We want the Queen to rule Washington DC!

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philjit
Arch-Enemy of Idealism

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

We want the Queen to rule Washington DC!

Just saw this and thought it was quite funny. The irony of it makes the point very well.

quote:

A group demanding voting rights for Washington DC is to mark America's Independence Day by asking Queen Elizabeth to place the US capital under British rule.

Washington has only one, non-voting delegate in the US Congress, despite residents paying federal taxes. In a tongue-in-cheek gesture, the lobby group, DC Vote, is presenting a "Declaration of Reunification" to the British Embassy.

"It was on July 4th (1776) that we first declared independence from Great Britain, and we did so based on the important principles, that there should be no taxation without representation," DC Vote spokesman Paul Strauss told the BBC.

"It's a perfect opportunity to take the anniversary of that great document - the Declaration of Independence - and show that many of the things we accused the Crown of, Congress does to the America citizens in Washington today," he said.

The city and the District of Columbia it occupies were created in the late 18th Century as a seat for the new federal government. In 1800, Congress claimed complete control over what was then a small federal enclave. But despite its growth into a major metropolis, its residents were not allowed to vote in presidential elections until the 1960s.

The District was not allowed to elect its own mayor and local government until the 1970s. Congress in 1978 approved a constitutional amendment giving the District voting rights - but the move did not receive the necessary support of three-quarters of the states and failed. In 2000, the city of Washington DC adopted a new licence plate motto for vehicles: "Taxation without representation".

Former US President Bill Clinton used it for his official limousine, to highlight his support for full voting rights for Washington DC. Mr Strauss points out that with 600,000 residents, the federal capital is more populous that some states - while its political influence remains minimal. Wyoming has fewer people, he says, yet it is represented by three members of Congress.

"What we would like our majesty to do is to intercede on our behalf," Mr Strauss said. "We were once subjects of the crown, so we think it's time for Great Britain to protect the democratic rights of American citizens here in Washington."

BBC News

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07-03-2002 01:51 PM

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Roshigoth
The Cheesemeister

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 15130

That's just beautiful.

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07-03-2002 02:06 PM

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philjit
Arch-Enemy of Idealism

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

quote:
Originally posted by Roshigoth
That's just beautiful.

i thought so too

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07-03-2002 02:08 PM

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SoonerorLater
Outgoing Desperado

Registered: Jun 2002
Location: Tulsa
Posts: 179

Re: We want the Queen to rule Washington DC!

quote:
Originally posted by Phil
The District was not allowed to elect its own mayor and local government until the 1970s

Mr. Barry! I say take that fucking right back!

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07-03-2002 02:17 PM

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oxsan
Keeper of the Keys

Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Rio de los Brazos de Dios
Posts: 3876

If Her Majesty accepts the offer she must take Congress along with the "ten square miles" or it's no deal.

Then we could build the new capitol in Des Moines, Iowa.

I hate to lose the Smithsonian and the National Museum but it would be worth it to get rid of the people in DC.

I wonder if she would like to have California?

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07-03-2002 03:43 PM

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pj
Captain America

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: anywhere but here
Posts: 4420

quote:
Originally posted by oxsan

I wonder if she would like to have California?

i wish. then i wouldnt have to worry about imigration laws, i would just go straight in using my british passport. *dreams*

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07-03-2002 03:49 PM

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philjit
Arch-Enemy of Idealism

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

funny thing I was wondering was what would happen if something like this actually occured. I don't mean this specifically because obviously its a political stunt, but can a state go to another state and simply 'request' to be a dependent?

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07-03-2002 03:50 PM

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SatansLeftHand
buttercup

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: Shreveport, LA
Posts: 3833

quote:
Originally posted by Phil
[snippage]...can a state go to another state and simply 'request' to be a dependent?

it hasn't worked for british columbia yet.
and they've tried three times.

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07-03-2002 03:55 PM

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philjit
Arch-Enemy of Idealism

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

quote:
Originally posted by SatansLeftHand
it hasn't worked for british columbia yet.
and they've tried three times.

excuse my ignorance but is that why its called British Columbia? I always assumed it was just some historical legacy not that it actually wanted to be a dependent state.

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07-03-2002 03:57 PM

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SatansLeftHand
buttercup

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: Shreveport, LA
Posts: 3833

HA!
not quite.
they were trying to tell canadia to get bent by joining up with the good old u.s. of a.
congress didn't want them, something about screwing up the power balance with all those extra libertarians or somesuch.

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07-03-2002 04:00 PM

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philjit
Arch-Enemy of Idealism

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

so does that mean the British part is, as I assumed a historical legacy name only.

Also, although Congress said no, what did Canada say about it?

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07-03-2002 04:04 PM

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oxsan
Keeper of the Keys

Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Rio de los Brazos de Dios
Posts: 3876

quote:
But can a state go to another state and simply ask to be a dependent...

The answer is "no". Of course they could ask but the request could not be granted.

quote:
Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution: New states may be admitted by the Congress into this union, but no state shall be formed within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states without consent of the Legislatures of the states involved as well as of the Congress.

Even though Texas entered the US by Treaty which granted Texas the right to divide into five states or less at any time it wished , this treaty has been held to be invalid by the Supreme Court because Texas became part of the Confederacy and was readmitted to the Union by methods which abrogated the original treaty.

George Mason, a delegate to the Constitutional convention from Virginia, was dead set against the creation of the Federal District.
In a speech against ratification of the Constitution he said, "Think-
Only think of giving Congress unlimited power over such a Federal region! This ten miles square may set at defiance the laws of the surrounding srtates and may become the sanctuary of the blackest crimes".

Last edited by oxsan on 07-03-2002 at 06:22 PM

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07-03-2002 05:03 PM

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Peter_Torque
Grill Instructor

Registered: May 2002
Location: No. California
Posts: 4175

Just what DC needs, more crack.

Isn't/wasn't there a hilarious pseudo-political British group that parodies things like that in national elections, like (fuck, I can't think of anything but I remember reading something about them in Archer's book " uh " well, skip that. I can't remember the name of the book but it was about a couple of friends growing up together and one becomes Prime Minister and the other becomes the opposition leader, shit I wish I could remember it because it was a great fucking read, was probably a miniseries and Archer has a number now and is trying to keep the residents of cellblock H from tattooing their initials on his ass with their cigarettes...

shit, lost it. Oh yeah, funny political group. British. That's all I can give you right now. (Apparently.)

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07-03-2002 05:09 PM