I did a quick search and it looks like it might be election related: "... eight different petitions requesting secession following the outcome of the November presidential election.
The petition for the state of North Carolina to secede from the union earned more 31,835 signatures, while South Carolina's had just over 26,000."
Which begs the question: why are people petitioning the White House to have their states secede from the Union? That's just stupid on so many levels that I don't even know where to begin.
I read it as evidence of the erosion of state's rights. Perception is reality and those folks clearly thought they needed Daddy DC's permission.
We nationalize too many issues on which our nation is deeply divided. If, instead of bickering for years over an issue in Congress, we pushed those decisions back to the states, then local initiatives would be put into place. With time, the right solutions would naturally develop. Competition is king.
Of course, doing so takes strength and wisdom from our Congressmen to admit they could not come to a national compromise. Many will call it failure. Thus, it will not occur.
Of course the states do not need DC's permission to form the Confederacy... even grade schoolers know the Articles of Confederation provide the constitutional basis for secession. ;)
http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/Official-White-House-response...