An Open Letter to Those For Secession

The 2000 election was a bitter loss for Democrats. Besides not having control of either chamber of Congress, there was the debacle in the presidential election that caused deep divisions in the electorate (arguably, some of those wounds have yet to heal 12 years later). To be fair, there was plenty of complaining from the political left in the wake of that election. One thing that did not happen however was the threat to secede.

Conversely, conservatives after the past election are taking a different path. After not getting their way in the presidential race, conservatives in many states are petitioning the White house to secede from the Union. On the one hand, this is laughable because this is not how a "serious" movement would go about getting their states to secede (not that there is a legal way to do so of which I am aware). There would have to be something done at the state level for there to even be a chance of succeeding to secede. However when this was attempted in the 1860's, that still did not go well for anyone, least of all those states trying to leave. On the other hand, this movement is petty and pathetic. The democratic system is far from perfect, but it is the best system there is. There was no fraud or anything of that nature that gave us the result that we got. Quite the contrary actually. The GOP tried every trick in the book to rig the election in their favour and still lost. That is no reason to bail on America, but it is reason to have greater faith in the system. Americans had two main choices before them, two visions, two directions in which the country could go, and America chose. Time and time again conservative candidates showed their true colours, and in so doing, they horrified Americans. America decided against having to debate the legality of contraception, casting off 47% of the population, restricting people's rights to live as they see fit, holding the middle-class hostage for tax cuts for the wealthy, limiting people's right to vote, and so on. The demographics of America have ALWAYS been on the move and the past election punctuated that fact. Given what was said and done across the nation in the last year politically, it should be no surprise that election 2012 went the way that it did, and conservatives have themselves to blame for their own disappointment.

So here is what I have to say to the secession crowd: if America is no longer good enough for you then renounce your American citizenship, leave, and go to a country more to your liking, but you will not be taking any states with you. You never really knew how America worked if you want out because a campaign did not go your way. It will be your loss, not America's. This nation will be better off without people with your cut-and-run mentality.