If you love the Democratic Party in your state - Vote Republican for President

I live in beautiful Washington State, part of the Pacific Northwest with rich local wines, big beautiful trees, unique music, shipping ports, and big industries such as Nike, Boeing, and Microsoft.  We pride ourselves in our rich diversity and culture.  So much so, that there is a movement underway to form a unique national identity called Cascadia, and secede from the Union.  This desire is driven by a recognition that we can be self-sustained from our own wealth and governance, and by a deepening resentment against the United States Federal Government for over regulation, intrusion of privacy, and loss of freedom.  Both Democrats and Republicans alike are joining the movement for Cascadian Secession.

The idea of secession is not a new idea.  Texas seceded from Mexico in the early 19^th century, followed by inclusion to the USA.  A few years later, the Confederate States of America (CSA) tried to secede in what we now recognize as the American Civil War.  Portions of the U.S. have talked about secession, and threatened it.  There is even a myth running through rumor circles that Texas retains the legal right to secede, and many call on them to use it every election year.  See a full list of secessionary talks and attempts at Wikipedia.

Why do people cry out for freedom through secession?  What drives that primal urge?  Why do we see both Democrats and Republicans going through waves of secessionary talk?  Well, there is a fascinating connection between the desire for secession and our modern political struggle between Democrats and Republicans.  Sadly, people want one thing, and vote for another.

What Americans seem to have forgotten (or the public school system has “conveniently” chosen not to teach them) is that the United States is a Republic (remember: “and to the Republic for which it stands” in the pledge of allegiance?  Or did you grow up in the modern era that has also “conveniently” removed the pledge from our classrooms?)  We are a united republic of smaller nation states (or simply “states” for short).  The original intention for forming our Republic was that each state would maintain the lion share of its sovereignty and control over their own state, with limited Federal control.  The constitution was set up to specifically identify the limits the Federal Government had.  The plan that the framers of the constitution had in mind, was to allow each nation state to retain their own identity and sovereignty, yielding only to the federal government power that was required to hold the republic together, and nothing more. 

Over time, the Federal Government has slowly turned into a juggernaut of power and has step after step usurped the power of the local state.   Some will tell you that it started with the Bull Moose Party at the turn of the 20^th century, others blame the FDR “New Deal.”  Whomever or whenever you chose to lay the blame, the sad reality is that the Federal Government has crept into our lives, and they now control education, roads, trade, health, rivers, and they even own nearly 30% of the land that used to be state owned.  They spy on American Citizens and oppress people through the IRS.  The majority of Americans are more afraid of the U.S. Government than they are of another terrorist attack. 

So what can or should be done about it?  The Cascadia Secession Movement in the Pacific Northwest has taken on a new shape in the last few decades as activists in support of the secession cite environmental protection as their primary motivation.  They want more control over how the land is protected.  Most environmentalists typically vote for the Democratic Party.  Yet it is the Democratic Party that fights for a stronger centralized federal government, and pushes to take away the right of the State to control their own environment.  The secessionists want one thing, but vote for another.

Instead of fighting to gain localized control over your own state through revolution or secession, why not reconsider your own political stance?  The Republican Party is not against environmental regulations (contrary to what the modern media tells you about them).  What they are against, is the Federal Government having the power over that regulation.  The media tries to tell you that if we are against the Federal Government environmental regulations, then we are simply against all environmental regulations.  It's not true.  Likewise,  we are not against government run health care in every case.  We are against the Federal Government having that power.  Some, if not many, Republics support state run health care plans (which is why Republicans supported Mitt Romney as governor over their state with a state run health care system). 

Republicans are for STATES rights.  We want local freedom.  We want our Washington State Governor to have more power over our land and our people than the President of the United States does.  That puts the power back in the hands of the people.  It puts us closer to the people in power so that our voices can be heard.

As a Conservative Republican, I am willing to debate and disagree with my Democratic friends about the true nature of global warming and government run health care.  Whether we agree on those topics or not should be a lower priority to our united effort to be free to govern our own local land and health.   Because even if we both disagree on how Washington should be protected, neither of us have any power nor voice if Washington D.C. has all the power.

Let’s not fight for secession.  Let’s fight for State’s Rights.  Let’s fight for Freedom.  Feel free to vote Democrat for your governor and local representatives.  But let’s unite together and vote Republican for President and national offices so we can regain the freedom we deserve in Washington State.