Michigan citizens sign petition to secede from US

DETROIT – In the wake of President Barack Obama's re-election, a group of Michiganders want to leave the United States behind.

Citizens are signing a petition calling for Michigan to secede from the U.S. and create its own new government.

So far just more than 18,000 signatures are on the petition.

Michigan is not the only state with such an idea -- citizens in 19 other states have filed similar peaceful secession petitions.

The Michigan petition asks the Obama administration to "peacefully grant the State of Michigan to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own new government."

Many of the signatures on the petition are from individuals who live outside of Michigan.

View the petition at WhiteHouse.gov.