If at first you don’t secede … rally at the Texas Capitol and try again.
That’s how the Texas Nationalist Movement on Saturday celebrated Texas Independence Day, the AP reports:
“Texas can take better care of itself than Washington,” said Lauren Savage, vice president of the movement. “We are here to raise interest in the Legislature of the possibility of secession to cure the ills of America.”
The gathering was small, but the frustration was spread equally toward Democrats and Republicans, according to the AP. The group wants lawmakers to introduce a bill that would allow Texans to vote on whether they want to secede from the U.S., citing high taxes and federal mandates as major frustrations.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has contemplated secession before, and has suggested that states should be able to secede from Social Security. On The Daily Show in November, however, Perry denied being a secessionist.
The AP reports that demonstrators targeted their ire at Perry, even calling him out for a live debate on the Capitol steps.
“I would love to debate Rick Perry live because we could once and for all show that the guy is a big government fraud who claims to be conservative,” said Eric Kirland, a member of the Constitution Party of Texas.
Radio host Gerry Donaldson at one point placed bricks into bucket to demonstrate the weight of taxes.
“The only way is to secede and wipe the slate clean,” Donaldson said. “We secede, and then we reform this government based on an absolute return back to basic principles.”
