A White House spokesman responded Monday to a petition asking that Texas be allowed to peacefully “withdraw from the United States.”
The answer is no.
The petition had gained more than 125,000 signatures, although at the time of this writing, 10 of the last 12 signers were not from Texas.
According to the site, petitions that gain more than 25,000 signatures in 30 days will get an official response. The petition was first posted by “Micah H” of Arlington on Nov. 9.
The response was written by Jon Carson, director of the Office of Public Engagement. He opens by politely thanking the signers for participating in their government in “free and open debate.”
“But as much as we value a healthy debate, we don’t let that debate tear us apart,” Carson wrote.
Those in Texas hoping to create a new country under President Rick Perry will be disappointed. And those elsewhere hoping to get rid of Texas may be even more disappointed.
But most of us will just laugh, as the last word on this invites those who hate President Barack Obama to read more about his ideas:
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.”
Whether it’s figuring out how to strengthen our economy, reduce our deficit in a responsible way, or protect our country, we will need to work together — and hear from one another — in order to find the best way to move forward. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to learn more about the President’s ideas and share more of your own.
