The insanity of secession

When I first heard of this less than a week after the election I ignored it. “Internet BS,” was my first thought. But then it began to pop up more and more.

“OK,” I thought to myself, “This is just a repeat from the last election.” But when I saw the story on the front page in the Nov. 27 edition of the Anchorage Daily News, I couldn’t ignore it.

The subject? Secession. Yes, that’s right. There are people putting forth petitions to a White House website asking for just that. At first it was from the usual southern states like Texas and Alabama. Now people from all 50 states have filled petitions to peacefully secede from the union — all because President Barack Obama won re-election.

This is by far the stupidest idea batted about in a long time. It has been tried before, and resulted in a bloody tragedy that cost the lives of more than a half-million Americans. From 1861 to 1865, this nation was split in two. Brother fought brother, father fought son. A nation fought to save its very existence. The cost in lives and property was overwhelming. We barely made it out of the Civil War, the conflict that freed the slaves. Slavery in this nation — founded on Christian principles and which still proudly refers to itself as the “Land of the Free” — should never have been the law of the land.

It was stupid then and it is stupid now. Look back into the history of that time and see, really see, the true cost of that idiocy. Could such a nightmare happen again? Yes, it could, and God help us all if it does.

Now let us look at what would happen to Alaska if such a notion should ever take place here without the threat of civil war. We depend on the federal government a great deal. So, you can kiss our largest employer goodbye, the U.S. Coast Guard goodbye, the bases and all the personal and equipment from all the military branches would shut down and leave the state. All of that equipment would be packed up and relocated.

Oh, our National Guard might retain some of it, but many of those people would leave as well. What would be left would hardly be able to defend us from a prison riot, let alone a fledgling nation state.

Every project that was funded by federal dollars would be left bankrupt or with a debt that could never be repaid. That includes every infrastructure project out there right now. Say goodbye to our paved roadway system, too. Our airports would shut down. Shipping would shut down to a trickle.

And what about the oil?

This state would lose far more than just money and jobs. It would lose people in droves. We have right now a population that can barely fill a city-like Seattle. The loss of such a population would devastate Alaska, rendering it a new third world state and easy prey to those who want what we have.

Those are just a few examples of what might happen if there was a so-called “peaceful secession” from the union. The reality is that no president will sit by and let the nation split itself apart; not without a fight. It happened before. That president was Abraham Lincoln. He kept his oath to defend the union, to keep it from splitting apart permanently. He did just that, but paid a high price, including death delivered at the hands of an assassin. I believe our current president would do the same if it came down to that terrible choice. It seems, frankly, insanity to entertain the idea of secession.

Now what do you think would happen with today’s modern weapons if this sort of Civil War repeated itself in the 21st century? Honestly, does anyone really want that? Does anyone want this nation to be split apart?

I know, there are a few out there who entertain this notion as somehow a good idea. At the risk of angering these folks, I must say that it is by far the dumbest idea floating around Alaska and the nation as a whole.

Our nation has plenty of problems right now. We stand very close to the edge. America has been there before and we come out of it intact.

Secession would destroy America — a land I love, a nation I and many others have fought for, bled for and, yes, died for. I won’t stand by silent in this matter. Alaska is part of America and part of the American dream, part of the freest, most powerful nation on this earth today.

The very notion of secession for any state makes me sick to my stomach. It is not the answer. Rather, it is a recipe for national suicide, insanity of the highest order.

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.