As I attended our local memorial day festivities, my mind turned toward succession form the union during one of the lulls in the ceremonies. It seems to me that talk of succession shames Republicans who attempt to uses it as  a wedge issue, and also allows the left to paint us as a bunch of radicals. We can't afford this type of behavior.

We already have  Democratic gubernatorial candidate  David Poythress, making the following statement:

“For years, Georgia’s eighth grade students read in their history books about our state’s decision to secede from the United States back in 1861. Today, our students need only look at a daily newspaper to see that talk of secession isn’t just a thing of the past.

“Some Republican candidates for governor are embracing it today. In fact, four of the six Republican candidates recently said they would support Georgia seceding from the United States of America.

“This is outrageous. This is absolutely disgraceful. It’s a slap in the face to every patriotic American, to anyone who has served under the American flag, and to those brave Georgians who have fought and died for our country in Iraq.

“As commander of the Georgia National Guard, I prepared and sent our troops to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before that, I served in Vietnam. And if called, I would do it again, because I love this country and everything it stands for.

“Democracy and freedom aren’t free. They aren’t even cheap. Our American form of government certainly isn’t perfect. But it sure beats the heck out of anything else.

“What really offends me the most is that none of these Republican secession candidates ever wore, for a single day, the uniform of our country, ever carried a weapon, or heard a shot fired in anger. Not one ever put their life on the line to protect our freedoms and liberties.

“But they recklessly call for secession from America. They would, in effect, ban the American flag, and end the Pledge of Allegiance. They would say to the world that when they don’t get their way, they quit.

“That’s just childish. That’s cowardice, not leadership.

As a commander in the he Georgia National Guard, David Poythress, also knows when someone has handed him a loaded weapon. Republicans who talk succession are not only handing him a loaded weapon, they are also pointing that weapon straight at their own heads.

We have to stop acting in a manner that all but assures us a loss in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Between the bad PR our candidates are generating for themselves, and the economy, we are setting ourselves up to follow in the National GOP's footsteps- a disaster that the State of Georgia needs to avoid.