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To: BroJoeK
Second, the Declaration says no such thing as, "for whatever reasons they see fit."

Here is a refresher for you.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

475 posted on 02/19/2018 3:23:20 PM PST by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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To: DiogenesLamp
DiogenesLamp: "Here is a refresher for you."

Note the key word here, "destructive".
"Destructive" does not mean "at pleasure" or "whenever they see fit", but rather "destructive" means what the rest of the Declaration makes explicit: necessity.

  1. "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve... "

  2. "...Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government."

  3. "We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends."

In 1776 it was necessity.
In 1788 it was mutual consent.

Those are the two, and only two, conditions our Founders considered acceptable for disunion.

550 posted on 02/20/2018 1:28:53 PM PST by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective...)
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