6.15.07 Northern Secession
When Vermont was in DC’s land, let my Holsteins go!
Vermont was an independent republic longer than any other U.S. state, from 1777 to 1791. It came rather unwillingly into the American empire and has never given up its renegade streak. In the war of 1812, Vermont refused to send soldiers. Long before the Civil War, Vermont’s stand against slavery was so strong that the Georgia legislature passed a resolution that a ditch should be dug around Vermont and the state floated out to sea. You can look it up. Vermont has repeatedly rejected Washington’s help during natural disasters. In 1985, Vermont took the national government to the Supreme Court to try to prevent it from instituting a national 21-year-old drinking age. It lost.
Now the state has had enough. In 2005, a statewide convention was held to discuss whether Vermont should secede from the Union. Later that year, a poll indicated that almost 10% of voters favored such a measure. Last fall, the First North American Secessionist Convention was held in Burlington to lay out the case against the American Empire: Washington has gotten too bloated and militaristic, the 10th Amendment protecting states rights has been violated, and global economics are taking over the people’s ability to lead a sustainable life. Vermont is not alone. Alaska, California, Hawaii, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Texas all have secessionist movements of some sort. But only Vermont has already adopted a new name for itself: The Second Vermont Republic. Cool.
That got us thinking about the vast marketing potential of Vermont as an independent nation. We like the idea of our next trip to Stratton being repositioned as “a weekend abroad.” We can send our kids to UVM to immerse them in a foreign culture. The state capital Montpelier should be given a new and exotic name, like, say, Montpelier. How about “The Mountains of Greenness, home of the Hump of the Camel”? Best of all, a nasty plate of mac and cheese becomes “rigatoni with fine imported cheddar.” Yum.
quickSilver hereby supports the cause of Vermont independence. We refuse, however, to pay any tariffs on Chunky Monkey.