Published: July 25, 2008 08:19 am            

Secession, anyone?

Every few years, you hear some talk about Southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, and possibly even parts of western Oklahoma, breaking away from their respective states and forming a new state, or even an independent republic.

The talk usually goes away after a time, but apparently more people across the nation are having similar thoughts about their particular state. Not necessarily breaking up a state, but leaving the United States by seceding from the union.

A just-released Middlebury Institute/Zogby Poll says one in five Americans (22 percent more accurately) believe states have right to secede.

Granted, 22 percent isn’t all that great in the overall picture. The poll also shows 73 percent disagree with that premise. But 22 percent isn’t something to totally ignore.

The percentage was a little higher in the South (26 percent) and East (24 percent) with backing strongest among younger adults. Around 40 percent in the 18 to 24 age group agreed states and regions have secession rights.

Now, only 18 percent said they would actually support a secessionist movement, and the highest percentage was in the south.

In another question, 44 percent of respondents said they believe the United States system is broken and cannot be fixed by traditional two-party politics and elections.

Interesting numbers.

First, on secession. This was tried in the 1860s and resulted in a bloody Civil War. State’s rights were at least partially behind the rebellion, but the outcome pretty much determined that once a state is in the union, it’s there to stay.

Frankly, in this day and age it’s hard to see how a state and region could go off on its own and succeed anyway. They’re all dependent on the federal government for road money, farm money, education money and more. Romanticize the idea all you want, but it really isn’t practical or workable.

Then why is there at least some support for secession in certain areas (remember, you can’t totally ignore 22 percent)?

People are steamed at the federal government and they’re steamed at a Congress and President who can’t, or won’t, try to work together. There are always going to be philosophical differences between people and parties, but the folks who really care about the country will talk and listen to the other side and compromise for the good of the nation.

Our elected officials have failed miserably to find a national energy policy. They’ve failed to address what looks like a growing crisis in Social Security and Medicare. They’ve failed in other areas. We don’t have any kind of immigration policy, for instance, and do not appear to really be interested in putting one together.

Truth is, no one is really sure what our nation’s foreign policy is now, or where it is going in the future.

Quite obviously, they can’t balance a budget (of course, we seem to be demanding more services out of the federal government, which makes balancing a budget quite difficult).

Our elected officials are pretty good, however, at trying to bail out people and institutions who take and make bad loans. They’re also pretty good at “bringing home the bacon” to their local districts.

These poll numbers reflect a growing sentiment in the nation that our political parties and many of their candidates care more about winning and making the other side look bad than governing.

That’s where the question about the system being broken comes in.

There’s no easy answer for that question. Third-party candidates have tried to break through in the past with little to no success.

A viable third party organization has yet to emerge and nothing appears to be on the horizon.

The way to fix the system, frankly, is to take a look at our candidates and ourselves.

Look for people who want to really govern, not those simply looking for power.

Look for candidates who will talk about things like energy, Social Security and Medicare, education, immigration and more in terms of finding solutions, not spouting off a party line often dictated by the far left or far right of each party.

Look for candidates who actually will work with people across the aisle and not just give lip service to compromise.

Demand that the people we’re voting for do what’s best for the nation, and not what’s best for one state or political party.

And if the people we elect, don’t do that, then toss them out during the next election and try again.

There are people out there who will put this nation’s welfare ahead of their own. We just have to find them and we have to be willing to actually vote for them, even if we don’t agree with them on every issue.



Johnny McMahan is managing editor of the Woodward News.

        

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