Secession is the Answer

Sent by Travis Hannon
Harwood Union High School;
Mad River Valley, Vermont

In 1776 a document was written and signed. This document was a symbol of freedom and liberty, at least for the rich white, land owners. The document was called the United States Declaration of Independence. A year later, in 1777, a Constitution was created. I'm not talking about the United States Constitution, but the Vermont Constitution. It was formed with forward thinking liberal ideas, the same liberal ideas that we need to have today. However, the United States government has lost sight of those ideas, and there is not much hope for them changing.

Our option? Secession. We must secede from the imperialistic US government and form the Second Vermont Republic, to keep the values of the original Vermont Republic alive.

The Constitution of Vermont had many similarities to the US Constitution, but with a few more liberal ideas. The creators believed that if you are unhappy with your government, you, the people, have the right to change it. It says that all men are equal, no matter your race. You have the right to your own religion. It says that the people have the exclusive right to regulate police. They believed the government is there for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, and should be held accountable for all it's actions. The creators of the Constitution were believers in individual rights - the right to a fair trial, the right to vote regardless of race or property ownership, the right to enjoy life, the right to bear arms, the right to freedom of speech, and many others. It was believed that there should be no standing army in times of peace, however all men should be trained for defense of the Republic. They believed the doors of the General Assembly shall always be open to the citizens, and all laws must be made known before being passed. The Constitution says that all elected officials must maintain a good moral character in order to hold any civil office. Bribing is not tolerated, and not only would the briber be penalized, but the person who takes the bribe would not be able to vote the following year. It stated many ideas on the rights men had for his land. For example, the government would need a warrant based on legitimate accusations, to enter a man's home or seize his property. They also needed the land owners' permission to use his land. These ideas led to a very successful, stable State, until 1791, when Vermont joined the Union.

Today, the US government has lost site of the true meaning of its existence. The Second Vermont Republic is a growing group of citizens that feel Vermont no longer belongs a part of the United States. They have noticed and have decided that the need of secession is is great. While the Second Vermont Republic's ideas are a little more adapted to the modern times than its predecessor, the First Vermont Republic, the concepts are the same.

The politics of the Second Vermont Republic are based on those of Switzerland. Switzerland has a framework of a federal parliamentary democratic republic. The Federal Council is the head of the government and of a multi-party system. The government has executive powers. Legislative powers are given to two chambers of the Federal Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches. Changes in the constitution require a referendum. Using referendums citizens have the power to challenge any law or introduced amendments. This makes the politics of Switzerland the closest to direct democracy in the world, which is not seen at the national level anywhere else on earth.

Any citizen is able to challenge a law proposed or passed by the parliament. That person has 100 days to gather 50,000 signatures, in order to have a national vote for that law, whereas the majority will decide whether to keep or discard the law. If a citizen wishes to make an amendment to the constitution, they need to get 100,000 signatures within 18 months. After that, the federal council may create a counterproposal that usually compromises between the status quo and the new amendment. After that it is taken to a national vote, for the amendment and the counterproposal. If both are accepted, it must be also be accepted by a double majority of both a popular vote and a majority of the states.

The executive branch is led by a Federal Council, which is made up of seven-members. The Federal Council is elected by the Federal Assembly for a four-year term. The President and Vice-President are elected by the Federal Assembly from members of the Federal Council, for one year terms. The balance of powers in Switzerland, make it one of the most stable governments in the world.

The legislative branch is made up of the Federal Assembly. The Federal Assembly is made up of the Council of States and the National Council. The Council of States has 46 seats, whose members serve four-year terms. The National Council members also serve four-year terms and are elected by popular vote. Most hearings of the Federal Assembly are open to all citizens, including foreigners.

Switzerland has been named one of the least corrupt nations in the world by Index of Perception of Corruption.

Switzerland has always avoided alliances that might cause economic, political or military conflicts. Switzerland maintains diplomatic relations with almost all countries, and has always been known as a neutral state.

Being the most stable and least corrupt and neutral nation, Switzerland is the perfect model for the Second Vermont Republic to follow. It will guarantee peace, equality, and preservation of the Republic.

You might say that Vermont is too small to be its own nation. There are twenty nations with populations smaller than Vermont's, with representatives at the UN, and all have voting powers in the General Assembly equal to that of America. Many small nations have also been asked to be in the Security Council.

Economic stability and international trading is another issue many have with small nations. A highly respected professor from the University of Chicago, Gary S. Becker, writes that, “Bigger isn't necessarily better....Smaller countries tend to be more nimble traders in international markets, offsetting their lack of economies of scale.” Vermont's products have always had a special mystique. Many commodities are created here that are recognized world wide. For example, ice cream, coffee, maple syrup, teddy bears, cheese, and many others. We would easily be economically stable.

Another question is, would we be able to feed ourselves? Vermont's Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets has figured out that if Vermonters made just 10% of their food purchases, local, it would add 100 million dollars a year to our economy. In 1990 a study was done in the Netherlands, to figure out how much land would you need to feed an entire family for a year. For a household that ate meat, eggs, dairy, grains, and vegetables, only .86 acres are necessary. Vegetarian households would need even less land. Today, to feed the entire state with local food, we would need about 1.25 million acres of farm land, which is about 20% of Vermont's 6.12 million acres. So we would be able to feed ourselves completely with local food, we would just need to adjust what we grow and our eating habits. I am not saying that we should not import any foods. I am just showing you that it is possible to be a totally self sufficient nation, as far as food goes.

It is true that Vermont benefits from federal aid, for such things as highways and the military. Ever year, Vermonters pay 1.3 billion dollars in federal taxes that go towards the Nations defense budget. After the secession we will need an extremely small amount of armed forces, which means we would have 1.3 billion dollars that can benefit the Republic annually.

Do not think that I hate America and all that it stands for. I don't. When the United States was formed in 1776, it was the start of a new type of nation. A nation with strong personal liberties and the welcomes diversity. As we grew, we become the melting pot, idolized by the rest of the world, as the greatest democracy on earth. However, that greatness lead to corruption and power hungry politicians. The rights of individuals are shrinking every day. Federal powers are growing stronger while State powers are becoming weaker.

Citizens of Vermont! Now is the time to stand up against the U.S. Empire, secede and become our own nation! As I have shown you, it is very possible for us to be economically and politically stable. We are burning in the melting pot, so let us remove ourselves from the flame.