A Rebel Yell

By
Adam Carrington
 – April 16, 2009

Gov. Rick Perry told reporters that Texas might consider seceding from the Union if Washington’s tax and spend policies continue. Such an idea is, quite simply, silly. Further, I would say it is impossible. In the U.S. a state only exists as long as it...

Gov. Rick Perry told reporters that Texas might consider seceding from the Union if Washington’s tax and spend policies continue. Such an idea is, quite simply, silly. Further, I would say it is impossible. In the U.S. a state only exists as long as it is part of the Union. There is no such thing as a state leaving the very entity that undergirds its existence (contra the South’s argument in the Civil War). There is no succession; there is only revolution. Conservatives touting “states’ rights” need to check their history. Such a term originally stemmed from a philosophy that sought to fight the tyranny of the Federal government while denying equality to Southern slaves. A revolution, a return to the people as individuals, recognizes equality. Succession replaces the equality of persons with the equality of states, originally so slavery could be maintained. I know conservatives do not mean these ideas; yet they use the same language. Leave aside such talk. There are better terms to fight an increasingly intrusive government.

About the Author

Adam Carrington After a year at Westminster Theological Seminary, Adam began a PhD program in Political Science at Baylor University in Waco, TX in the Fall of 2009. He received his BA from Ashland University in Ashland, OH, where he studied Political Science, Religion, and English Literature. During his undergrad, he worked on several political campaigns as well as interning with The Claremont Review of Books. He continues to be fascinated by politics, literature, and media’s interaction with theology and the Church. In the spare time he does scratch out, he likes to play guitar, read, and spend late nights debating any and every topic at all-night diners. Adam is married to Emily Carrington.