This commentary is by Deb Billado, chairwoman of the Vermont GOP.
Earlier this month the woke mob turned their eyes north — right here in Vermont — and defaced a statue of the Great Emancipator, President Abraham Lincoln.
On Oct. 9 unknown persons vandalized the statute of President Lincoln that has long stood before the Bennington Museum. The statue’s face and hands were sprayed with red paint, and other messages. The museum officials estimated that it would cost “several thousand dollars” to undo the damage.
The first Republican President Abraham Lincoln is rightly honored on President’s Day as one of the finest Presidents America has ever had. His bust justifiably graces the Hall of Inscriptions at our State House. And the VT Republican Party still honors his legacy with an annual Lincoln-Reagan dinner (Which is coming up on Tuesday) because of the foundational impact Lincoln had on the Republican Party.
In a time of terrible national struggle, his leadership won a civil war, preserved the Union, authored the Emancipation Proclamation, and led the battle to enact the 13th Amendment to our Constitution that forever banished human slavery and indentured servitude in this nation.
“President Lincoln has been particularly revered in the Green Mountain State, whose men answered his call for volunteer regiments in the early days of the War, and saw it through to victory after shedding their blood at Cedar Creek and Gettysburg. The descendants of those early Republicans owe it to them to stand up for President Lincoln against his the defilers of his memory now.
So why has the woke mob gone after Lincoln? According to the AP story, in the Dakota war aftermath a military commission sentenced 303 Sioux warriors to be executed. President Lincoln personally reviewed the verdicts and set free 264 who had fought against Army troops, leaving only 39 to be executed for committing murder and rape (one of them was later pardoned, reducing the list to 38).
Liberating every African American slave in the south wasn’t good enough. Considering and pardoning 264 Sioux warriors wasn’t good enough. To be honored by the woke mob, and to be left to rest in peace, they are demanding that Lincoln literally pardon murderers and rapists. Despite their cries for social justice, it seems the woke mob is looking for the very antithesis of justice. True justice is holding wrong doers accountable, and setting the innocent free. Those who have defaced the Lincoln statue have shown that their sense of justice seeks to determine innocent and guilt almost entirely by group affiliation. This is wrong.
Republicans must set aside our differences and work together to oppose this absolutely maddening direction that a wild and crazed Left is violently pushing our society towards. The Republican Party stands to gather together those who want to oppose this kind of destructive behavior and work towards doing the work of putting a more functional society back together, instead of constantly tearing down.
If you want to join me and other Lincoln supporters in making a positive impact in the world, consider making a donation of $50 (or more) to the Bennington Museum, 75 Main Street, Bennington, VT 05201 with a note that you want to help with the cost associated with cleaning the now defaced statue, which has been a part of Vermont history for years.
Why?
“First eliminate their cultural history then eliminate them.”
It is clear that we are currently in a situation where extremism is more prevalent than it has been in the past. It is exacerbated by the Internet and media that focuses on the most outrageous elements of society and their actions in an effort to ramp up both advertisements (see Facebook) and gin up the faithful.
What can be done? Perhaps what is needed is to focus more on encouraging candidates to run for office who provide sound rational alternatives to the extremes. Two issues in Vermont where there is the most opportunity are: 1. pushing for single member districts in the legislature and 2. opposing the impracital efforts of the climate council.
More nondescript ‘pushing’ and ‘opposing’. But where are the specifications and user manual for Archimedes’ lever and fulcrum? Beating one’s head against the wall is hard work. But that doesn’t make it a practical use of one’s time.
Jay,
Only a few more Republican House members would provide Governor Scott, who has vetoed more legislation than any other governor in Vermont history, the ablility not to have his vetoes overridden. This would create a significant tipping point and a needed correction to the current overly ideological and teachers union dominated Democratic/Progressive supermajority.
Far from beating one’s head against the wall, electing more Republican House members, while admitting hard work, is doable and an exceedingly practical use of one’s time.
Ninety-eight of the 150 members of the house are Democrat. Five are Independent. Twenty-three of 30 members of the Senate are Democrat. Your’s is a tall order, even in the House, to change the super-majority. But, hey, it’s always worth trying. Being an Independent, I vote pretty much straight Republican just as a matter of principle.
But I need to see something with ‘a hook’ to reel in the complacent conservatives, and the Democrats and Independents who might change their minds.
That someone vandalized a statue of Lincoln in Bennington doesn’t do it. When the best Ms. Billado can do is exaggerate the vandalism as being perpetrated by a ‘woke mob’ and reiterating all the good things we know Lincoln did for our country, while making a perfunctory request for more money, just doesn’t do it.
I asked for direction, for example, on how to become a poll watcher – something tangible we can do right now to protect our voting rights. So far, it’s the sound of crickets from Ms. Billado.
And, of course, School Choice is the hill I’m committed to holding. There are several current and promising lawsuits in that regard. But I don’t hear anything from Ms. Billado on that front or single-member districting either.
Jay
To override a veto needs a 2/3 vote of both the House and Senate.
In the 150 member House this means 51 votes would prevent an override. Currently there are 92 Democrates, 7 Progressives, 5 Independents and 46 Republicans.
It would only take the election of five more Republicans to prevent most overrides and restore some balance to the making of laws in Vermont. Very doable and very much needed.
Hopefully when the implications of the Climate Council and the Pension crisis become fully known, that will be a sufficient hook to encourage more people to look at electing those more practical problem solving and not as ideologically driven.
It’s not the concept that concerns me, John. It’s the people counting our ballots.
Deb Billado’s suggestion won’t produce a Republican victory in Vermont – but it is absolutely right for the Party of Lincoln to ask Republicans to stand up for Abraham Lincoln.and against the vandals that would tear his memory down. I was glad to send my $50, and hope you will be too. Meanwhile, we need to get on with diselecting quite a few people who probably lauded the vandals.
The RNC received $200 Million in donations to fight election fraud. What did Rona ROMNEY do with it? Why should anyone contribute a nickle to the Republican party now? In Vermont, the party has done nothing but sit on their hands and let Phil run amock hand-holding with Biden, the CCP, and the DNC. Sorry – the problem we have is a uniparty combined of left and right elites who think as long as they play along they will be spared the pain. Any politician who is not fighting for the people along side the people must be removed from their seats and positions now. Step down or be forced out by the People.
In case Ms. Casey’s connection is difficult for some readers to make, the RNC Chair is a granddaughter of former Michigan Governor George W. Romney and niece of U.S. Senator Mitt Romney,…. all staunch members, past and present, of the political elite (The Deep State). Theirs is always the classic case of ‘good-cop bad-cop’ despotism. Be it Democrat v. Republican, White v. Black, Rich v. Poor, Male v. Female (if there really is a difference) …. the ‘Us v. Them’ ploy has always been the demise of Individual freedom and the reason Founders like Madison created our U. S. Constitution that so emphasizes individual rights over ‘factions’. Even then, in 1787, as Ben Franklin realized:
It is a “…form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, … and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other.”
Apparently, we have become incapable of keeping our Republic.
After all, “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it”. GBS
Ms. Billado clearly stated that it is going to the Bennington Museum to restore the statue – so just twisting words – a specialty – into something she did not say as ruse for continuing attack is cheap and small.
Reply is to Mr Eshelman’s dig @ Deb below
Re: “If you want to join me and other Lincoln supporters in making a positive impact in the world, consider making a donation of $50 (or more)…”
I’d consider doing so if you ever described something tangible you are doing to be effective – other than spending money and telling us, over and again, how idiotic the leftists are.
We know how idiotic they are. The question is, what are you doing about it that’s worth supporting?
Why did the ” woke mob ” deface the Lincoln Statue, that’s easy they are idiots and don’t
have a clue about the history !!
These fools have been brainwashed that everything from our past is racist and we need to
make amends…. did I mention they’re Idiots, yup heads in the sand liberals.
Maybe instead of trying to change everything that’s wrong in the country even though millions
try every year to live here , maybe they just need to move to another country that’s better, yeah
they’ll be back crying in a week …….. Did I mention Idiots !!!
Let’s flush these turds down the toilet !!