South Carolina Trails in Secession Protest

By Paul Gable

Seven states have already garnered the required 25,000 signatures on their secession protest petitions and South Carolina is not numbered among them.

Texas is in the lead with over 100,000 signatures with Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee reported to have over 30,000 signatures each.

Once a petition reaches 25,000 signatures, the White House will make a statement on the issue at some time.

It is distressing that South Carolina trails so miserably in this effort. Where is the fervor the state demonstrated in December 1860? Where are James Chestnut, James Hammond and William Gist when you need them?

While the petitions are largely symbolic with no real meaning, it is sad to see South Carolina so far behind the front in this effort especially considering the state’s hallowed tradition on the issue.

There are some casual observations on the petitions receiving the required signatures so far. It might not be a bad idea for the White House to allow Texas and Florida to leave. With the federal government relieved from the many tax breaks given to the oil industry in Texas and released from paying social security benefits and medicare expenses for the millions of retirees in Florida, we might instantly have a balanced budget.

There is one glitch in that plan, a counter petition has been filed by the Texas state capital calling for Austin to secede from Texas and remain in the U.S. Maybe the politicians in Texas know something we don’t.

Texas governor Rick Perry said yesterday that Texas won’t be seceding from the Union. However, South Carolina governor Nikki Haley may push it as secession will be her only possibility of becoming a president.

One must wonder, with all the real problems the nation faces, why expend energy on symbolic protests?

Speaking of expending energy on useless pursuits, the popularity of the “reality” shows Real Housewives brings to mind a potential new blockbuster. How soon will we see announcement of a new show called “Real Mistresses of the Generals”?

Judging from recent headlines, we might see more reality in that one than in the others. There could even be historical segments.

One could relate the tale of the woman, reported to have been a Confederate spy, who held liaisons with six different Union generals during the Civil War. We think that’s the record.

Another could deal with Patton’s many reported dalliances with movie stars, etc. Maybe that wouldn’t qualify because most of those incidents took place in the 1930’s before he was a general.

And we would have to have at least one episode on the Eisenhower/Summersby relationship that allowed Ike to be momentarily diverted from the tensions of commanding the Allied war effort in Europe.

Such a show would certainly offer real life drama, as opposed to the scripted kind in Real Housewives, and maybe the Pentagon could use it as a recruiting tool.

Then again, maybe none of the above is a good idea. Who cares how current events relate to history anyway?