Freedom

Everyone should have the right of self government. But everyone within any political entity should have the same rights. When the southern states seceded in the Civil War they said they were fighting for their rights. But they weren't fighting for the rights of all the black people in their states. I think this is a big reason why they lost the war. If you're making a half-baked effort for your freedom, but could care less about your neighbor's freedom, you are going to lose big time.

These days different areas are talking about seceding. Some people in California want to secede and Catalonia in Spain wants to secede. But there are also a sizable amount of people in these areas who like being part of the bigger country, also. It is important in these situations, that the national government doesn't have an overbearing tax and police presence in the region or state, so the governing majorities don't feel threatened by the national government. And the region or state government should make a concerted effort to include all peoples in governmental conversations, so that minorities don't have to look to the national government for protection.