A friend of mine attended a rally/meeting this past weekend about the possibility of Vermont seceding from the US. Since this is an option enshrined in the state constitution (state's rights anyone?) and since Vermont actually was independent republic between 1777 and 1791, this isn't as far fetched as it might seem. The question remains as to whether the federal government would allow it to happen.

The Second Vermont Republic website includes these 9 principles:

1. Political Independence. Our primary objective is to extricate Vermont peacefully from the United States as soon as possible.
2. Direct Democracy. Vermont's strong democratic tradition is grounded in its town meetings which have served as the state's political mainstay for over two centuries. We favor devolution of power from the federal and state governments back to local communities and the extension of participatory democracy to the workplace and the farm..
3. Sustainability. We celebrate and support Vermont's small, clean, green, sustainable, socially responsible towns, farms, businesses, schools, and churches. We encourage family owned farms and businesses to produce innovative, premium-quality, high-value added, healthy products. We also believe that energy independence is an essential goal towards which to strive.
4. Economic Solidarity. We encourage Vermonters to buy locally produced products from small local merchants rather than from giant, out-of-state mega stores. We support trade with nearby states and provinces.
5. Quality Education. We would return to local Vermont communities the control and financing of small local schools.
6. Wellness. We encourage small locally controlled health care systems similar to those found in Switzerland in which, unlike the United States, patients, physicians, clinics, hospitals, and insurance providers are all in community with one another.
7. Nonviolence. Consistent with Vermont's long history of nonviolence, we do not condone state-sponsored violence inflicted either by military or law enforcement officials. However, we do support a voluntary citizens' militia to restore order in the event of political unrest or natural disasters. We are unconditionally opposed to any form of military conscription.
8. Foreign Policy. We also favor negotiations with Maine, New Hampshire and the four Atlantic provinces of Canada possibly to create a New Atlantic Confederacy - a nation about the size of Denmark. We would not rule out similar negotiations with Quebec, as well as membership in the U.N.
9. Membership. Second Vermont Republic membership is open to anyone who subscribes to these principles, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

This is all very interesting to me since I live quite near Vermont. There is a strong streak of independence in Vermonters and I would not discount this effort as a lost cause by any means. Very cool.

[Update: Second Vermont Republic has a sister site called Vermont Commons which also contains info on this topic.]