While writing the previous article we came across the petitions from El Paso and Austin requesting secession from Texas. This brings up an interesting question. If States, such as Texas, believe secession from the Union is acceptable, is secession of an entity (city) within the State is acceptable?
Texas is an amalgamation of peoples, just like the rest of the United States. The peoples of cities like Austin and El Paso may not agree with the people in cities like Dallas and Houston. Should they then be allowed to be separate?
Then smaller towns and counties may wish to be separate entities since they don’t agree with their neighboring counties.
Could the people wanting secession get their wish and not get what they actually wanted?
There is nothing in the official annexation papers, or in any other documents for that matter, that provides or agrees to a path to secession. But and it is a big But. In the 1845 Annexation Agreement is a provision stating that “new States, of convenient size, not exceeding four in number, in addition to said State of Texas, and having sufficient population, may hereafter, by the consent of said State, be formed out of the territory thereof, which shall be entitled to admission under the provisions of the federal constitution.”
Over the years the idea of separating into five states has been brought up, most recently by Tom Delay in 2009. Each time it has been thought of as to gain a political advantage, eight more senators from one or the other party.
But in these contentious times would this benefit one party over the other as much as in the past? In the past election the Republicans garnered 57% of the vote. So if we get four new states, would two be republican dominated states while two democrat dominated states and one up for grabs? Or would the powers that be gerrymander the states beyond recognition, much like current congressional district lines which would make it hard for kids to draw maps like they can now. Would there be an actual election to decide what area of the current Texas each new State would take? Would the Tea Baggers take a chance on the electorate giving three or possibly more States to the Enemy? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I’m hoping it pasess, but it’s looking like an uphill road since there are so many other bills that have our rep’s attention right now. Good thing is that Perry is on record as supporting OC, and any other freedom minded gun bill that come his way. Too bad we can’t easily go through the courts to get open carry if it doesn’t pass.