A petition begun by an Alabama man seeking the state’s withdrawal from the United States has drawn the support of 20,000 residents.

And 19 other states have also petitioned the White House seeking to create their own governments in the days after the presidential election.

The informal petitions were created by citizens on the White House web site under a “We the People” program created by the Obama administration. Petitions filed there must gain 150 signatures to become visible, and 25,000 signatures to warrant a response from the White House.

Residents in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas also have begun petitions.

Often, residents are shocked by the outcome of an election – be it local, state or national – and feel the community, state or nation won’t survive par­ticular leadership. To date, Americans always have. While the reaction to an election might be natural, it is obvious those who signed the petition either aren’t serious or didn’t think this through.

What, for example, would those Alabamians who depend upon Medicare do? Would those who benefit from Social Security retirement or disability live without it or go back to work? How would Alabama secure her borders? What would we do without the other millions and millions of federal dollars that now help turn our state economy?

Gov. Robert Bentley responded Tuesday, saying, “As our leaders in Washington look for strategies to address America’s financial challenges, Alabama is working hard toward saving a billion dollars annually by right-sizing government. We can disagree on philosophy, but we should work together to make this country the best it can be. Our nation’s leaders can look at states like Alabama as they work to get our country back on a better and more prosperous track.”

Secession? Seriously. We tried that once and it didn’t work out so well. Matter of fact, there are those who argue compellingly that the states of the former Confederacy have yet to overcome the setbacks caused by secession and war.

Despite the fear mongering used in the election, America will survive four more years of President Obama, just as we would have survived four years of a Romney administration.

It’s time to stop this foolish talk and get busy encouraging political leaders to work together for the good of our nation.