Is secession treasonous?

Veterans Today calls itself a "military veterans and foreign affairs journal." The people who are most interested in reading it can be presumed to be veterans or active duty military personnel. The writer of the January 31 post is Tom Barnes, a retired Coast Guard warrant officer.

Mr. Barnes was commenting on the Time magazine online post of the same date, in which Vermont's secessionist candidate slate was announced. He reported on 2007 poll taken in Vermont:

According to a 2007 poll, they have support from at least 13% of state voters. The campaign slogan, [Second Vermont Republic leader Thomas] Naylor told me, is “Imagine Free Vermont.” In his fondest imaginings, Naylor said, Vermonters would not be “forced to participate in killing women and children in the Middle East.”

Then Mr. Barnes comments:

This is what happens when our nation continually engages in these
ridiculous and unnecessary wars overseas without taking into account the wishes of her citizens.

This is what happens when Amerika [spelling and emphasis in the original] places money and potential power grabs overseas ahead of the wishes of the people and instead caters to the whims of the military industrial complex, the emerging market manipulators, the war industry captains, the energy cartels and any other group that the Supreme Court has now given the powers of citizenship.

Strong words, which aroused an even stronger reaction from one jackspratt:

As an Active duty soldier, I cannot abide this kind of traitorous talk. The Union was worth destroying half the country for 150 years ago and the Union is no less worthy a goal now. This is nothing like the Revolution: Vermont has full representation in the Congress and they vote. The United States isn’t just some club you can leave when you get upset with things. We are required to take an oath about defending the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and I think Vermont needs to think very carefully whether they are friends of the Constitution or potential enemies and the consequences of each case.

This comment is strikingly similar to one that was added to the Ohio Republic's post discussing Sean Hannity's poll last July.

Further on, he sounds like a radical unionist during the War between the States:

Wow. I am amazed by the traitorous nonsense on this board.

1. Secession is ILLEGAL. this was proved legally in 1869 by the Supreme Court case of Texas v. White. Check it out.

I have, and have commented on it as recently as two weeks ago.

2. Secession is illegal by precedent and by the awesome power of the United States Army. Abraham Lincoln, our greatest president, proved this through his actions. Vermonters are just being spoiled. Kinda like taking your ball and going home when you aren’t liking the game. Grow up.

“The Union forever/Hurrah boys hurrah/Down with the Traitors/And up with the Star!”

jackspratt seems to think that might makes right. He also seems to be confused on the purpose of free government. Fortunately, almost all of the other commenters, many of whom give their military backgrounds, understand what it's about. I encourage you to read the post and its comments -- very interesting reading indeed!

Virtual buckeye to Bill Miller of Secession and Nullification News and Information for this post and today's post about the Daily Kos poll.