Secession An ‘American Principle,’ Repeats Ron Paul [Video]

Secession remains a “very American principle,” according to Ron Paul. The Republican congressman has repeated his belief in the right to secede as US citizens from more than 40 states continue to sign petitions supporting secession from the United States.

Back in April 2009, Paul argued that “it’s very American to talk about secession” in a YouTube video (embedded below). And, as the secession issue hits headlines again in the wake of President Barack Obama’s re-election, Ron Paul’s spokeswoman Rachel Mills has told US News World Report that the congressman “feels the same now” as he did three years ago. In the YouTube clip, Paul asserts:

“It’s very American to talk about secession. That’s how we came into being. Thirteen colonies seceded from the British and established a new country, so secession is very much an American principle… Just think of the benefits that would have come over the last 230 some years if the principle of secession had existed.”

Petitions to secede from the United States began to appear on the White House website over the weekend. At the time of writing, a petition for the secession of Texas has attracted over 93,000 signatures, well past the threshold at which at which the White House is required to issue a response. The increased coverage has since led to the resurfacing of Paul’s comments.

Petitions for other states, including Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, have also drawn in more than 25,000 supporters. Across the US, more than 500,000 people in 40 states have added their name to the petitions.

The petitions have had one unintended effect so far: a series of counter-petitions requesting that all who signed for secession are deported.

Do you agree with Ron Paul that secession is an American principle?