Secession and Freedom

"Should the American colonies govern themselves independently? I believe that they can and they should."
--Benjamin Martin (The Patriot)

Secession is formal withdrawal from a political affiliation. Secession has marked the history of man, as individuals and communities have frequently broken ties with governments in pursuit of their interests.

The United States has been profoundly shaped by secession. The country was born from an act of secession. Subsequently, and quite ironically, we fought a bloody civil war over the validity of secession.

As articulated by Jefferson, secession is a strategy for coping with oppressive government. Moreover, secession is a means for ensuring freedom of association. In a free society, people associate with whom they want--and they can break those affiliations as they see fit.

Wherever in the world that it occurs, secession expresses freedom.