I’m a native Californian. I was born and raised here, and I’ve lived here my entire life. I started a family and raised our children here. Almost all my novels are set here. There is no other place where I’d rather be.

So, you’d think I’d join the trend of striking my American flag and flying a California one. Why should we continue to subsidize this evil regime and the “brain-dead” red states when we have the world’s fourth-largest GDP? California can flourish as an independent country. Why don’t we strike out on our own?

Because CalExit wouldn’t be like the amicable split between the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It would be more like the last time states tried to leave the Union. And that’s exactly what the regime wants.

The tyrant frequently expressed his hatred of California. (Perhaps he’s still steamed he didn’t win an Emmy for The Apprentice.) One his first acts returning to office was to attack the response by state and local officials to the LA wildfires. Los Angeles would later become an early target for ICE raids. When people protested, he took over the state National Guard and sent in the Marines. Yesterday, we had that pathetic display of heavily armed ICE agents in MacArthur Park.

What do you think the tyrant and his regime would do if California seceded from the Union? He would use the full power of the largest military in the world to subdue “a state in rebellion.” He’d blockade our ports and highways, turn off the taps at the aqueducts, and carpet bomb our cities. He’d use us a warning to other states that are considering rebelling. Along with the destruction of war, there would be genocide. West Hollywood, the Castro District, and any community those “good Christian folks” hate would become bloodbaths. Laura Loomer wouldn’t need to fantasize about feeding the entire Hispanic population of the US to alligators when pardoned J6ers have license to gun them down in the streets.

These people are always looking for a reason. They want an excuse to let loose the violence they fantasize committing. The motive behind the regime’s actions is to give them that reason. To provoke and outrage us so much, we give into rage and lash out. And that’s when they attack.

And it’s not just out of hatred. Remember those renderings of the Trump resort (with a golden statue of himself) that would be built on the ruins of Gaza? Behind every ethnic cleansing is a land grab. Racism has always been a cover for greed. Japanese Americans were forced to sell their homes, businesses, and farms for pennies on the dollar before they were shipped to internment camps. President Roosevelt could claim he signed Executive Order 9066 in the name of “national security,” but I bet there were plenty pushing this order who were salivating over the land and property they would get for cheap.

If California were destroyed, the tyrant and his cronies could rebuild it the way they want and profit off the land and natural resources. Our neighborhood could become the parking lot for a future Trump resort.

There are plenty of brave folks who still say they’d take up arms for an independent California, the same way brave patriots fought for American independence 250 years ago. Remember, we didn’t win independence on our own. We had the help of other countries, especially Britain’s biggest rival, France. If California got help to become independent, it wouldn’t be from Canada or Denmark. Our most likely ally would be China. They have plenty invested in California, and limiting the US’s role in the Pacific would enable them to achieve their own goals (like Taiwan). But this would mean World War III. Instead of just destroying California, it could destroy all of humanity. California independence isn’t just a bad idea. It’s a trap.

Instead, California must lead, not leave.

Our non-violent protests and resistance to the regime’s actions has encouraged the country. We are used as an example for protests around the nation and world. And Governor Newsom announced the deployment of urban search and rescue teams to help the victims of the recent Texas floods. He reminds us that no matter which political party has the majority in a state, we are all people. Humanity must come before politics. Despite our differences, we are still one country.

California also provides an example through its history. We weren’t always a blue state. We are the state of Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Pete Wilson. The last of these is why California flipped blue. Wilson’s Proposition 187 and draconian policies against immigrants was why California turned against Republicans in general and has been reliably Democrat ever since. Many look for a similar effect nationwide.

There’s a reason California inspires the imagination of the world and the jealousy of the tyrant and his minions. Our fashion, cuisine, and entertainment is the product of a blending of cultures and perspectives, which is why they’re enjoyed worldwide. We offer the image of both sun-drenched relaxation and hard-working innovation. We build entire industries on people’s imaginations. We are the world’s breadbasket, tech support, and storyteller. And we can use our position to create a vision of a just and humane world and to demonstrate the patient, persistent courage needed to bring it to fruition.

This is why I’m proud to be a Californian. My hope isn’t just for my state to be free, but to be the leaders of a free America and free world.