Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Secession Petition & Alabama Governor Bentley's office response

Via Bill

 

I've got to relate to you what just happened to me when I tried to call the Governors office this afternoon.
 
While watching a local news broadcast, I saw a video of Alabama Governor Bentley saying that he thought anyone who participated in the Secession Petitions were "silly." This struck me as rather shallow, rude, arrogant and out-of-touch with his own constituency as the Alabama petition garnered the required 25,000 signatures rather quickly. One of those signatures was mine. I also thought his immediate distancing of himself from this issue in such a fashion showed that  1. He possesses little or no understanding of the founding of this country or it's principles and 2.  He wanted to make it perfectly clear to those in power that he was not willing to stand up for the citizens of Alabama, even if it was only symbolic in nature. He left no wiggle room...he was in total disagreement with the Declaration of Independence and would not support those who do believe in the undeniable truths found in that document.
 
I didn't sign the petition really believing that anything meaningful would come from it. But I did sign it, and did so for several reasons. 1. I wanted to see if the Obama administration would honor their pledge to respond to any petition that had at least 25,000 signatures. 2. If they responded, I was very interested in HOW they would respond. Would they too ignore the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution? 3. I thought it might serve as a reminder to big government that "We the People" are still rightly in charge of this country despite what politicians of both parties might think. 4. I signed the petition to remind the people of this country that "freedom of self-determination", freedom of secession, is still an inalienable right granted by God and though it may be DENIED by government, it can NEVER be abolished by man.
 
I called Governor Bentley's office to let him know that there were Alabama residents who considered his remark, our being "silly", as offensive as the remark made by President Obama; that remark referring to us as backward for "clinging to our guns and Bibles."
 
A secretary answered the phone and I introduced myself by name and added that I was 65 years old and a lifelong resident of the State of Alabama. I asked the secretary if she would give the Governor a message for me. She agreed. I told her I was offended by the Governor's remark that we who signed the Secession Petition were "silly." Immediately the secretary became combative and began telling me that Bentley believed in the United States of America. I reminded her that if self-determination, secession in this particular instance, was not a God-given inalienable right of all people, the United States of America would not even exist; we would all still be a part of the British Empire. I quoted the Declaration of Independence to her as she tried to talk over my voice. She kept re-iterating that Bentley believed in the United States. When she stopped talking over me, I told her again that this country was founded on the right of self-determination. She launched into another tirade of nationalistic propaganda to which I replied, "Oh, so if we all find ourselves members of the Third Reich, whether we wanted it or not, we have no alternative but to salute Hitler and shout "Sig Heil!"  This set her off again.
  
At this point I told her, "Look, I didn't call here to have you validate my opinions or to engage in debate. I called for you to pass along to Governor Bentley for me, an Alabama citizen, a point of view. I don't care if he agrees with me or not." She would not let go of the nationalistic propaganda or defending Bentley. She told me that we were all a part of the United States and that's the way the Founders wanted it. I reminded her of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution. I also told her that the Founders gave us a democratic republic and wished us good luck in keeping it. I told her that we had failed in keeping it, and that the government they gave us died in 1865. I told her that she apparently had little understanding of American history or of government. At some point during my last remarks, she hung up on me. A state employee, paid by my tax dollars to pass on to Governor Bentley the opinions of the citizens of the State of Alabama, hung up on me.
 
I started to call back but decided it would be useless, counter-productive and might get me arrested for harassment. But I see this is part of the big overall problem. We elect them and pay them with our tax dollars...rather nicely too, I might add. They in turn isolate themselves in their towers of government, free from hearing or dealing with any opinion they do not wish to acknowledge. They are the ruling elite much like in the feudal days...and if we displease them or disagree with them too vehemently, they will throw us and our families from their land to starve. Sig Heil.
 
Greg

No comments:

Post a Comment