Alabama Secessionist Says Working People Must Unite To Save America

Derrick Belcher, the Mobile man who started a petition seeking Alabama’s

withdrawal from the U.S. government (WKRG photo)

By George Talbort / AL.com

Derrick B.,” the man who started a petition seeking Alabama’s withdrawal from the U.S., is a truck driving, knife collecting former owner of a topless car wash who describes himself as “an absolute Libertarian.”

Derrick Belcher, 45, of Chunchula, said in an interview late Monday that secession may be the only way to save working Americans from crushing debt, burdensome federal regulations and rising taxes.

“I don’t want to live in Russia. I don’t believe in socialism,” said Belcher, an operations manager for a Mobile trucking company. “America is supposed to be free.”

Belcher said he posted his petition Friday on the White House web site after hearing about a similar petition filed by a Louisiana resident. More than 30 states have since followed, and Belcher’s petition has gained more than 18,000 signatures –- well on its way toward reaching the 25,000 threshold for receiving an official response from the White House.

A petition for Texas reached that milestone on Monday and had more than 62,000 signatures as of this morning.

When Alabama meets the requirement, Belcher said, he’ll deliver a copy of the petition to Gov. Robert Bentley, seeking formal action by the state.

Belcher said he believes secession can work if states band together to support each other.

continue at AL Blog:

http://blog.al.com/live/2012/11/alabama_secessionist_says_work.html#incart_river_default