Senate backs 'urban legend'

Alabama resolution alleges that a conspiracy is brewing to form a 'North American Union' although experts discount the idea

May 06, 2008

By BRIAN LYMAN / Press-Register Capital Bureau

MONTGOMERY The state Senate may have been locked down for most of the year, but it did find time to endorse a widely discredited urban legend spread by the John Birch Society.

The upper chamber passed a joint resolution April 10 sponsored by state Sen. Rusty Glover, R-Semmes, claiming that Canada, Mexico and the United States are moving toward a "North American Union" and working on construction of a "NAFTA Superhighway" to link the countries and reportedly destroy their sovereignty.

"It's about retaining independence," said John McManus, the president of the John Birch Society, in a phone interview Mon day. "If we merge with Canada and Mexico, we are no longer an independent nation."

The John Birch Society is a far-right-wing organization established in 1958 as a hardline anti-communist group. Its founder, Robert Welch, once called President Dwight Eisenhower "a dedicated agent of the Communist conspiracy." The group has often warned of alleged threats to U.S. liberty and sovereignty, and has historically opposed the United Nations as a sign of a world government.

In the case of the purported North American Union, the society has circulated model resolutions for introduction in state legislatures and assemblies. Glover's resolution incorporates one paragraph from the John Birch Society resolution verbatim.

Experts from the White House to snopes.com, a popular urban legend Web site, say no such union is in the offing. The 2005 Security and Prosperity Partnership, often cited by conspiracists as proof of the plans afoot, is an agreement between the three countries to cooperate on issues of common concern, from energy security to health-related issues.

The Security and Prosperity Partnership, or SPP, is described as a dialogue on issues of common concern to the three countries, and is neither a treaty nor addresses the sovereignty of the countries. The rumors, however, have become so widespread that its Web site has an entire section devoted to the myths that have grown up around the agreement.

"The cooperative efforts under the SPP ... seek to make the United States, Canada and Mexico open to legitimate trade and closed to terrorism and crime," the Web site states. "It does not change our courts or legislative processes and respects the sovereignty of the United States, Mexico, and Canada."

Glover's resolution also states as fact that a "NAFTA Superhighway ... funded by foreign consortiums and controlled by foreign management" is being built to help the union come into being.

The "Superhighway" in question is the Trans-Texas Corridor, a proposed series of highway expansions that Texas Gov. Rick Perry and other supporters say will reduce congestion and increase business in that state but which opponents say has a host of safety, business and environmental concerns.

The allegations of the road's ties to the North American Union has led to inquiries with the Texas Department of Transportation, which has repeatedly said that the corridor has nothing to do with transnational conspiracies.

"It's just something someone along the way has pieced together," said Mark Cross, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation.

Still, that did not stop Republican congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul from expressing opposition to the supposed union.

In Congress, U.S. Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Virginia, joined by 46 colleagues, introduced a resolution last year opposing the supposed union. The resolution remains in committee.

Glover's resolution was passed by the Senate on a voice vote April 10 and is now in committee in the House of Representatives. The senator said he had been asked by Birmingham-based members of the Eagle Forum, a conservative group, to carry the resolution.

"It's a just-in-case-type of thing," Glover said. "If (Congress) had any thoughts, we're urging them not to."

State Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, introduced a similar resolution last year that Glover co-sponsored. Beason is co-sponsoring Glover's resolution, along with state Sens. Hank Erwin, R-Montevallo and Trip Pittman, R-Montrose.

Pittman said Monday he was not aware of the origins of the North American Union story, and although he supports national sovereignty, he said he would not have co-sponsored it otherwise.

"You don't want to say it's not important, but it's a resolution," he said. "It's not a law. It has no legal standing."

The 2007 Senate version died in committee, but a version sponsored by state Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, passed the House.

House Rules chairman Ken Guin, D-Carbon Hill, said the Clouse resolution was a House matter that passed as "matter of course," as opposed to Glover's joint resolution, which would get more House scrutiny.

Guin said he did not expect the resolution to come to a vote. "Congress is probably waiting on edge of their seats to see what the Alabama Legislature thinks about this issue," he said.