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These are the accounts of the Second American Civil War, also known as the Wars of Reunification and the American Warring States Period.After the breakup many wondered which states would come out in control of the power void created by the dissolution of the United States. There were many with little chance against several of the larger more powerful states. The states in possession of a large population, predisposition for military bases and a population open to the idea of warfare fared the best. In the long term, we would look to states with self-sufficiency and long term military capabilities.Here are the states that held the greatest strategic value from day one. They have the ability to be self-sufficient, economic strength, military strength, the will to fight and the population to support a powerful war machine.CaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthers that have many of the qualities that gave them an advantage are also listed.WashingtonColoradoIllinoisVirginiaFloridaGeorgiaFor all intents and purposes, Alaska and Hawaii ended well enough since they were so far removed from the center of the country that they never really suffer greatly nor benefit from the shattering.Day 12: "It's getting scary. My mom said we are going back to Oklahoma to stay with Grandma. The other day my dad was yelling at some men at the door. They seemed really upset. I held Jamie. She is still little. She's scared and doesn't understand what is going on. I am scared too. There are also some boys at school who keep picking on her and calling her an "Okie". We were both raised here, but I don't really think that matters. All the other families on my street have huge one-star flags hanging from their homes. I don't want to leave my house, but Mom says we have to go. The highways are packed with people. I wish things would just go back to how it was."The Diary of Sarah BrennanFirst came a period of massive migration back to the homelands. Facing the newly invented discrimination that will be created, many felt the need to go back to their own people. While the individual states retained all military assets, they couldn't control the individuals who fight. A Texas Marine stationed in California, would not fight for California. A soldier in New York would not fight against their home in Virginia, and a sailor in Houston would not fight against their home state of Florida. The warriors returned to their home states and the states had to reconsider that when they measured troop strength of their new nations. Ultimately, they measured troop strength by how much of the population would return home.After the migrations rough approximations left the states even, additionally, the balance of foreign nationals changed. At some point there was a migration of people back to their non-United States homeland. Over the next several months many from the North migrated to Canada and in the South to Mexico and South America. Millions of Latinos fled back South to the safety of their families and away from the looming danger of the war.Day 42: "Citizens of California are advised to stay away from the Mexican Border. In response to the recent surge of immigrants back to Mexico, authorities out of Mexico City have closed entry into the country. Agents from Tijuana are now manning armed sentries posted along the border. There have been scattered reports of refugees attempting to storm the gates being shot by soldiers on the Mexican side. It has also been communicated that the No Man's Land will be mined within the week and that Mexico will not be allowing any non-Mexican immigrants to enter the country from this point forward. Once again, we strongly advise all those wishing to leave the country to stay in their homes."Jennifer Aranda - Channel 14 NewsThe war was little more than a very tenuous peace for several months. The new nations were mostly focused on the reconsolidating of their forces and trying for quick grabs at resources that were easy to hold. Alliances were beginning to form as some of the smaller states sought to ally with known powers in the region.The first of what we would call real battles was mostly when some of the regional powers overtook mainly unmanned installations or took over now abandoned Federal assets.Day 63: "We are gathered here today as the inheritors of a lost legacy. Our nation has been lost to shattering and disarray. For that reason it is our duty to bring back our house to a structure undivided. When we arrived in the District we found it empty and abandoned. The monuments to our civilization watched silently over the broken halls of our once proud Capitol. We came to the District to bring back order. We have done this deed and now it is our charge to bring back the greatness of America and return her to her proud place of honor... We will do these things and we will do the others because we are a great people. We are Americans. We are VIRGINIANS!"Inauguration speech of President Anthony StokesThe first real occupation attempts happened when attempts were made to secure more assets.The Republic of Texas sought to gain strategic advantages in the Central United States. To do this they sought to gain two strategic assets. The first was control of Whiteman AFB, the home of the B-2 bomber program. The base was easily secured and the most coveted military bomber in the world was now in the hands of the Republic of Texas. The next was control of Colorado and her military installations of great value. Then finally was access to the Mississippi River. Two main offenses took place to do just that. The First Battle of New Orleans involved a massive force occupying the city to claim it as a port and artery for future engagements. In Colorado they met stiff resistance as many of the Texas military were unfamiliar with Mountain warfare. Colorado's major bases fell quickly since Colorado enjoys the smallest force to fight back the Texans, but they adapted an unconventional warfare stance that kept the Texans on edge for months. Still, at this point the mission behind taking Colorado was achieved--control over its military bases and strategic assets. The insurgency does however slow down the growth of Texas.New York pushed Northward. They pushed to claim all of New England and the food wealth they will need to supply their people now that resources from the Midwest are no longer available. The takeover is mostly peaceful as many of the states have large, but mostly non-military, populations. They encountered problems when large groups of refugees tried to flee to Canada and rioting ensued.Illinois was calm. The Midwest Alliance grew steadily by seeking to secure the Great Lakes. They were able to take Ohio through a few fierce, but brief encounters. They also took on Minnesota and the headwaters of the Mississippi River.The West coast was now controlled by the two main powers--California with its seat of power in San Francisco and The North West Union centered in Seattle. California gained support and took control of all the states West of the Continental Divide and South of the Union. The North West Union pushed as far as Wyoming.In the South, Georgia gained strength as Alabama and South Carolina joined. The leadership of Georgia advocated a return to confederalism as fanatics gain headway among the people. The Neo-Confederacy movement takes root and spreads throughout the Old South and rekindles a sense of unity among the states who engaged on the side of the Confederacy during the First United States Civil War. Peacefully they are able to convince Mississippi and Tennessee to also join. The growth of Confederate States puts an ever-growing pressure on Florida as it slips into isolation.Virginia took on the mantle of the Restored United States. They assumed the moral responsibility for reunification, and by taking Washington, they were able to secure much of the federal assets and infrastructure available to the country before the collapse. They then commandeered many ships and weapons housed overseas that weren't lost during the first two months of disarray. They began to gather support among the neighboring states and press their advantages-- intelligence, military strength and the symbolic leadership they held by holding D.C. One strategic advantage they wished to push was their economy. While the rest of the former United States was in complete economic disarray, Virginians' consistent use of the dollar provided a stability that others didn't have. They wished to solidify this with control of the nation's gold supply housed in a crossroads what was now a very desperate strategic region. After they peacefully brokered a treaty with Kentucky they received an attack on Fort Knox from forces located in Indiana.Day 112: "When we arrived at Knox we received heavy resistance from the defenders. Their fire was, for the most part, inaccurate and they lacked unit cohesion, so we found ourselves at an advantage. Not that we are much better off. We received intel that their units were something of a haphazard array of whatever Marines, Sailors, Soldiers or Airmen came out of the woodwork and they just threw them together and called it a unit, much like our own. Still they were professional warfighters. We were lucky they hadn't yet made it to secure the fort. Back to Knox. We were able to take the base. The fact was that the Kentucky defenders were mostly woodsmen and good-ol-boys from the South. More a militia reliving stories of the Old South than an army, but they fought like wild dogs. After a few hours their main line broke and they retreated back towards the center of the state. About halfway through the day we were able to break into the main buildings where the gold was supposed to be stored. Easily, it would be safe to say we were surprised at what we found. We arrived to find bloodstains in the main hallways and leading into the vault room. The trail faded and we see that the vaults are all completely empty. Every last bar, every last ounce is gone. All that is left are red stains all over the room and bullet holes riddling the walls that look like they could have happened months ago. Those hicks didn't even know they were guarding a giant empty building. Now the big question is...'So where is the gold?'"Log of Lt Col. Thomas Scott 2nd Raider Battalion Midwestern Alliance.At that time, the nations were coming together in larger groups. They had access to larger populations to support military strength, economic power to reach out and fund the state, food sources, and leadership.In the West, states along the coast received the most fighting. Washington began bombing San Francisco from the air to try and decapitate what became the center of California's leadership. Retaliation strikes from combined naval and air forces severally weakened Portland, Tacoma, and Seattle. California launched a two-pronged attack by sending in land forces up Interstate Highway 5 and Marines to attack from the North. Their mission was to enter Washington through the Salish Sea and secure Mt. Vernon, preventing escape of enemy forces. The Marines were by and large undetected and completed their mission successfully. The Californian army received shelling on their movement near the town of Cresswell, Oregon. They retreated back to the nearby town of Cottage Grove and secured the Airport there. A temporary air base was established and sorties began taking place, allowing for the immediate deployment of troops to the defense of Eugene. Casualties were high, but once California secured Eugene, the way was open to take Portland.Day 234: "I don't know what the Army is doing. We have been here holding the Canadian border for days and the Army still hasn't made it past Eugene. Just get it out. Burn the city to the ground. Mow them down. Just do your damn job. It's us or them. Make it happen for God's sake."Private First Class Anthony Sullivan - 1st Californian Marine RegimentIn the East, the Restored United States was crumbling. After the loss of their gold stores in Ft. Knox, the “RestoDollar” collapsed, taking with it the rest of their economy. Smugglers and bandits had moved in to provide whatever goods the people wanted, whether or not those goods were already banned within the nation. They needed to even the playing field by breaking the back of their most dangerous threat, the trade partnership between the New York City State, and the Midwest Alliance.Such a solution came through the plan brought about by one General David Meznick. The Meznick Doctrine called for the destruction of strategic economic assets in the North to weaken their ability to make war. Marches north cut railways, bombed bridges, and the greatest of these attacked on the infrastructure of the Great Lakes' shipping system. With the locks destroyed and the Erie Canal in ruins, shipping between Chicago and the outside world ceased. New York was cut from its most valuable resource, which was the hope of once again shipping America's goods to the rest of the world after the war.Deprived of many of their shipping lanes, the Midwest Alliance began to break as food and other supplies were unable to reach its people. Riots in Chicago began to erupt as the people accused the government of corruption, a fact all the more dangerous due to the overwhelming evidence to support the claim. With its end in sight, much of the Chicago legislature slipped out in the night and booked passage to places unknown on private planes. Left without leadership and provisions, the Alliance crumbled. The Texas Republic benefited most, filling the vacuum of the everything East of the Mississippi, with the Restored United States temporarily occupying the now ruined areas around the Great Lakes, before abandoning the mission to focus on policing actions within the ratified states.In the South, tensions between Florida and the Neo-Confederates reached their zenith. Troops took Tallahassee and were dug in along the Jacksonville-Gainesville Line. Florida was desperate. In a deal made in Houston, Florida agreed to join Texas if it was free to maintain its sovereignty in exchange for military support. With this, Florida and the forces staged in New Orleans attacked. The Jacksonville-Gainesville line was pushed back. Floridian forces moved with speed to besiege Atlanta as Texas occupied the city of Montgomery, Alabama. Texas and Florida forces converged on Atlanta and the siege went on for another month.No one really knows how, but a fire broke out in the city. Reports blame Texas shelling or Floridian sabotage, but most official accounts believe that it originated in an apartment complex where a family pried up floorboards to burn for heat during an remarkable cold winter. The fire spread to the rest of the neighborhood and, lacking their emergency infrastructure, parts of the city were overcome as the rest began to go into disarray. Texas forces secured the major areas of the city while Florida troops took charge of the relief effort for escaping refugees.The next hundred days were among the most peaceful of the war.The lines between the Republic of Texas and the Californian Union of Democratic States were now amassing troops and solidifying their positions. The Northwestern cities were in the processes of being rebuilt after California gained control as were the cities of Montgomery and Atlanta. Old forces of the losing states' armies were redistributed to victor nations. Texas held a tenuous peace with the Restored United States as they erected fortifications along the 36th parallel and western side of the Mississippi. California and Texas began building in unison a mass of fortifications on either side of the Continental Divide. Texas also enjoyed use of the river as shipping lanes now connected everything from the Midwest to the Carolinas. This eased the growing concerns of food shortage and redeployment of men.Most of the fighting was centered between the Restored United States (RUS) and New England Union (NEU). Control of Ohio and Pennsylvania changed hands a few times as the region sought stability. The war reached a turning point when a New York based flotilla made a decisive push to take Washington D.C. In response, a nuclear device was used on the fleet and all the ships, sailors and Marines on that mission were lost. The first active use of a nuclear weapon in more than half a century sent waves through the warring nation states. Other nations of the world grew terrified as they waited for the NEU's strategy. The worst fears came to pass when a weapon was exploded in Washington D.C. bringing down the powerbase of the Restored United States. Alarms across the world rang out as the RUS gathered itself and prepared to launch retaliatory strikes along the Eastern Seaboard. Before this came to pass a message from New York City came initiating their surrender. The device was set by a rogue general from New York. Fearing its own impending annihilation, New York City seceded from the Northeast to become its own independent city-state. The rest of New England issued their surrender and joined the Restored United States without incident. The Capitol was moved to Philadelphia.Day 647: "I can't believe Washington's gone. I mean, what are we even fighting for? There is nothing left that was the same. I swear I am starting to feel like all we are animals trying to survive, fighting over the scraps of our fathers. We all knew it was over when D.C. got smoked, but at least that didn't happen. Many of the men are still sure that NYC planned this out. Leave the rest to fight over the charred out ashes while they run from it all. I just don't know what to think. Now we are inheriting the Northeast and all its problems. They better be ready. Now Texas has us to the West and South along Carolina. Two years this has been going on and for what? I don't know how long we can keep this going."Log of Col. Thomas Scott 1st Marine Regiment Restored United States.During the next year the war reached a standstill. Maneuvers and deployments mounted the full force of all three nations. Tensions mounted as the borders grew more and more defended.Texas forces were spread thin. The Republic oversaw the largest territory and with it, the longest borders. Conflating their woes, Texas drew from the least population to support their military. The what the Republic lacked in numbers, it made up for with excellence. Elite Texas troops, composed of Texas citizens, led auxiliary forces of the highly militant neo-confederates, and thousands of independent militias and partisans. In the territories, one could also expect to encounter millions of armed individuals, ready to fight their own private backwoods battles to push back against enemy invasion.The Restored United States was a broken nation. The remains of ruined nation states, broken by the shattered disunity of Washington following the collapse were as much a liability as an asset. The economy was in shambles as Ft. Knox proved to be a well that ran dry. The former great state of New York was now missing its greatest source of wealth, income from the the Midwest and international access from New York City. A once idealistic and proud people became disheartened and disillusioned. The nation they had cobbled together was nowhere near worth what it cost them, nor what it had been before the collapse. Yet they still had to survive. There, a new national identity formed, one of sadness, regret, but just holding on to the last strands of hope for a return to when they were great.California was doing well, relatively speaking. Major cities showed the scars of war, but they enjoyed the time to rebuild and prepare. Their troops were many, but always a last priority to the generosity of their social policies, led by politicians who rarely took notice of the war beyond the Rockies when there was a greater one to be won at the ballot box. Poorly equipped troops manned defensive stations along the divide, slowly building up to match the fresh deployments of Texas regulars.Border tensions began to build until a small town skirmish in Wyoming escalated the war to its peak.Wyoming was split on both sides of the divide. A small portion of the Western edge of the state was cut off from the rest of Wyoming, mostly fending for themselves under the governorship of the distant San Francisco government. Near the division line were two towns, Green River and Rock Springs. Green River lay on the Western side. They also held the only viable water resource between the two. Since the war began, they were able to share, but after rationing was instituted by the Republic, Rock Springs began to need more of the water. Though neither truly identified as Texan or Californian, they were now forced to abide by laws of these two feuding powers. Rock Springs needed water. Green River was forced, however, not to abide. Officers from California were sent to enforce the policy to not aid the “enemy” in any form. After frequently being denied, leadership of Rock Springs went to the town and make a formal request with the officers at Green River. The officers took over the mayoral office of the town, where they officially denied Rock Springs' request for aid.One young man, Jeffery Irving, protested violently. A scuffle began in the office before the officers drew their sidearms. Two of the men of the Rock Springs’ delegation were shot, and Jeffery was killed in the office of the Green River courthouse. The next day citizens from Rock Springs came to the city and stormed the mayor's office. The two officers were barricaded in the office and requested for support from a nearby base. An hour later, troops arrived in the town. They discovered the office broken into and the officers murdered. The order was given to track down the perpetrators. California troops made their way to Rock Springs.In town, troops barricaded the main road where they began searching passing vehicles and taking people in for questioning. A crowd formed. Taunts and screams let out from the crowd as they grew more violent. A rock flew at one of the soldiers. A rifleman knocked a man to the ground with the butt of his weapon. Someone screamed as then a roar escalated among the crowd, until..."Crack."A gunshot echoed through the streets. The crowd scattered as people screamed. A soldier fell down beside the man on the ground. A lone gunman from one of the windows on Main Street. Another soldier began firing on the window; others fired at the remainder of the crowd. In a moment the entire crowd was under fire. They ran for the nearest building and anywhere for cover. As the firing stopped the lives of dozens of men, women and children lay frozen on the street. The detachment gathered themselves and left the town before a battle began between themselves and the townspeople. This was the Massacre of Rock Springs.Day 812: "When we arrived most the bodies were carried away. Some were lined along the street covered in sheets of white stained crimson. The town was in shock as our troops began filling the streets. Mothers were screaming with anguish as old men roared for action. There was talk of many of the men leaving an hour before we arrived to handle things themselves. I don't think they know what they're getting themselves into. We won't be able to assist them. I feel for these people. I am shocked with them. They are Texas citizens now and we let this happen. It won't go unavenged for long though. I haven't seen this many troops gathered like this since we took Atlanta. This is definitely going to be the big push we have all been waiting for to take California. All Hell is about to break loose. God protect us as we march on California."Journal of Sgt. Alexander McAnally 33rd Texas Infantry RegimentA massive invasion force gathered at Rock Springs. Six divisions of the Texas Army and the 1st and 3rd Marines were mobilized for the battle. In the morning B-2s from Whiteman AFB in Missouri began strategic bombing sorties against a number of Californian Union air bases. Conventional bombing missions were also launched. Suffering the greatest were bases near Salt Lake City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Air defense was launched from bases in San Diego, LA and Sacramento with relief forces in the North. Next came what was known as the battle over Nevada. Fighter squadrons met over the desert in many numerous engagements to gain air superiority. Texas was equipped with superior aircraft since they were the only power still investing heavily in improving their local manufacturing capabilities and advancing military technology. They also held the advantage of more experienced warfighters from the wars in the East. California was heavily invested in passive defense systems scattered throughout the desert. Their missile defenses tore heavily into the Texas planes. The air battle was by far the largest air battle in history with thousands of planes involved and hundreds lost to the skies. The fighters from Texas were able to protect bombers in raising the remaining defenses in Salt Lake and Las Vegas while severely damaging others in Los Angeles, San Diego and China Lake.The Battle of Salt Lake began the Land War. With the region softened, Texas mobilized forces invaded Northern Utah by way of the Forward Operating Base Rock Springs and following Interstate 80. They met fierce resistance in Salt Lake city. Sniper and rifle teams were thoroughly entrenched along with machine-gun nests. Five battalions of thoroughly entrenched Californian infantry were able to hold the city for three days against the overwhelming Texas forces while the air war continued over the sands of the Great American Desert. On the fourth day of courageous fighting the Californians retreated as relief troops arrived. The Texans were now dug into the hollowed-out shell of the former capital of Utah. From this point the Siege of Salt Lake lasted another three weeks.The battle continued. Texas reinforcements joined on day six. The battle intensified. Texas was the first to escalate. M.O.A.B. bombs were dropped and cleared away a great deal of California defenders. Texas movements quickly divided and overwhelmed the Californians. 6000 were lost and the Californians retreated back to Sacramento. Once Salt Lake was secured Republic forces moved on to Las Vegas. Vegas was easily secured after the battle of Salt Lake. Republic forces gathered in the desert city preparing for the push to Los Angeles. As the army moved out they destroyed the Hoover dam to prevent Las Vegas from becoming a strategic point again. This caused a surge in the Colorado river that destroyed the Davis, Parker and Imperial Dam systems as well. The region would become by modern standards a completely uninhabitable desert again.It was then that something unexpected happened. The Restored United States attacked in an unsuspected maneuver designed to strike when the Republic and Californian Union were entangled and spread thin. General Meznick again planned out a massive attack to take out the knees from under the Republic forces. His plan was to take out the port at New Orleans and land a decisive series of blows against Texas. As Republic troops moved out to Southern Nevada, covert agents blew the dikes holding back the flood waters from the Gulf. The city, its troops, its ships and resources were all flooded and in disarray. Air strikes and land forces were also made on the stations and bases along the Mississippi River, including Whiteman and the B-2's stationed there. Transport boats carried thousand to secure the bases along the river down to Baton Rouge. From there bombers cleared a path through to Beaumont, Texas, and on to Houston. Texas Defense forces scrambled to meet the invasion. With eyes to the West, few were prepared for an attack in the heart of Texas. Reserves from Dallas and Austin raced to Houston. The battle intensified. After the destruction of New Orleans, naval forces stationed in the Atlantic maneuvered to support the Texas invasion. Without the support of the New Orleans ships at port, the Republic Navy was overcome. Naval bombardment was laid down on the defenders in Houston, paving the way for the surgical team of RUS soldiers and the wave of troops following the river. The defenses were hindered by the sea of terrified citizens fleeing Houston. As shells rained down from the sea, chaos ensued. The city was going to be lost.With the loss of Houston imminent, Republic soldiers spread thin on two fronts, and the country severed down the spine of the Mississippi, Texas made a last desperate strike.It is believed the first city to fall was Chicago. Boston and Philadelphia came shortly after. At the same time, San Francisco and Seattle were lost. Retaliatory strikes claimed Austin, Houston, Atlanta and Oklahoma City. It is believed that many other cities were targeted for destruction, if not for the intervention of some unknown power.Four high-altitude nuclear devices were detonated over the former United States. These weapons showered the region with energized electrons that shorted the circuits of electrical devices in their target radius. Below is a graphic representation of what this blast did to the United States.Most of the country fell into regions of 50 to 80% damage, however considering overlap, historians assume that the damage was at least 90% to all of the continent and all its coveted luxuries were reduced to plastic and glass. This of course didn't stop at the devices themselves, but everything networked into the infrastructure was brought down as well.The four devices together were seen from various parts of the country. Their effects brought down all major computer systems, information networks, communication relays, and nearly all circuit-based technology on the continent. There is no official record of who fired the weapons. Any logs created were probably lost in the very blast they created. Many believe that it was a last ditch effort to limit the destruction of the United States in the event of Atomic Holocaust. Some believe it was due to international intervention. The world's final discipline upon them for what they were doing. Many of the religious groups who would come from this era believe it was the work of God, though they cannot agree whether it was a sign of his mercy or punishment upon a sinful nation. Whoever was responsible, the truth is that the devices probably stopped more bombs than actually went off that day, but they didn't protect anyone from the next five years. America was dark.Day 842: "I was out on the porch catching fireflies with Jamie on the night the lights went out. We caught a whole jar full when I saw a bright light come from the sky way far off in the North. Daddy screamed and jumped on us and he held me really close as we fell to the ground. The light grew really bright and then all of a sudden this wind crashed the field. The wind whooshed through like it was going to carry Daddy, me, and Jamie away. Then it went away. I looked up and the light in the sky faded away. I watched it dim until it turned to nothing. Then I looked around and realized I couldn't see anything. All the lights in the house went off. All the other houses did too. All the street lights were off and the whole town was dark. I asked Daddy what happened. "I don't know, Sweetie. We need to get back into the house before it gets too cold." I looked hard and tried to find a path back to the porch. Then I saw the light flicker on Jamie's cheek. The jar in her hand began to flicker and I could see the fireflies coming back to life. It wasn't much, but they were the only lights for miles and Jamie was all I could see."The Diary of Sarah BrennanDay 846: I don't know which is worse, the casualties we suffered at Salt Lake or the retreat back through the Sierra Nevadas. We lost the trucks and armor when all the comms and equipment went dead. We’ve been on foot since the California border. We are no longer being pursued. Perhaps they know how desperate we are. Or perhaps they are every bit as broken as we, limping back to Texas. I’ve reached the point where I no longer wish the hardship of my enemy, praying only that God will see fit to forgive us all our misgivings, and see us safely home.We have lost all contact with San Francisco. Everything’s gone silent. Even the locals we pass are in the dark. I fear all that awaits us beyond these mountains will be cities of ash. But I am trying to keep the men going. There must be some hope of a future worth getting back to if any of us hope to make it out of this pass alive. But I honestly don't know how we’re going to make it out of the mountains. The snow is thick and has reduced our pace to a crawl. There are days we make no more than a mile. Foraging is not meeting the nutritional needs of three battered divisions marching in winter. We have already lost as many men trying to get back to the base as we did in the battle.My greatest fear is that the men will begin to realize where we are. Why God would put us through all of this in the middle of the Donner Pass. Please Lord, don't let the men know what happened here, and by the mercy of the Heaven, don’t let them start getting ideas. Please Lord, just let us make it out the pass."Log of Lt. Joseph Ramirez, 3rd California Infantry RegimentAfter the collapse came the period historians remember as the American Dark Age.Five years passed. With all the infrastructural losses came a loss in leadership. The cities were deserted when the water, food, and power stopped coming in. Disease and pestilence took their place, moving in like a ravaging army. Towns like Ardmore, Oklahoma became overnight metropolises, taking in the flood of humanity escaping from cities like Dallas and the ruins of Oklahoma City. A local Indian casino from before the war, became a refugee camp for more than 60,000 people. The Oklahomans welcomed them warmly. There was no war then. There was no Texas, nor California and certainly no America. Now everyone was simply a survivor of the 2nd American Civil War.In the chaos of the collapse, micro-wars sprang up. With no government protection, towns and villages attacked one another for the scraps so civilization. Local Sheriffs declared themselves Generals of fifty-man armies. Much of the former United States fell into a feudal bid for power waging county against county and town against town, family against family. They fought battles over salt mines, cattle, clean creek water, or farmland.In the South a plague swept through the countryside. Many reputable reports indicate that it happened when the controls at the CDC in Atlanta were destroyed after the bombing or from the EMP. Others think the viralents were released on purpose. Genocides and ethnic cleansing also scarred the landscape in Chicago, Alabama, Miami, and Los Angeles.It was towns like Ardmore, Oklahoma that finally brought the people out of the dark. They rebuilt the agricultural backbone and got people back to work now that peace was assured through the destruction of the capacity to make war by the large nation-states. Veterans gathered to provide a unified defense force for the new agrarian cultures that built themselves out of the ashes. New farms were established and refugees built homes all along the landscapes.As famine no longer blighted the survivors, factories began to rise again. The infrastructure began returning as power was restored, transformers were replaced, networks were brought back online. As the towns became secure and prosperous again people moved back into the cities. Dallas, Sacramento, Columbus, and Richmond rose to become important regional powers again. The eyes of the nation looked to these cities as fears of the rekindling of the Unification Wars began to surface. Old hatreds and unresolved grievances lingered in the air.It was from Dallas that a movement started. One young girl led a peace movement from the heart of the former Republic of Texas.Day 2871: "This girl in Texas is calling for us to formally end the hostilities. I know it’s been years since anyone has fired a shot, and God only knows how much we’ve lost. I don't know if I could ever trust someone from Texas again, but she was just a girl when this whole thing started. It's not like she is to blame for anything, but it is just hard to get behind someone from down there. We are tired, there isn't anything left worth fighting for. If there is anything left it would have to be that this has to end before it all happens again."Sgt. Anthony Sullivan - California Civil Restoration AdministrationDay 2912: "Give this girl your support. What we did was criminal. As a people we destroyed what took great men hundreds of years to bring together. It took us less than two years to bring each other to the brink. We lost our greatest cities and our best people. For what? To throw away that which we were blessed with to create our own Hell on Earth? Now there is one of our own calling for repentance and recompense. Pray for her strength and success."Pastor Joseph RamirezDay 2945: "There's going to be a peace conference in New York City. They're back up and running for the most part. Hopefully we can do something good there. I will be part of the delegation from the RUS. We haven't thought of ourselves as that for years. Still, we have to go and let it be known that Columbus doesn't want any more fighting. We are more than this collection of third-world city-states that are built on the breakdown of our legacies. I hope this little girl from Dallas is more than hopes and dreams."Mayor Thomas Scott of ColumbusDay 2953: As the much talked-about New York City peace accords prepare to open, all the attention of the country is on this young woman from Oklahoma. She was one of the early people to flee with her family from Texas. She, with her father, mother and young sister, lived with family on a small farm in Southern Oklahoma. There they survived the conscription notices for service, the bombings, The Dark and the two-year winter.She took up work in an old cookie factory, now shelling pecans from local harvests for soldiers, then for survivors. After the Dark she administered relief efforts at a local Indian casino for refugees fleeing Texas. She was then given the task of finding the refugees on the local farms. She built up relief shelters to gather together aid to the refugees and give them jobs. Thousands knew her for her work and generosity. While still barely in her 20's she was instrumental in restoring Oklahoma City. When the lights came back online and grocery shelves were stocked again in Dallas, she was there. Pushed into local politics, she was a unifying force for the region.While in Dallas she championed a peace movement. Dallasites and Texans began to question if the war should continue, if their safety could be secured with the history of the war and Texas' role in it. She was the voice of reason in a sea of fears. She gained support from those she helped and her message spread across the Republic, and all the way to Columbus and Sacramento.Now leaders from across America are going to New York City and are meeting for the first time since the break-up of the United States to discuss a resolution to the failed Wars of Reunification. In her honor, the much talked about Brennan Treaty will be presented to the delegation, ratified and hopefully pass within the week. Here's to hope and to Sarah Brennan.Jennifer Aranda - New San Diego Union Tribune- EndSources:List of U.S. states and territories by populationList of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnelJohn Burgess's answer to Which states commit the most troops to the US Military?United States Armed ForcesJon Davis's answer to Hypothetical Battles: If every nation in the world allied and attempted to invade and conquer the United States, would they succeed?All the other answers on If every state of the USA declared war against each other, which would win?I was also inspired by watching some of my favorites on human nature and warfare Hotel Rwanda and Red Dawn. Just be thankful I didn't rewatch the documentary series "Auschwitz: Inside the Nazi State."Liked this? You might also like my YouTube Channel. You can also connect with The War Elephant on Facebook. If you want to help me make more content like this, please visit my Patreon Page to find out more.

Yellow Fever in Louisiana | 64 ParishesImagine that you've volunteered for an experiment, but when you show up at the lab you discover the researcher wants you to murder an innocent person. You protest, but the researcher firmly states, "The experiment requires that you do it." Would you acquiesce and kill the person?When asked what they would do in such a situation, almost everyone replies that of course they would refuse to commit murder. But Stanley Milgram's famous obedience experiment, conducted at Yale University in the early 1960s, revealed that this optimistic belief is wrong.[1][1][1][1] If the request is presented in the right way, almost all of us quite obediently become murderers.When the man is a "normal" person, he sensibly thinks, "I guess I shouldn't do that." When he is a scientist, however, he scratches his head and asks, "I wonder if that happens every time," and reaches again for the lever.Curiosity is what makes scientists tick.[2][2][2][2]This curiosity can lead to great discoveries, but it can also inspire bizarre experiments that appear extremely fantastical to the rest of society. Such experiments span the spectrum. At one end are the experiments that, in the words of Marc Abrahams, editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, "first make you laugh, and then make you think."[3][3][3][3] The research is serious, but the subject matter contains hints of the absurd.Tusko the elephant and other sadnessThen there are the bizarre experiments that make you cringe, not laugh. A classic example is the 1962 elephant-on-acid experiment. A trio of Oklahoma City researchers became curious about what would happen if they gave an elephant LSD.[4][4][4][4] There was just one problem- only one problem? most are thinking at this stage. Scientists had no clue how much LSD to dose the elephant with. As elephants are massive creatures, the researchers figured their subject would need a really big dose. They settled on 297 milligrams, about 3000 times the level of a normal human dose.[5][5][5][5] Injecting the drug into the elephant's rump, it trumpeted angrily, woozily rocked back and forth, then keeled over.[6][6][6][6] Tragically, it was dead. In the article that appeared in Science months later, the researchers euphemistically noted, "It appears that the elephant is highly sensitive to the effects of LSD."[7][7][7][7] The lesson is that having three researchers work on a problem does not make it three times more likely someone will display common sense.Then there are the experiments that simply make you shake your head in disbelief and exclaim, "Someone really did that?" or “WTF!”Stubbins Ffirth (1804: Med student tests theory by drinking black vomit)Stubbins Ffirth was a doctor-in-training who lived in early nineteenth-century Philadelphia. Born and raised in Salem, New Jersey, Ffirth commenced studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 1801.[8][8][8][8] In his third year, Ffirth began to investigate the causes and communicability of yellow fever, ultimately attempting to determine whether yellow fever was contagious. He noted that the disease was far more widespread during the summer months and the number of Yellow Fever cases dropped significantly during the winter.[9][9][9][9] This finding led Ffirth to strongly believe that Yellow Fever was a result of stress caused by the heat of the summer months and that the disease was not at all contagious.[10][10][10][10]This virus was a deadly constant in tropical areas but occasionally appeared in colder cities; a 1793 outbreak in Philadelphia killed several thousand people, 10% of the population.[11][11][11][11] The causes of yellow fever were then unknown. The most popular theory, propagated by prominent physician Benjamin Rush, suggested that it was spread by miasma or ‘bad air’.[12][12][12][12] Today it is acknoqledged that yellow fever is spread by mosquitoes or blood, but in 1802, yellow fever was considered highly contagious, and people believed even a victims' bedding could transmit the disease.[13][13][13][13]1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic - WikipediaIn 1800, Dr. Isaac Carroll self experimented with fluids from Yellow Fever patients, smearing their vomit on his lips; despite a strange tingling sensation he failed to contract the disease.[14][14][14][14] In 1804, Ffirth undertook a series of experiments, summarising his findings in a brief manuscript. His first trials involved feeding or injecting animals with black vomit, harvested from the bedsides of dying yellow fever patients[15][15][15][15] – but they failed to prove Ffirth’s theory:“Experiment One: A small sized dog was confined in a room and fed upon bread soaked in the black vomit. At the expiration of three days, he became so fond of it that he would eat the ejected matter without bread; it was therefore discontinued…”[16][16][16][16]Ffirth also tried other methods of infecting dogs and cats, again without definitive results. One dog died ten minutes after having an ounce of vomit injected into its jugular vein, while others remained healthy.[17][17][17][17] After five inconclusive experiments, Ffirth stopped working with animals and began to experiment on himself. When lying in bed with victims and breathing in their breath failed to infect him, Ffirth continued onto the next phase of his experiments.[18][18][18][18]“On October 4th 1802, I made an incision in my left arm, midway between the elbow and wrist, so as to draw a few drops of blood. Into the incision I introduced some fresh black vomit… a slight degree of inflammation ensued, which entirely subsided in three days, and the wound healed up very readily.”[19][19][19][19]Undaunted, Ffirth continued filling himself with the vomit of dying yellow fever patients, injecting it into veins, under his cuticles and into his eye.[20][20][20][20] Emboldened by this success, Ffirth graduated to smearing assorted other bodily fluids from yellow-fever sufferers over his person – including blood, spit, sweat and urine.[21][21][21][21]10 Real Life Examples Of Crazy Scientists And Their Gruesome ExperimentsFor his tenth experiment, he fried up three ounces of vomit in a pan and inhaled the steam. Next he constructed his own ‘vomit sauna’, sitting at length in a small closet with six ounces of steaming vomit.[22][22][22][22] , which caused him “great pain in [his] head”, but left him in rude health.[23][23][23][23] Ffirth eventually cut to the chase and decided to take his black vomit directly:“After repeating the two last experiments several times, and with precisely the same results, I took half an ounce of the black vomit immediately after it was ejected from a patient, and diluting it with an ounce and a half of water, swallowed it. The taste was very slightly acid… It neither produced nausea or pain… My pulse, which was beating 76 in a minute, moderately strong and full, was not altered either in force or frequency… No more effect was produced than if I had taken water alone.”[24][24][24][24]Ffirth remained in perfect health but was not one to give up. He decided to repeat these experiments “a great number of times”, first in pill form, eventually drinking several doses of vomit, “half an ounce to two ounces without dilution”.[25][25][25][25] Even this had no effect, leaving Ffirth to concede that yellow fever was not carried in human vomit. Since he didn’t get ill, Ffirth considered the case proven. Presumably others did too, since he was in due course awarded his medical doctorate.[26][26][26][26]The real source of the transmission of yellow fever – human blood plasma carried by mosquitos – was discovered by US Army physician Major Walter Reed in 1901.[27][27][27][27]Spurred by the massive yellow fever-related casualties in the Spanish-American War, members of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission, headed by Walter Reed, traveled to Cuba to study the disease.[28][28][28][28] Commission member Jesse Lazear (1866-1900) met Henry Rose Carter, a surgeon who had studied the incubation period of yellow fever. Carter gave Lazear a draft of a paper he’d authored defining the incubation period for the disease as a range of 10 to 17 days.[29][29][29][29] Lazear reportedly stated that Carter’s dates, should they prove to be correct, suggested a living host for yellow fever.Two members of Reed's staff (Lazear and James Carroll) and set out to prove that an insect bite, rather than person-to-person transmission, was how the virus spread.[30][30][30][30] While in Cuba, the duo allowed mosquitoes to feast on their bodies. later wrote that the experiments went ahead because each of the doctors was "willing to take a soldier's chance."[31][31][31][31] Lazear died during the experiment, and Carroll suffered long-term complications that led to his death at 53.[32][32][32][32]Encyclopedia of Greater PhiladelphiaThe history of science is full of bizarre experiments. Many of them, for all their weirdness, display a touch of genius. In 1978, Russell Clark published results of an experiment in which students from his psychology class sexually propositioned strangers in public places to find out if men and women responded differently.[33][33][33][33] No surprise, almost all men accepted the invitation, and all women rejected it. Initially ridiculed by the scientific community (journals refused to publish it for years)[34][34][34][34] , the study now earns widespread praise for demonstrating the importance of gender differences in sexual attitudes, something to which psychologists had previously paid little attention.[35][35][35][35]Unfortunately, if you're designing an experiment that makes your colleagues raise their eyebrows in surprise, it can be very difficult to know if you're heading down the path of genius or madness. The difference usually only becomes apparent in hindsight.Footnotes[1] Milgram Experiment | Simply Psychology[1] Milgram Experiment | Simply Psychology[1] Milgram Experiment | Simply Psychology[1] Milgram Experiment | Simply Psychology[2] Elephants on Acid[2] Elephants on Acid[2] Elephants on Acid[2] Elephants on Acid[3] Improb | Purveyer Of Aesthetics[3] Improb | Purveyer Of Aesthetics[3] Improb | Purveyer Of Aesthetics[3] Improb | Purveyer Of Aesthetics[4] Opinion | What Happens When You Give L.S.D. to an Elephant?[4] Opinion | What Happens When You Give L.S.D. to an Elephant?[4] Opinion | What Happens When You Give L.S.D. to an Elephant?[4] Opinion | What Happens When You Give L.S.D. to an Elephant?[5] Tusko's last trip[5] Tusko's last trip[5] Tusko's last trip[5] Tusko's last trip[6] LSD Related Death of Elephant in 1962[6] LSD Related Death of Elephant in 1962[6] LSD Related Death of Elephant in 1962[6] LSD Related Death of Elephant in 1962[7] Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Its Effects on a Male Asiatic Elephant[7] Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Its Effects on a Male Asiatic Elephant[7] Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Its Effects on a Male Asiatic Elephant[7] Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Its Effects on a Male Asiatic Elephant[8] 1804: Med student tests theory by drinking black vomit[8] 1804: Med student tests theory by drinking black vomit[8] 1804: Med student tests theory by drinking black vomit[8] 1804: Med student tests theory by drinking black vomit[9] The seasonal influence of climate and environment on yellow fever transmission across Africa[9] The seasonal influence of climate and environment on yellow fever transmission across Africa[9] The seasonal influence of climate and environment on yellow fever transmission across Africa[9] The seasonal influence of climate and environment on yellow fever transmission across Africa[10] 15 Interesting Stubbins Ffirth Facts[10] 15 Interesting Stubbins Ffirth Facts[10] 15 Interesting Stubbins Ffirth Facts[10] 15 Interesting Stubbins Ffirth Facts[11] Philadelphia Under Siege: The Yellow Fever of 1793[11] Philadelphia Under Siege: The Yellow Fever of 1793[11] Philadelphia Under Siege: The Yellow Fever of 1793[11] Philadelphia Under Siege: The Yellow Fever of 1793[12] Benjamin Rush, MD: assassin or beloved healer?[12] Benjamin Rush, MD: assassin or beloved healer?[12] Benjamin Rush, MD: assassin or beloved healer?[12] Benjamin Rush, MD: assassin or beloved healer?[13] History of the discovery of the mode of transmission of yellow fever virus[13] History of the discovery of the mode of transmission of yellow fever virus[13] History of the discovery of the mode of transmission of yellow fever virus[13] History of the discovery of the mode of transmission of yellow fever virus[14] Yellow Fever[14] Yellow Fever[14] Yellow Fever[14] Yellow Fever[15] The Boldest Ideas Scientists Tested On Themselves[15] The Boldest Ideas Scientists Tested On Themselves[15] The Boldest Ideas Scientists Tested On Themselves[15] The Boldest Ideas Scientists Tested On Themselves[16] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://librarycompany.org/Economics/PDF%2520Files/PEAES%2520--%2520arner%2520seminar%2520paper%25203-18-11.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi0ic6oh_rnAhUSDKwKHV5BCgIQFjAFegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw1aSk2ZibjFv_ol5UrxRVIU[16] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://librarycompany.org/Economics/PDF%2520Files/PEAES%2520--%2520arner%2520seminar%2520paper%25203-18-11.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi0ic6oh_rnAhUSDKwKHV5BCgIQFjAFegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw1aSk2ZibjFv_ol5UrxRVIU[16] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://librarycompany.org/Economics/PDF%2520Files/PEAES%2520--%2520arner%2520seminar%2520paper%25203-18-11.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi0ic6oh_rnAhUSDKwKHV5BCgIQFjAFegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw1aSk2ZibjFv_ol5UrxRVIU[16] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://librarycompany.org/Economics/PDF%2520Files/PEAES%2520--%2520arner%2520seminar%2520paper%25203-18-11.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi0ic6oh_rnAhUSDKwKHV5BCgIQFjAFegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw1aSk2ZibjFv_ol5UrxRVIU[17] International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics[17] International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics[17] International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics[17] International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics[18] Stubbins Ffirth grosses out humanity in the name of science[18] Stubbins Ffirth grosses out humanity in the name of science[18] Stubbins Ffirth grosses out humanity in the name of science[18] Stubbins Ffirth grosses out humanity in the name of science[19] A Catalogue of Printed Books in European Languages in the Library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal[19] A Catalogue of Printed Books in European Languages in the Library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal[19] A Catalogue of Printed Books in European Languages in the Library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal[19] A Catalogue of Printed Books in European Languages in the Library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal[20] 10 Scientists Who Experimented on Themselves[20] 10 Scientists Who Experimented on Themselves[20] 10 Scientists Who Experimented on Themselves[20] 10 Scientists Who Experimented on Themselves[21] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[21] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[21] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[21] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[22] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[22] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[22] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[22] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[23] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[23] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[23] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[23] Eight scientists who became their own guinea pigs[24] A Catalogue of Printed Books in European Languages in the Library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal[24] A Catalogue of Printed Books in European Languages in the Library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal[24] A Catalogue of Printed Books in European Languages in the Library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal[24] A Catalogue of Printed Books in European Languages in the Library of the Asiatic Society of Bengal[25] STUBBINS H. FFIRTH (1784-1820)[25] STUBBINS H. FFIRTH (1784-1820)[25] STUBBINS H. FFIRTH (1784-1820)[25] STUBBINS H. FFIRTH (1784-1820)[26] Who Goes First?[26] Who Goes First?[26] Who Goes First?[26] Who Goes First?[27] Politics of Participation: Walter Reed's Yellow-Fever Experiments[27] Politics of Participation: Walter Reed's Yellow-Fever Experiments[27] Politics of Participation: Walter Reed's Yellow-Fever Experiments[27] Politics of Participation: Walter Reed's Yellow-Fever Experiments[28] U.S. Army Researchers Discover the Cause of Yellow Fever[28] U.S. Army Researchers Discover the Cause of Yellow Fever[28] U.S. Army Researchers Discover the Cause of Yellow Fever[28] U.S. Army Researchers Discover the Cause of Yellow Fever[29] Place of Origin of Malaria: America?, by Henry Rose Carter[29] Place of Origin of Malaria: America?, by Henry Rose Carter[29] Place of Origin of Malaria: America?, by Henry Rose Carter[29] Place of Origin of Malaria: America?, by Henry Rose Carter[30] U.S. Army Physicians Discovered the Cause of Yellow Fever[30] U.S. Army Physicians Discovered the Cause of Yellow Fever[30] U.S. Army Physicians Discovered the Cause of Yellow Fever[30] U.S. Army Physicians Discovered the Cause of Yellow Fever[31] My Body, My Laboratory[31] My Body, My Laboratory[31] My Body, My Laboratory[31] My Body, My Laboratory[32] Major Walter Reed and the Eradication of Yellow Fever[32] Major Walter Reed and the Eradication of Yellow Fever[32] Major Walter Reed and the Eradication of Yellow Fever[32] Major Walter Reed and the Eradication of Yellow Fever[33] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274130223_Gender_Differences_in_Receptivity_to_Sexual_Offers_A_New_Research_Prototype&ved=2ahUKEwjvouX41vnnAhU2kHIEHUqFDl0QFjADegQIDxAM&usg=AOvVaw3rFApuqjoB1GxpCHoyWCvn[33] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274130223_Gender_Differences_in_Receptivity_to_Sexual_Offers_A_New_Research_Prototype&ved=2ahUKEwjvouX41vnnAhU2kHIEHUqFDl0QFjADegQIDxAM&usg=AOvVaw3rFApuqjoB1GxpCHoyWCvn[33] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274130223_Gender_Differences_in_Receptivity_to_Sexual_Offers_A_New_Research_Prototype&ved=2ahUKEwjvouX41vnnAhU2kHIEHUqFDl0QFjADegQIDxAM&usg=AOvVaw3rFApuqjoB1GxpCHoyWCvn[33] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274130223_Gender_Differences_in_Receptivity_to_Sexual_Offers_A_New_Research_Prototype&ved=2ahUKEwjvouX41vnnAhU2kHIEHUqFDl0QFjADegQIDxAM&usg=AOvVaw3rFApuqjoB1GxpCHoyWCvn[34] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/101279/Harwood-Tappe_Mercedes_r.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjDoOWg1_nnAhUDhXIEHTmECaUQFjAFegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0qQJDEdzAcn4Z-9wLjqUc0[34] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/101279/Harwood-Tappe_Mercedes_r.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjDoOWg1_nnAhUDhXIEHTmECaUQFjAFegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0qQJDEdzAcn4Z-9wLjqUc0[34] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/101279/Harwood-Tappe_Mercedes_r.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjDoOWg1_nnAhUDhXIEHTmECaUQFjAFegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0qQJDEdzAcn4Z-9wLjqUc0[34] https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/101279/Harwood-Tappe_Mercedes_r.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjDoOWg1_nnAhUDhXIEHTmECaUQFjAFegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0qQJDEdzAcn4Z-9wLjqUc0[35] Research proposals[35] Research proposals[35] Research proposals[35] Research proposals

As others have said, the state of Hawaii will request an en banc review.The chances are that the current ruling will be overturned. It’s the same odds as those for the Pope remaining Catholic.I have to assume that the state is hoping the Supreme Court will do as it did in Peruta v. San Diego and decline to accept the case. This would leave the en banc opinion in force.The problem is that this might not work out as they expect.It’s likely that Brent Kavanaugh will be confirmed as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court. It takes just four justices to grant certiorari or agree to review the case. Justice Clarence Thomas has been critical of the court’s inaction on Second Amendment issues since McDonald v. Chicago and it’s likely that Kavanaugh and Gorsuch would agree.That would mean that the three would only have to persuade either Chief Justice John Roberts or Justice Samuel Alito to provide the fourth vote. Since both Roberts and Alito concurred with the majority in both the McDonald and Heller cases, it’s a pretty fair bet that one or both of them would concur.This is the nightmare scenario, not only for Hawaii, but for some other states, as well.The betting would be that Thomas and Gorsuch would be joined by Kavanaugh and, most likely Roberts and Alito in a 5–4 majority reversing the en banc’s reversal and affirming the original opinion. In their view, they would simply be upholding the opinion written by the late Antonin Scalia in District of Columbia v. Heller. Scalia write that “bear” means “carry” it that the interpretation must be that it means carry outside of the home, which is already covered by “keep.”If the Second Amendment guarantees a citizen’s right to bear arms, then it must protect some way of carrying them. If concealed carry is an acceptable restriction subject to licensing, then open carry is the only alternative.How far this verdict might extend is an open question. You can’t license a constitutional right because that turns the right into a privilege granted at the pleasure of the state. This is exactly what the Second Amendment prohibits.The old example of yelling “fire” in a crowded theater doesn’t really apply for the simple reason that nobody licenses a person to yell “fire” in a crowded (or any other kind of) theater. We don’t license porngraphers, either.In addition, the majority of the states already permit unlicensed open carry of handguns (see graphic). Twelve of those states allow both open and concealed carry without a permit.So the right to carry is already observed in more states than than it is restricted; an opinion upholding open carry as a protected right would, technically, cause less upheaval. Only 18 states would need to make changes to be in compliance and some of those are already moving in that direction.Admittedly, the upheaval states include some of the most vocal opponents to gun rights, including open and overt hostility in government (California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, for example). On the other hand, there probably wouldn’t be a lot of resistance in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. At the moment, Florida is kind of up in the air.A decision reversing the likely en banc review in the Ninth District would also yield a partial victory in Peruta. California could remain a “may issue” state for concealed carry but would have to abandon the Mulford Act forbidding the open carry of loaded firearms passed in 1967 and the general prohibition on open carry enacted as Assembly Bill 144 in 2011. New York City leaders would go ballistic. For the first time since the Sullivan Act went into effect in 1911, denizens of the city would be able to openly carry firearms without city permission.If Young v. Hawaii is accepted by the courts, I would expect a battle royale to ensue. Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, Kagan and Sotomayor would argue tooth and nail; the court would be flooding with amicus curiae briefs from every state attorney general and every special interest group in the nation. The Internet would be filled with pointless petitions and requests for donations to this cause or that (folks, you can’t lobby the Supreme Court, so save your money). Michael Bloomberg would take a hunk of his fortune and the NRA would unlock its treasure chest, not so much to politic as to support the legal teams on either side.Politicking and propaganda notwithstanding, it’s likely that the majority of the probable justices will agree with Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, who wrote the opinion in Young v. Hawaii. The Second Amendment does protect a right to carry and if government is allowed to license concealed carry, citizens must be allowed to exercise their civil rights by open carry not subject to licensing.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has scheduled hearings on Kavanaugh to begin right after Labor Day and I would presume a vote would be scheduled as soon as possible after the hearings. Kavanaugh could be confirmed by the time the next session of the Supreme Court opens in early October.Don’t expect anything too quickly, though. While the attorneys for Mr. Young might want to fast-track this case directly to the Supreme Court, the attorneys for Hawaii will want to stretch things out with an en banc review and maximum foot-dragging, unless it looks like the current ruling will be affirmed. If that happens, along with flocks of flying pigs, we would probably see the state raise the white flag and give up.