Residents in 22 states file petitions to secede from Union

For some, the idea of rebuilding an ideal America has passed. Instead, they hope to leave it.

Citizens in 22 states, including Indiana, have filed petitions on the White House website to secede from the United States following the Nov. 6 election in which President Barack Obama was re-elected.

“Peacefully grant the State of Indiana to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government,” reads Indiana’s petition on the White House website’s “We the People” feature.

The right to petition the government is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution. “We the People” is a feature on the White House website allowing residents to easily post petitions online directed at the Obama Administration.

If a petition receives enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it is sent to the appropriate policy experts and issue an official response, according to the White House website.

While a majority of the states with petitions voted for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, others, such as Oregon and New York, went blue during the presidential election.

Almost 6,000 people have signed Indiana’s petition so far, but 25,000 signatures are necessary by Dec. 10 before the Obama Administration will consider the request.

This requirement is necessary for each of the states with petitions. So far, the only state to reach this benchmark is Texas, which has garnered more than 28,000 signatures.

— Mark Keierleber