Goodbye Texas?

Governor Rick Perry of Texas has recently made some (I consider) outrageous statements about state rights, the 'oppressive' federal government, and, dare I say the word: succession. Is this man actually serious about the idea of Texas succeeding from the Union? I understand there are similar grassroots movements in Alaska.

Funny, how a few months after we elect our first black president, we see extremist, right wing politics coming to the forefront. Underlying Perry's rhetoric, do you hear: "We ain't gonna let this ____________ in Washington tell us what to do."

Being a Civil War history buff, and reenactor, I guess I personally find the word succession shocking. Abraham Lincoln is my American hero because, besides freeing the slaves, he preserved the Union. But I'm willing to debate other possibilities. Have times changed? Would the country be better off split up? Is New England so radically different from Texas that we should be separate countries?

I personally don't think so, and I think Texans' arguments for succession are whiny and nebulous. Just what federal government 'oppression' are they talking about? The millions of dollars in federal aid to Texas supplied every year by federal taxes? I think the translation for 'federal oppression' is short for 'damn, the democratic liberals are back in power after 8 years.'

Should the liberals have spoken out seriously about succession during Bush's reign of terror, we would have been labeled UnAmerican socialist traitors. Yet Gov. Perry's 'don't tread on me' comments are bravely American. I say 'bullshit', but let Gov. Rick Perry speak for himself.