Republican candidate for governor Larry Scott Kilgore delivered a fiery speech in front of the Texas Capital last Saturday.
In a barely fluctuating yelling pitch, Kilgore, who champions secession, tried to present the federal government as the real villain in the crowd's problems, ruining social security, health care, the military, and oil, among other things.
"Howdy y'all, I hate that flag up there, that flag that's above the Texas flag, that's the United States flag. I hate the United States government!" he said in his opening line.
He believes that many other states want freedom as well, and that the breaking up of the United States could occur peacefully, "like in the Soviet Union."
"We do not want that sovereignty stuff, we want freedom, total and complete freedom, secession!" he told the crowd.
Kilgore believes that what we all need is freedom to be under biblical law apparently - he has expressed belief in biblical law as the foundation for all law.
Biblical law: the kind in Leviticus that ancient Hebrews used, with floggings and swift executions. However, he says floggings would be limited to forty blows.
On the right to keep and bear arms, "This is Texas. Enough said," his Web site explains.
Kilgore is one of several candidates in the upcoming election vying with what they see as big government offenses. His following has only grown. In 2004 he won 474 votes, in 2006 he received over 50,000, and in 2008's Senate race 225,649 voted for him (18.51 percent).
With Gov. Perry's secession remarks legitimizing the movement for some and increased disgruntlement with healthcare and other issues, nobody knows whether that number will grown this year, or whether people will tire of the theme and opt to try to solve the problems facing the nation collectively.
Holly LaFon has written for various local publications including D Magazine and Examiner.
