North American Secession Convention held...

[fastpat]

Yep, the first North American Secession Convention was held in December, 2006 in Burlington, Vermont. It's covered fairly well in Counterpunch.

COUNTERPUNCH Covers the North American Secession Convention
Submitted by Rob Williams on Fri, 12/22/2006 - 11:01pm.

December 20, 2006

North American Secessionists Confront the Empire
Divided We Stand, United We Fall

By DAVE JANSSON

On December 13, a French-language television
station in Belgium reported that the
Flemish-speaking region of Flanders had declared
its independence, spelling the end of Belgium as
a nation-state. With pictures of the King and
Queen fleeing the country and of trucks blocked
at the new border, the report appeared authentic
enough for the newspaper Le Soir to announce the
next day that "Belgium Died Last Night." As it
turns out, the report on the secession of
Flanders was a hoax, and the uproar over the
spoof revealed the sensitivity of Belgians to the
possibility of the breakup of this fragile union
of 10 million people.

It seems safe to say that citizens of the United
States are not similarly fearful that their union
of 230 years will soon disintegrate. However, a
group of about three dozen activists that met in
early November in Burlington, Vermont, hopes to
change that. A few days before the elections that
would return the Democrats to control in the
Congress, this group was neither assessing the
state of various campaigns nor prognosticating
the close races. On the shores of Lake Champlain,
the participants in the first North American
Secessionist Convention were hoping to start a
national movement that would eventually make such
elections irrelevant.

If you thought the cause of secession in the U.S.
died with the surrender of Lee to Grant at
Appomattox, you might be surprised to know that
there are at least two dozen secessionist and
separatist groups in the U.S. In that sense the
meeting was more an attempt at cooperation than
creation. Organized by the Middlebury Institute,
a sort of secessionist "think tank" headed by the
writer Kirkpatrick Sale, the convention assembled
representatives from nine separate secessionist
organizations, as well members of several groups
who do not have secession as an explicit goal but
who considered themselves fellow travelers. A
handful of academic observers and journalists
(including a reporter from the New York Times who
is doing a series on offbeat Americans) rounded
out the audience.

Things are moving along rather nicely, I'd say.

[fastpat]

One of the delegates to the NA Secessionist Convention was from Hawaii, here's their web site.
http://www.hawaii-nation.org/

Pretty interesting.

[Rearden]

Very important events, indeed. I'm sure it's not just a bunch of moonbats blowing smoke up each others' a$$es -- I bet some really solid secessions are just around the corner.

[Joeaksa]

Bet our own Slopat was the keynote speaker.

Wonder why the nightly news organizations did not carry this bit of news?

[Jeff Higgins]

With over three dozen in attendance, it looks like it's off to a thunderous start.

With over two dozen seperate secessionist and seperatist groups in the U.S. (I wonder how many share a significant number of their members), it seems they would be well served to unite. They can't do that of course, because most would just secede from such a union anyway. Quite a quandry, organizing a group such as this...

[fastpat]

In my opinion, the secession movement's time is just beginning, and has admirable goals. In combination with each other, they will pave the way to reducing, and perhaps even eliminating the hegemony of Washinton, DC over us all. I certainly look forward to that day, or at least will happily contribute to the process no matter how long it takes.

Secession

That one word evokes many emotions and concepts. To many in the United States it equates to treason and rebellion. This sad fact is a result of ignorance. If a man has the right to vote but is always told that voting is pointless, or worse illegal, and he believes such to be the truth it cannot be said that he truly has such a right.

It has not always been so. The United States was born during a time that secession and self determination were not only observed as inalienable rights but were practiced. Virginia set the example in June of 1776 by declaring her independence from Great Britain. She along with the twelve other colonies jointly declared their independence the following month. These were acts of secession and our Independence Day might rightly be called Secession Day.

The charter of the American Secession Project is simple. We desire to place the concept of secession in the mainstream of political thought. Our intent is to proclaim that secession is a viable and legal right and a practical solution to contemporary problems. Secondly, we desire to build a coalition of groups seeking autonomy and independence within the current United States. Mutual support for the concept of self-determination and secession will eventually benefit all groups seeking freedom.

Secessionist come in all ethnic and cultural backgrounds colors and religious persuasions. Secession is neither liberal nor conservative, it is a right that might be equally applied regardless of a group's persuasion. The folks that support a free California and an Independent Alaska certainly disagree on numerous issues, specifically environmental issues. However the concept of supporting another in their bid to manage their own affairs is certainly a historic American (if not 20th century American) point of view.

As such the project has and will attempt to represent each separatist, independence and secessionist group fairly and objectively. Our purpose is to establish that self-determination is a basic right and support all groups seeking self-determination and independence.

We invite input from any and all groups seeking self-determination and autonomy. The sections of this site dedicated to particular movements are open to input from group leaders and members. We want to show what you are really about. Please email us with information and inaccuracies.

We congratulate the Middlebury Institute and the successful hosting of the 2006 North American Secessionist Convention. When the American Secession Project began in 2004 this is exactly the sort of gathering we had in mind. Kudos to the Vermont folks for making this a reality. Read the Burlington Declaration.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
With over three dozen in attendance, it looks like it's off to a thunderous start.

Heard that 9 of the people in attendance were FBI, CIA and Mad Magazine...

[lendaddy]

I hear it was dwarfed by the NAMBLA convention but that many dual-attended.

[Eric 951]

Originally posted by fastpat

Things are moving along rather nicely, I'd say.

Yeah--in another 100 or so years, I hear they may even publish a newsletter!

can't wait!

[fastpat]

In more coverage, the Boston Globe article:

In Vermont, a revolution to secede has devotees

By David Gram, Associated Press | October 30, 2005

MONTPELIER -- A car parked outside the State House bore a bumper sticker saying, ''Regime change begins at home."

Inside, about 100 Vermonters gathered in the House chamber for the Vermont Independence Convention -- devoted to Vermont creating a regime of its own.

If participants have their way, the state whose former governor was laughed out of the 2004 presidential race after the infamous Iowa scream is going to take what some call its wackiness and others call its sanity in a crazy world and go home.

Go home to the 14 years in the late 18th century when Vermont was neither a British colony nor one of the original 13 states but was an independent republic.

Texas gets more notice as a Lone Star State, but Vermont shares with it the distinction of having gone it alone for a while. Friday's event was steeped in that history, and an urge to try it again.

Ethan Allen, who led the Green Mountain Boys to take Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775, was among those in attendance, in the person of actor Jim Hogue. Ticonderoga fell without a shot fired, and it was agreed Friday that the new revolution would have to be nonviolent as well.

''Let history record that we, still carrying on without firing a shot, brought to their knees all those who, in the name of security made enemies, in the name of patriotism wrought treason and tyranny, in the name of peace made war, and in the name of liberty would turn us into slaves," Hogue's Allen said.
Read the full article

Of course, this wouldn't be complete without a reference to the Canadian Secession question. When the Quebec secession is complete, the idea will take hold more firmly in America.

[Eric 951]

A car parked outside the State House bore a bumper sticker saying, ''Regime change begins at home."


Damn...I didn't realize there were bumper stickers! Wow--things really ARE moving along.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by Eric 951
A car parked outside the State House bore a bumper sticker saying, ''Regime change begins at home."


Damn...I didn't realize there were bumper stickers! Wow--things really ARE moving along.

Does this mean that with this group that the WOMEN are in charge? Boy, wonder if Slopat knows about this? Is this why he is always the one making dinner?

[Rearden]

Originally posted by fastpat
In more coverage, the Boston Globe article:

Pssssst. Hey Pat. The article is making fun of it.

[lendaddy]

My cats' breath smells like catfood.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I think Pat should go live with the Pirate Bay guys on Sealand.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/12/pirate_bay_buys_island/

[fastpat]

More coverage of the Secession Convention, the first of many.

October 5, 2006
The First North American Secessionist Convention
Breaking Away

By KIRKPATRICK SALE

The Middlebury Institute, in keeping with its mission of "the study of separatism, secession, and self-determination," is holding the First North American Secessionist Convention this fall in Burlington with a dual purpose: to assess the secessionist movement on the continent at this time and to bring together those with an interest in the movement for a discussion of strategies and policies to make it stronger.

There is a great deal of talk about secession in various quarters, picking up as the American empire continues with its illegal, ineffective, intrusive, and immoral actions here and abroad, and more and more people are thinking that, extreme as it may at first seem, it really is the most sensible of the various options for serious political action. As did the participants at the 2004 Middlebury conference that issued the Middlebury Declaration, they are finding do-nothingism intolerable, party politics a reformist dead-end, and rebellion and revolution useless and self-defeating. So if you want to lead a better life, with some democratic control over your affairs, without participating in the corrupt and dangerous system provided by this increasingly imperialistic failed state called the United States, secession seems to provide an answer.

As of this writing, over 30 people have signed up-most of them genuine representatives of state separatist movements, plus a few expert observers. They represent movements in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska, the three oldest movements, the League of the South, Southern National Congress Committee, Southern Caucus, Christian Exodus, New State Movement, State of Jefferson, and groups in Texas, California, Michigan, South Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Washington City, Maine, and of course Vermont. It seems clear evidence, as Vermont's Thomas Naylor says, that "not since the end of the Civil War has there been this much interest in political independence by the states." (I'll have to remind him that it was not a civil war but a war of secession, quite a different thing.)
http://www.counterpunch.org/sale10052006.html

[Eric 951]

Originally posted by fastpat
More coverage of the Secession Convention, the first of many.

I hope you post them all here is Pelican OT!

[lendaddy]

I can feel the momentum.

[fastpat]

The Italian secessionist movement, Lega Nord and other secession movements worldwide are gaining momentum. The breakup of Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, the Baltic states, some of the Carribean Island republics have separated, and for good reason. The people within them want self government.

Some of those in America.
New England Confederation Alliance
Cascadia
Puerto Rican Independence Party

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Don't forget those pesky Basque guys. It's worked well for them so far!