Thread: In Liberal Vermont, a Secession Movement Rises

In Liberal Vermont, a Secession Movement Rises

Unlikely coalition has a voice in state politics

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff
Posted Mar 24, 2013 10:57 AM CDT

(Newser) – It's not only Texans: A small but dedicated band of Vermont activists also want to secede from the Union, Prospect.org reports. Railing at the effects of big business and bureaucracy on daily life, they speak at the state legislature, get bills introduced, and run candidates—though none so far have won. What marks this unlikely group of socialists, professors, lumberjacks, and gun fanatics (among others) is their fierce spirit of independence: "Left or right," says a leader of the movement, "who wants to be associated with such a shabby creature as the United States?" Among their grievances:

• Canadian companies own state hydroelectric plants to produce energy for export
• Timber sent to China so locals can buy it back on credit as "shoddy" furniture
• Vermont drinking water sold for pennies on the dollar and sold back in bottles at double the price of gasoline

Even leading "seceshers" realize the feds will oppose secession, so they're promoting a gradual withdrawal of nullifying federal laws and embracing local economics. Their latest litmus test: Residents' hard work recovering from Hurricane Irene before FEMA showed up. "There was palpable pride in the town and its people and a distinct we-ain’t-waitin'-for-no-gubmint attitude," said one resident. "We could have easily continued for several more weeks and longer." (But Vermont and Texas aren't the only ones who want out.)

In Liberal Vermont, a Secession Movement Rises - Unlikely coalition has a voice in state politics

U.S. Out of Vermont!
　
　
http://prospect.org/article/us-out-vermont

Christopher Ketcham
March 19, 2013
Move over, Texas: In the Green Mountain State, it’s leftists who want to secede.

Not THAT liberal....
Arizona, Vermont top list of gun-friendly states - Washington Times

Arizona, Vermont top list of gun-friendly states


By Cheryl K. Chumley
The Washington Times
Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Guns & Ammo magazine opens its rankings on best and worst states for gun rights in 2013 with a snarky quip that makes a blunt point: Apparently, the Second Amendment doesn’t apply to the District of Columbia, since it’s not a state.
The capital city scored zero for all categories of carrying freedoms.

Guns & Ammo rated five areas for its 2013 report: open-carry and concealed-weapons laws, modern sporting rifle laws, machine-gun and short-barrel-rifle laws, stand-your-ground and similar defense laws, and the general political and cultural atmosphere for gun rights.

The ratings scale went from zero to 10. The states with the greatest Second Amendment freedoms scored 10, with the potential for a perfect score of 50. No state scored 50, the magazine found. But two — Arizona and Vermont — came close, with 49 points. Other top Second Amendment states were, in order, Alaska, Utah, Kentucky, Wyoming, Alabama, Kansas, Missouri and New Hampshire. All touted 47 or more points.

Worst offenders — the District of Columbia and New York, with a score of seven. That’s followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Hawaii, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Rhode Island and Delaware, with points ranging from seven to 34, the magazine finds.