In a statement entitled "Our States Remain United," the White House on Monday formally rejected online petitions calling for the
secession of eight states — most notably Texas — following President Barack Obama's re-election.
Despite the fact that Whitehouse.gov received secession petitions from all 50 states, amounting to a total of 625,000 signatures, only eight had reached the 25,000 signatures requiring a response by the White House. All eight states that reached the 25,000 signature threshold were former states of the Confederacy.
Texas led the pack with more than 125,000 signatures, with the remaining seven states with secession petitions rejected by the Obama administration including: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Among the
secession request petitions, the White House also rejected a separate petition calling for the deportation of all U.S. citizens who signed petitions requesting that their state withdraw from the union. This petition had 29,650 petitions.
Jon Carson, director of the Office of Public Engagement, thanked those who participated before rejecting their request:
"In a nation of 300 million people — each with their own set of deeply-held beliefs — democracy can be noisy and controversial. And that's a good thing. Free and open debate is what makes this country work, and many people around the world risk their lives every day for the liberties we often take for granted. . . . But as much as we value a healthy debate, we don't let that debate tear us apart. So let's be clear: No one disputes that our country faces big challenges, and the recent election followed a vigorous debate about how they should be addressed. As President Obama said the night he won re-election, 'We may have battled fiercely, but it's only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future.'"
Carson's statement concluded by offering a link to a webpage that highlighted "the president's ideas" for strengthening the economy, protecting the country, reducing the deficit in a "responsible way," while encouraging participants to continue to share their ideas on how the nation can move forward together.
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