Asking to Become a State

For all who whine and cry and complain about how bad life is in this country, know there are people wanting to become part of this great nation with each having their own reason.

For those who might not have heard it was most appropriate that on America’s singular patriotic holiday – Independence Day, residents of Piddington overwhelmingly approved a resolution asking to become part of the US. They want statehood but would probably settle for becoming a territory – at least for a while.

Do not feel like the class dunce if you’ve never heard of Piddington.

Located in Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom, Piddington is often described as a picturesque place with a resident population of about 400. It is a rural community less than 50 miles northwest of London.

Causing the issue is the British government, the same country that tried to keep Colonial America under its proverbial thumb. In this case, the British government has announced plans to repurpose an old military barracks near Piddington into an asylum for men. In Britian an asylum is a place to house immigrants. Anyone that has kept up with international news will know that immigrant issues in Britian are far worse than in the US, especially issues caused by the influx of Muslims.

News reports indicate the asylum could hold over 1,200 immigrants and is located just a very short walk from Piddington. The immigrant population in that asylum would exceed three times the population of Piddington, which does not have its own law enforcement agency. Those services are provided by the Thames Valley Police, a regional territorial police force covering over 2,200 square miles across three counties – nearly twice the size of Harris, Meriwether, and Talbot counties combined.

Being so close to the asylum, and knowing how some immigrants – notably Muslims – treat young girls, the residents of Piddington have every right to be concerned. So would most of you, especially those with young daughters.

PIDDINGTON representatives have reported they had no prior knowledge of the government’s plan regarding the asylum, which has been a large part of the issue. The residents have since expressed their concerns to the Prime Minister and British government, but they have been ignored. At least the British did not arbitrarily raise taxes and institute new taxes on the residents of Piddington – especially on their tea.

Like Colonial Americans 250 years ago, the residents of Piddington demand to have their issues heard, but unlike their brethren across the Pond, Piddington does not have enough people to even form a militia to oppose British indifference. So, they decided to seek help from those brethren across the Pond.

In a story straight out of “The Mouse that Roared”, the residents of Piddington decided to declare independence and seek to become a US state.

After the July 4 referendum, Piddington supplied copies to the American Embassy and to President Donald Trump.

AS with many places in the UK, Piddington has a long and complicated history that includes some rather poor and callous treatment at the hands of the British monarchy and government. Such treatment goes all the way back to when the area was ruled by Vikings, notably Hacun, under King Canute the Great.

Today, the residents of Piddington are at the mercy of, and under the yoke of, an unsympathetic, oppressive government, much as the American colonists faced 250 years ago.

Want to learn more? Visit https://thevillagethatroared.org or look up Piddington independence on YouTube.

Perhaps just offering to accept Piddington as a territory would get the British government’s attention.

That’s my opinion.

Andy Kober can be reached at andykober@hotmail.com