Happy Conch Republic Day

 "Dedicated to the fundamentally American spirit of a people unafraid to stand up to 'government gone mad with power' that embodied the founding of the Conch Republic in 1982. As the world's first fifth world nation, a sovereign state of mind seeking only to bring more humor, warmth, and respect to a world in sore need of all three, the Conch Republic remains the country who seceded where others failed."

In 1982 the U.S. Border Patrol set up a road block at the top of "The Stretch", which is the one lane in each direction road that connects us to the mainland. Every car was stopped and searched for illegal aliens, which caused traffic to back up sometimes as far as 20 miles. You can imagine how our tourism dropped when word got out. 

Our little government asked the federal government to lift the roadblock, but they basically ignored us. Since the U.S. had set up a border blocking the Keys from the rest of the world, we must be in a different country.

So on April 23, 1982 the Florida Keys seceded from the United States, declared war on the U.S. (the war lasted about a minute), surrendered to the U.S. and asked for 1 billion dollars in foreign aid. We're still waiting on the aid, but the road block was lifted.

If you've ever been here, you know that we are a little relaxed and will celebrate anything. My mother, who loves it here, says we are all a little odd or different. We celebrated The Conch (pronounced Konk, don't make us snicker at you) Republic this past weekend. Symbolic blowing up of bridges, pirates which have nothing to do with Conch Republic, but we love our history, and lots of parties. In Key West they had drag races, no cars, just drag queens in stilleto heels. 

Great fun was had by all and I wish you all a day of "humor, warmth and respect".

Thanks for stopping by,

Dana