Vermont Soverignty Declaration

The Second Vermont Republic is a group I feature in my book and recently they've put together this resolution that they will discuss in a convention on Saturday in Burlington I believe. You can find more details about the meeting at their website www.vermontrepublic.com. The annual town meeting in Vermont is next Tuesday and I hope a couple of SVR people put this resolution up for votes like they did with the Iraq War resolution that was featured on ABC's Nightline.

The meat of this resolution is nullification and I believe such a doctrine is a good half-way between submission and secession. I don't think people want to just stop being U.S. citizens but at the same time they want something to put a check on the tyranny of the Feds and I believe nullification is the way to go. Hopefully this resolution will get a good discussion this weekend.

I should also let you know another group I feature in the book, the Free State Project, just past the 7,000 mark in terms of membership five years after they started in 2001. I don't know if they'll ever reach 20,000 but if they start a process that leads libertarians to consider New Hampshire as a place to congregate to life the kind of lifestyle they want that within 30 years a libertarian state is created, then they will have accomplished their goals in the long-term. Good luck to them too. Their website is www.freestateproject.com

---Sean Scallon


THE VERMONT SOVEREIGNTY DECLARATION

Recent actions by the U.S. government including the prosecution of illegal wars, the Patriot Act, the illegal rendition of terrorist suspects, prisoner abuse and torture, citizen surveillance, the suppression of civil liberties, the suspension of habeas corpus, a foreign policy based on full spectrum dominance and imperial overstretch, and a culture of deceit have all given rise to legitimate concern that under circumstances of its own choosing, our government might not rule out (1) the suspension of the U.S. Constitution or Bill of Rights, (2) the declaration of martial law, (3) the militarization of civilian police functions, (4) the suspension of free elections, (5) the usurpation of individual property rights, or (6) the negation of the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

In light of these troubling developments, the State of Vermont hereby reaffirms (1) its right of sovereignty, (2) its right to nullify acts of the central government deemed to be unconstitutional, (3) its right to secede from the Union, and (4) its right to call a statewide Convention of the People to decide whether or not it remains in the Union.

Vive Le Vermont Libre!