say let them.
After all, now instead of "All of America" which is considered stupid, it will just be those countries……with their tiny armies!
Not this shit again. Now (as a Southerner) I'll have to put up with even MORE Confederate flags and rednecks screaming "Southern pride" and all such bullshit.
Even if you seriously want to secede, signing a secession petition on the White House website has to be the stupidest thing you can do. Don't be surprised if your name has been added to government data-storage as someone who is a threat to the U.S. Federal Government.
My Dad just forwarded me one for our state (Georgia). And he's already signed it.
I have not, not because I like Obama (fuck no). But because Presidents preform statistically better during their second term AND there is plenty of time to see if this "secession" actually has momentum or is just "our guy lost, we're sore losers" bullshit.
If a majority of people want to seceed in those states, why not let them. It hardly seems Washington is looking out for for anyone's interest but their own now a days and also you vote has more pull when you're voting with fewer people and not with New York, California, and other highly populated states.
As someone in the comments stated before, if a state were to secede due to signatures in a petition (as if that would really happen) that would be problematic to the people who actually wanted to still be a US citizen. Why the fuck should they have to move if it's you guys that have the problem? Seeing a country so divided is very disgusting and worrying to me
@Brice Miller: You are adorable!
Did any of these people simply consider moving to another country if they are so dissatisfied with the US?
These people have always been around, and now they are hoping that since a very unpopular president just got re-elected, they can capitalize on people's anger and expand their movement. This is no different from the people who threaten to move to Canada after every election. The secessionists generally keep their mouths shut when a Republican gets elected, because they know it's a lot harder to convince people in the southern states that the union is broken when the government isn't leaning to the left.
Anyone who seriously believes that they are standing up for great justice by being such a wuss can simply abandon this altogether and just move out of the country and never come back for all I care. They probably won't, because they don't know dick about any place outside of the United States, but in all honesty anyone who carries any shred of true patriotism wouldn't go running away with their political ignorance in tow just because they have to deal with a condition that they don't like or wish to oppose. They're being "unamerican" enough – they don't need secession for that.
I smell the second American civil war….
@ZKJinkc6
I smell the plot to the next Call of Duty.
>Calls Obama a dictator who will destroy the nation
>Tries to form own country, thus destroying the nation.
"Mr. Show" did a great episode on the theme of secessionists, and what would happen if the U.S. actually allowed people to create their own countries within the continental U.S. The climax is live coverage of the "Independent Nations Games," in which guys dressed in camouflage and gun holsters engage in a gymnastics competition. Pure comedy gold.
See more on Know Your Meme
Cause it's all crap.
inb4 someone says, "Why is this a meme?"
Skip to 8:40 for the point.
I love how everyone's making a big deal about an internet petition.
Not sure how this is a Meme in any way or form. At all. Why is KYM becoming some sort of super vapid news site?
Assuming it wasn't unconstitutional, I wonder the logistics of secession. I assume a state would have to pay for their share of the deficit based on population, how soon would they have to pay it off? What would happen to all military facilities there. Would these states be able to create a new FBI/CIA fast enough to protect them from terrorism? How would they back up their currency since no state has the amount of gold needed (assuming they keep gold and stuff)?
As a state is seceding, people who actually love America would be able to secede back to the USA. And likewise, smaller factions within the state would be able to secede from the state and America, regardless of the size. You could literally secede your house plot from the state and create your own country, like Peter Griffin did, or Molossia.
@endplanets It isn't posted as a meme. It is posted as an Event. More people need to check what it is actually entered as before questioning the existence of it. Yes, it is kind of random being on here, but it is a topic of discussion in many places online and in real life.
It would solve so many problems if we just handed all the states south of the Mason-Dixon line over to Mexico.
If Texas were to secede from the Union, the Cowboys wouldn't be America's Team anymore. It's not like they were America's team anyways.
I'd like to point out that these were on 4chan and I imagine a lot of the signers' names are probably Jimmie Rustle or something along those lines.
Sore losing in a nutshell.
The US is like looking over into a playground some times.
@Baskerville
You are assuming this has anything to do with the elections. Actually it doesn't despite what the headlines has led us to believe
Check the discussion thread and read what actual Texans have to say. It goes deeper than that.
Here's the link again
Oh look, Blue Screen said something intelligent and asked people to research before they speak and he got downvoted. Why am I not surprised…
The internet most of the time:
Insert politics:
Being a Louisianan, WHAT THE FUCK. WAAA ROMNEY LOST WAAA i'M GOING TO SECEDE! CONSERVATIVES ARE GONNA START A SECOND CIVIL WAR!
My face when I heard about this:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b318/calamityx1/1196633252560.jpg
Anyway, this is never going to happen. Even if there was enough support within a State to seceed, it would have to get by Congress.
@Wilford Brimley Cat
You forgot religion, ponies, and every other thing.
@Popcorn Explosions
Please don't tempt them to leave the U.S. None of the other countries want them.
I see some people disagreed with my last post
Has anyone seen this?
Jesus Christ, the density in this entry.
First off, I don't support secession in any form. Stick together, work out our differences.
Secondly, and straight from HuffPo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/secede-from-the-union_n_2126467.html
It's not just Southern states. It's almost 50 states worth of isolated assholes who are fringe lunatics, with crazy ideas about being mind controlled or some New World Order plot in which Barack Obama is the kingpin.
Lastly, don't get your political education from the pushers here at KYM. Whatever your affiliation may be, check it out on your own, make your own educated choices. People with an angle, or axe to grind, do not have your best interests at heart.
So my post straight from the Obama toe-suckers at Huffington Post ruffled the jimmies of bigots who prefer we only talk about people in Southern states who signed petitions? No shock there.
Hamez, sign it…then the signatures…
WILL BE OVER 9000!!!
So apparently my humble state of New Jersey wants to secede…huh…. Shouldn't that be a team decision, guys?
Don't people realize that they CAN'T secede?!
If I remember correctly the President after Lincoln made it so the states can't secede…
Enemies of America the world over and counting on this happening. It'll weaken you. Oh well.
Oh heck, if they want to secede, why not just let them (ignoring any rather serious economic consequences)? There's no point sharing a country with these people; there is no room for reason or compromise, and that's supposed to be the whole point of our union. So if they want to leave and make their own country where they have the rules they want, then fine.
Apparently my last comment was disliked because of
A. People who don't know sports
or
B. Butthurt Cowboys fans
But we can all agree these secession plans are stupid, right?……….. right?
They're trying to SECEDE?
"Ermagherd ihm a conservutiv ihm movin to canada obama sux lol"
Yes, the country with legalized gay marriage and universal healthcare would be the ideal home for a Republican.
It's funny that the right wing stance is generally that nobody needs or deserves help if they aren't doing well yet many of the states that want to secede are poor red states who rely on wealthy blue states for financial aid.
this is going to be trending again if Trump wins
both sides are so childish
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