Letter to the Editor: Texas Secession is Careless and Un-American

Over 80,000 people in the state of Texas have suggested an unusual “solution” to our country’s economic struggle. Or should I say, a solution for their state only. A petition, filed with whitehouse.gov by the Texans, asks for the U.S. government to “Peacefully grant the State of Texas to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own new government.”I find this request selfish, careless and un-American. This petition illustrates a common thought process in contemporary America; the search for a solution without much careful thought or the lack of care for others. Trying to secede from the Union, for the reasons the petition cites, clearly shows the lack of respect towards the other 49 states and the lack of thought about the repercussions of secession. Texas is not the only state filing this petition, however, it is the only one with over 80,000 signatures.It is a miracle that I actually agree with Gov. Rick Perry. His spokesperson has stated that, “Gov. Perry believes in the greatness of our Union and nothing should be done to change it.” Our nation is great because we come together as states to solve great issues. California didn’t win World War II and Virginia didn’t win our freedom from Britain. America may be in a serious economic state but this is the time that we should come together as The United States of America. I also agree with Gov. Rick Perry about the value of Texas during our nation’s time of need. The governor’s spokesperson also stated that the governor believes “now more than ever our country needs strong leadership from states like Texas.” All 50 states have qualities that are valuable to the nation’s recovery.The petition is highly political as the originator of the petition claims that the re-election of Barack Obama was just the candles on the cake. This election was about whether America wanted to be a self-serving, individualistic society or a society that cares about the people in the community. Our president stated throughout the campaign that he would protect social spending, including healthcare. Romney, pending his level of conservative values for the day, stated that he would cut funding for social programs. Also, the candidates differed on funding for the EPA, a clear community based agency since pollution effects all members of society. Therefore, by citing the re-election of the president, this petition carries on that lack of social responsibility.America is a team. A team cares about everyone on the team, even those riding the pine. Those people wanting secession are the Terrell Owens’ of our nation. They are selfish and they want traded when times are hard. They don’t care about the welfare of others or the rest of the nation. They are willing to cut the ties of history, community and the passion for a more perfect Union just so they can experiment with their own statehood. They tried that once. It ended with them being annexed.I would finally like to ask those people who are entertaining the idea of secession to think of Veterans Day. It’s a day dedicated to those who have served this country. Secession is a slap in their face. It says that the sacrifice that they have made wasn’t good enough or pointless.The idea for any state to secede from the Union is absolutely disgusting. It says, screw the Union, screw the veterans, ‘I’m taking my ball and going home.’ America is the greatest team ever to exist on planet Earth. We have a long way to go on the road to recovery but it can be done. We have put a man on the moon. We can do anything!Joel Newby is a graduate student studying political science.