The folks in Vermont are apparently not happy with the state of the union, and they’re looking to do something drastic about it — secede. We say let them go.

A report on Fox News last week found that a movement for Vermont’s secession from the United States has apparently picked up steam, with the percentage of supporters in the state growing from eight percent in 2006 to 13 percent this year. And as crazy as the idea might seem, some Vermonters — long known for their quixotic ways — are convinced it can work. They even have a name picked out should independence become a reality — the Second Vermont Republic — and their own flag. And in a way, the loss of Vermont would give the District something of a historic opportunity.

Should Vermont take its 623,000 residents and form an independent country, the District could easily fill the void that would be left behind by the loss of the state’s people and their small congressional delegation — two senators and one representative. And since Old Glory just wouldn’t look right with 49 stars, we could also adopt their star and avoid the inevitable lopsided mess that the flag would become with one less star — or one more. Call it the path of least resistance to full statehood.

We’re not saying we want Vermont gone, but we’d understand if they wanted to go.