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Oregon nation?
By Shelby Sebens | Northwest Watchdog
UPDATE: As of Thursday, more than 13,000 people had signed the petition but some are from out of state, including Ohio, Nevada, Virginia, South Dakota and more.
PORTLAND – Apparently unhappy with the election results, more than 12,000 people have joined a petition drive in Oregon to secede from the nation.
Calling the federal government “tyrannical,” the petitioners want the state to be able to vote on leaving the union – but with the chance to come back if “the Federal Government was no longer imposing on the Constitution.”
“With the Federal Government increasing its size much larger than our Founding Father’s intended, and its abuse of power trumping over the rights of State constitutions, and the forcing of unconstitutional laws over its own citizens, the people of Oregon would like the chance to vote on leaving the Union immediately,” the petition states.
The petitioners need 25,000 signatures by Dec. 10 to get a response from the White House. As of Wednesday, 12,766 people had signed the petition despite Oregon being dominantly blue, with the presidential race in Oregon going to President Barack Obama and the state House picking up four seats to give them a complete majority in the legislature.
The petitions were made on a site developed by the White House to garner citizen engagement. Several states have similar petitions and more than 95,000 Texans have already jumped on the exit bandwagon, according to the Examiner. But even Republican Gov. Rick Perry, a former presidential primary candidate, isn’t on board with the movement.
The petitions are gaining widespread media attention and even staunch conservatives are calling it a “tantrum” by those angered over the election results, according to the Associated Press.
Contact Shelby Sebens at Shelby@NorthwestWatchdog.org, or follow her on Twitter @ShelbySebens. For more Northwest Watchdog updates, visit NWWatchdog on Facebook and Twitter.
