I feel a need to weigh in on the issue of whether Naylor and others associated with the Second Vermont Republic movement are tied to racists, racist movements and racism in general. 

In his book, The Vermont Manifesto, Naylor quotes one H. Newcomb Morse of Pepperdine Law School on why the confederate secession was legal.  For those unfamiliar with Pepperdine, the school is fundamentalist and the Dean of the Law School is Kenneth Starr —  yes that Ken Starr. 

“…Morse argues that the proper way for a state to leave the Union is through a state convention elected by the PEOPLE (emphasis ew) of the state to decide one and only one issue, namely the right of self-determination.  According to…Morse every Confederate State properly used the convention process.”

There it is folks – racism to the very core.  The clear and simple meaning of the above is that blacks and women are not people.  Only white men (and not all of them) could vote. 

In Morse’s list of reasons why secession was legal, he fails to mention the need to good faith negotiate assets and liabilities and also fails to provide for a period of time during which those who find themselves on the wrong side of the divide can change location.  As well, he fails to discuss the issue of secession from the seceding entities. 

There are separatist movement in many countries.  I find it interesting that Naylor doesn’t discuss the separatist movement in Quebec.  Separatist movements are all over the political map.  The only justification for separatism is that liberty and participation are not protected and respected in the current regime.  The notion of separation to protect tyranny, slavery, and oppression should be anathema.  And that’s what the Confederate States of America were all about.