People Who Want To Secede From United States Hold Convention

Chattanooga is hosting a national convention of people who want their states to secede - that's right, become independent republics.

If this sounds like what happened 150 years ago leading up the the Civil War, it is, kind of, but without the violence.

It's the second annual North American Secessionist Convention and it includes people from all walks of life from many states.

From Alaska to Alabama, from Vermont to the West Coast, organizations have sprung up with people who say they are fed up with corrupt politicians and politics.

They hold differing political views, from the far left to the far right. But one thing they agree on is that they say Washington has too much control.

Dr. Micheal Hill of the League of the South said "from a political standpoint we all agree that the whole political system has been compromised by big money. The candidates are bought and paid for and they work in the interest of those who pay them. They don't work for the interest of the common people."

"Congress, like the presidency, is corporate run and owned. You can't make any headway there so you have to absent yourself from it," according to Kirkpatrick Sale who leads The Middlebury Institute.

That organization is the co-sponsor of the convention.

Among the ideas those present at the convention agree on, is that there should be no foreign wars like the one being waged in Iraq. They say the only time the military should be activated is to protect the homeland in the event it's attacked.

"We should stop trying to be dragon slayers all over the world," Hill said.

They also agree the idea of "globalization" is wrong and that economic policies should promote job creation at home instead of sending work overseas.

They also favor smaller family-owned farms and businesses and are against large corporations dominating industries like agriculture.

"Secession is and always has been a process, or a means to an end. That means liberating yourself from an unpleasant situation," Hill said.

He said the first example of seccession in this country was back in 1776 when the young republic cut it's ties with Britain.

If you would like more information about the secession groups that hosted the convention in Chattanooga, go to the links below this story.