Is #CalExit the Solution?
Following the results of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, emotions ranging from despair to rage permeated the nation. Sentiments of bitterness and betrayal gaining thousands of retweets a minute were recycled onto people’s timelines. The number of negative tweets — unfortunately, but not unexpectedly — outweighed positive tweets, perpetuating the cycle of hopelessness, defeat, and resentment. Amidst the sadness of the election results, a trending topic and hashtag started to gain immense traction: #CalExit
Borrowing the idea of Brexit, in which a referendum was held earlier in June that resulted in the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, #CalExit is the referendum to be held in the Spring of 2019 (a mere three years from now) that will decide whether California should exit the Union — the United States. The number of retweets and likes (which I am assuming are from residents of California) praising this idea of California’s secession accumulated rapidly, along with replies welcoming and encouraging the action. Below are a few of the popular tweets in support of #CalExit:
While I am sure some would proclaim these tweets to provide either a solution to or a sense of liberation from the rest of the country’s bigotry, the tweets above are not acknowledging the problems we have within our borders, but instead are proposing that we simply secede — leaving the problem to be solved (or remain unsolved) by those left behind. The website yescalifornia.org, which contains more information on this referendum, contains valid arguments for the secession of California, such as its position as the sixth largest economy in the world, how the U.S. government upholds a trade system that hinders the state’s ability to participate in trade, and how California’s natural resources are being extracted lucratively by private corporations. Despite their validity, however, running away from problems never actually solve them; ensuring the success of #CalExit is merely a band-aid on a stab-wound.
“Porous Sovereignty, Walled Democracy,” an article written by Wendy Brown, discusses not the functional but rather the symbolic purpose that demarcations serve. Brown observes the popularity of wall-building despite the expectation of a world without borders and how walls, instead of providing the security and protection they are traditionally associated with, convey the message of a crumbling relationship between state and sovereignty. While #CalExit proposes a division between the golden state and the rest of the United States with good intention, this act of segregation is a contemporary example of the symbolism behind this proposition.
Electing Donald Trump as America’s president was likely one of the worst ways to end 2016 for many across the nation. This result, warranting political and emotional unrest, has sold the idea of secession as the last resort; however, the amount of privilege surrounding this notion is enough for me to put it back on the rack. While many U.S. residents — both seriously and lightheartedly — considered fleeing America since the announcement of a Trump campaign for presidency and even more commonly after the election’s results, many failed to realize the irony of the potential possibility of becoming classified as refugees escaping their country’s state of turmoil; refugees that were (and still are!) discriminated against for seeking a sanctuary from war-torn nations were portrayed as selfish and lazy, yet somehow, leaving the country (or in #CalExit’s case, seceding) if you happen to be a U.S. citizen with the social and financial capital to do so does not paint you in a negative light. #CalExit is a rational solution, but immigrating to the U.S. for an improved quality of life (if you’re not phenotypically white) classifies one as a threat.
#CalExit symbolizes privilege exercised in a way that depicts its economic and political power as aspects that should only be reserved for those in California. While I am sure California would thrive should it secede — ignoring the possibility of a militarized resistance — #CalExit puts the rest of America at a disadvantage; instead of utilizing our abundant resources to dismantle corruption, #CalExit proposes that we construct a barrier, be it physical or figurative, shielding our eyes from the rest of our nation’s flaws, as if California is a utopic wonderland free of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism (the list could go on). Spoiler alert: it isn’t.
