Some Virginia cities, towns, and counties are considering joining, or rejoining, the other Virginia counties that originally formed the state of West Virginia.
And what does West Virginia think? Seeing as how Virginia counties leaving the Commonwealth is how West Virginia became the 35th (or 24th, if you exclude the 11 Confederate states that seceded) state in the first place, you won’t be surprised many West Virginians support it. In fact, West Virginia’s Gov. Jim Justice extended the invitation himself.
According to History.com, during the Civil War, the western (mountain) counties of VA. became estranged from the east because of the west’s lack of slavery. Eastern VA. slaveholders dominated the legislature which apportioned their slaves for state government representation. Because of this most legislation passed favored the eastern parts of the state.
After VA. seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy, the western counties, opposing slavery, proclaimed “The Restored Government of Virginia,” and entered the Union as a free state. President Abraham Lincoln, in April 1863, acknowledged the entry of West Virginia as one of the United States, which became effective on June 20th, 1863.
Like their Virginia forbearers who seceded from the Union, while clinging to a human rights desecration, today’s Virginians are doing a similar thing. Only, this time the potential split is over state a Democrat state government’s desecration of Virginian’s unalienable right to self-defense, which the framers guaranteed with the Second Amendment.
Virginia’s love of slavery lost them some 24,000 square miles of their state. Now, the Democrat’s contempt for the people’s right to keep and bear arms may lose them another big chunk what had been Virginia. According to the Washington Examiner, 40 of West Virginia’s 100 House delegates have already signed “legislation that would accept revolting Virginia counties and towns.”
- VA. Delegate Gary Howell (R- Mineral), in his bill, HCR 8, noted VA.’s “urban-rural battle.” Howell wrote, “These tensions have been compounded by a perception of contempt on the part of the government at Richmond for the differences in certain fundamental political and societal principles which prevail between the varied counties and cities of that Commonwealth.”
- VA’s invitation to its kin next door went like this: “In a spirit of conciliation, the legislature of West Virginia hereby extends an invitation to our fellow Virginians who wish to do so, to join us in our noble experiment of 156 years of separation from the government at Richmond; and, we extend an invitation to any constituent county or city of the Commonwealth of Virginia to be admitted to the body politic of the state of West Virginia.”
To show this isn’t a new idea, back in 1860s, West Virginia extended an open invitation to Frederick County, VA. to join the new state. In fact, seven current West Virginia counties used to be included within the Frederick County, VA. borders. Because of this official invitation, though it is over 150-years-old, Frederick County needs no new legislation from West Virginia to join that state. Still, the U.S. Constitution, Article 4, Section 3, Clause 1 may require the consent of the legislatures of the states involved and of the U.S. Congress. I’m sure that’ll be debated.
RELATED: MSNBC Hosts Caught on Hot Mic Trashing Dems
So, we’ll see how it goes. Anyone think those Dems in the VA. legislature will let them go? Then again, maybe they’ll be eager to get rid of all those Bible-thumping and gun-clinging Virginian deplorables. Whether the counties leave or work to reclaim their commonwealth, I wish all those liberty-loving Virginians Godspeed.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.