John Klar: Equality reality vs. equity fantasy

The long-crafted campaign to indoctrinate Vermont into a new ideology has now been launched in full force. Using the laughably naive slogan “equity” at every turn, Vermont’s Gov. Phil Scott and his bevy of enlightened “woke” white progressives are unveiling a broad effort to implement “equity” in Vermont, whether the citizenry likes it or not.

But the scheme will quickly unravel as more and more Vermonters realize it is a counterfeit — that “equity” is an ideological power grab that will create more inequities and government incompetence than have existed in America since its founding.

John Klar

This is why “social equity” insists that the Bill of Rights must be discarded — free speech, equal protection, and property rights are all viewed by critical race theory (CRT) as hostile weapons of white supremacy that must be dismantled so that wrongs against people of color can be vindicated.

The conflict between the aspiration toward “equality” (the foundation of our “colorblind” legal system) and this supposed rescue plan implementing “equity” is evident in efforts to grant farmland to black people based solely on skin color. The more that “equity” (equality of outcome) is sought, the more new inequalities of opportunity are created.

In his 1996 book “A Theory of Cosmic Justice,” black writer Thomas Sowell explained that social justice (expressed “with great passion, but with no definition”) was an impossible aspiration that has never existed anywhere, in any society, and is thus a utopian fantasy. In a later essay, Mr. Sowell explained:

[Social justice activists] are often driven to personify ‘society’ in order to re-introduce concepts of moral responsibility and justice into the cosmos, seeking to rectify the tragic misfortunes of individuals and groups through collective action in the name of “social justice.” Yet this collective action is not limited to correcting the consequences of social decisions or other collective social action, but extends to mitigating as well the misfortunes of the physically and mentally disabled, for example. In other words, it seeks to mitigate and make more just the undeserved misfortunes arising from the cosmos, as well as from society. It seeks to produce cosmic justice, going beyond strictly social justice, which becomes just one aspect of cosmic justice.

Vermont’s social experimenters (echoing the hubris, as well as the ideology, of their eugenics predecessors) are invoking the race card to implement a much broader “social justice” program that is already a failure. Any and all disparities are seized upon as proof positive of racist motivations — police arresting black fentanyl dealers are thus racists based solely on skin color, without regard to guilt: the race lens becomes the sole measure of all. Similarly, these enlightened visionaries will rectify imbalances stemming from gender (though Vermont has the narrowest economic gender gap in the nation), sexual orientation, mental or physical defect or disability, etc. (Heck, they’re even going to solve that terrible Native American problem, and fix the 400-year-old American past. Wow, that is a cosmic plan indeed! Too bad everybody else has always been so stupid until Phil Scott and his out-of-state cabal of progressive carpetbaggers arrived to rescue us.)

But their agenda is just a bit too “far out” — it collides with reality. In every sphere it touches, it creates injustice, conflict and greater inequities — always in the name of equity and justice. Consider Vermont’s “BIPOC Farming Bill.” How “just” is it to award people with no connection to Vermont (and no income requirement, so they could be millionaires) to receive money and land to start farming based solely on skin color? No establishment of past suffering (blacks could move here from England two years ago and benefit)’ no requirement of creditworthiness, competence to farm, the existence of a profitable market for goods, or any repayment hopes. The entire thing is a fantasy fabrication so doomed to economic failure that only a society of deluded ideologues swollen with their own intoxicated fantasies could even seriously suggest this to the Vermont people. Yet, they are enacting it — replete with lies that re-write Vermont’s farming history to include Jim Crow laws and subsistence farming.

Fortunately, we Vermonters still live in America, and still have courts and laws built on the foundation of equality of opportunity. That pesky 14th Amendment — the one the nation enacted to protect slaves from discrimination — remains the law of the land, and it defends against all racism, including the ludicrous race-only edicts and statutes spewing from the bloated Vermont Legislature and Governor’s sewage factory (which has exploited the COVID crisis to amp up its pollution production).

At the national level, a similar (though less idiotic) racist farming bill was promptly struck down in court. Annoying as it is to social justice fantasists, the federal judge in Wisconsin stated a simple truth:

“Plaintiffs are excluded from the program based on their race and are thus experiencing discrimination at the hands of their government,” Griesbach wrote in the opinion, noting that the twelve farmers and ranchers who sued “have established a strong likelihood that Section 1005 of the ARPA is unconstitutional.”

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty correctly noted:

The Court recognized that the federal government’s plan to condition and allocate benefits on the basis of race raises grave constitutional concerns and threatens our clients with irreparable harm. … The Biden administration is radically undermining bedrock principles of equality under the law … We look forward to continuing this litigation but urge the administration to change course now.

Vermont’s progressive Legislature, its zealous social justice activists, and its governor, should take a pause from their zombie-like stupor and comprehend what existing laws state, and why. Then perhaps they would spare themselves the ongoing emperor-with-no-clothes embarrassment of stooping to lies about Vermont’s history (itself inequitable, and discriminatory) in order to advance an absurd hateful ideology that has a 100% chance of failure, as it should. These laws are unconstitutional for good reason, and will fail.

Racism has never been welcome in Vermont. There has always been a minority group of racists, but now they are in the majority. They think that it’s acceptable — even laudable — to be racist against white people, because that is “just” and will create “equity for all.” True, it is hard to imagine that such idiocy could be anything less than deliberate. But we must allow for the possibility that these foolish miscreants can still wake up one day, and learn about the Constitution that they seek to destroy. We too must urge them “to change course now.”

Governor Scott will be a good start — surely as a sworn defender of the state and federal Constitutions, Vermont’s Governor can explain why Vermont’s BIPOC Farming bill (H.273) meets Constitutional requirements, and not run afoul of the 14th Amendment. He will try (as he did with the Second Amendment infringements he championed) to lie through his RINO teeth, and say “there is nothing unconstitutional about this blatantly unconstitutional effort.” (That’s what deluded puppets who try to undermine constitutional safeguards for the public do.)

America’s existing laws also offer something else — accountability against those who strive to usurp the liberties of others, corrupt Vermont’s heritage, denigrate it’s fine history, demoralize and slander its wonderful people. As Vermont finally begins to have that discussion of race that we have been silenced from having, all will do well to study and understand the distinction between “equality” and “equity.” They are mutually exclusive. This nation and state has made great gains in creating equalities of opportunity, which are now threatened and being reversed in the name of something demonstrably impossible: a fantasy to create perfect fairness — by government, no less.

Vermonters, what we sow is what we will reap. By implementing CRT in schools, racist allocations of money in programs, and proclamations about how hateful and backwards Vermont has always been, our Governor and government are sowing racist discord to further impossible fantasies. It is up to We the People to invoke existing protections of law against such failures in leadership and thought. Let us pull the weeds of CRT and this racist ideology out of Vermont government and schools, before even more damage to our state’s economy and children is inflicted.

John Klar is an attorney and farmer residing in Brookfield, and the former pastor of the First Congregational Church of Westfield. © Copyright True North Reports 2021. All rights reserved.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Deval Kulshrestha

10 thoughts on “John Klar: Equality reality vs. equity fantasy

  1. Maybe you barely disguised racists can take Friday and join with the rest of us Friday, Juneteenth, in celebrating the end of slavery.

    • And remember that is was our great great +++ Grandfathers, who fought to free the slaves in the Not so Civil War!!

      And remember the Democrat South were the slave holders, while the Northern Republican’s fought to free the slaves.

      “Equal opportunity” is a right. Those who learn well and work well, contribute DO get ahead.

      Anyone who has made themselves unemployable, by lack of education, poor habits, crime records
      Still have equal opportunity – and conceivably could regain equal resutlts for themselves –
      NOT as a GIFT, but as a reward for good living

  2. I had an enlightening conversation with the EWSD Equity Director, which went something like this. I asked, “Why am I responsible for slavery? I am a second generation American. My family was not here during slavery.” The equity director responded, “You are white!” I stayed that Equity was related to Marxism and she responded, “What’s wrong with that? It is like socialism, you know like social security.” These people are rotting America out via our children.

  3. This is the statement that I read to the mill river union school board last night

    We are being overcome with marxists on our school board

    People across the state of vermont better begin to wake up and speak out…

    It is time to let your voice be heard loud and clear..

    This is my statement to mill river union high school school board

    MRUHS 6162021

    Good evening,

    After watching the 6/2 meeting I have grave concerns as to the intentions of some members.
    When did it become necessary to vote to say the pledge of allegiance before a school board meeting? Who in their right mind finds it acceptable to disrespect the flag of our nation?
    When did it become acceptable for some to dishonor the lives of my friends and the many people who served and died to make this the best country in the world to be disgraced by people who do not respect them or America?

    At the same time discussions of flying a BLM flag on our school and the introduction of critical race theory into our schools is being promoted.
    It is upsetting that members would support Marxists who burn buildings, assault and kill and loot businesses of people of color. The same organization that collected 93 million dollars and didn’t spend a single penny supporting people of color. Oh… one founding member did help herself to millions to purchase 3 homes and then resigned!

    Why is it that intelligent, educated people of color denounce this racist agenda?
    Why is it that people with common sense see the level of racism being pushed on their children and the destruction it causes?

    You can not lift some up by beating others down because of the color of their skin. This is pure racism.

    We are failing our students miserably right now!

    Our schools rate at the bottom…Why?

    We need to root out all evil from those that have contact with our children.

    We need every taxpayer that contributes to the exorbitant fee of eighteen thousand dollars to educate students to stand up to this radical movement to destroy the lives of our children and eventually the last beacon of hope around the world…AMERICA

    We need to begin to educate students with reading, writing and arithmetic along with history. These are the things needed for the success of our children.
    BLM…burn loot and murder. A proven movement of chaos and destruction

    The Pledge of Allegiance …one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

    If you do not support America you can not properly educate our children.

    We need EDUCATION not INDOCTRINATION in our schools.

    The only flag that should fly on any school in America is the American flag.
    Our freedoms are brought to us by the brave Americans who honor the Red White and Blue.

    May God bless America!

  4. Neighbors, our representatives have put forth ideas but have neglected to convince us of their merits. Instead they attempt to reshaping Vermont and legislate our “pursuit of happiness”. Is this Vermont our elected officials are creating what we voted for?

  5. Bernie Sanders and his colleagues made $15 an hour the earmark as a livable wage. Now with inflation, it works out to $7-$8 an hour anyway. The supporters who thought Bernie & Company were on their side – have been had yet again – inflation is a tax.

  6. We give land, owned by someone, to certain people, to make up for slavery, slaves freed in the late 1860’s
    to become their best selves they can be, free of bondage.
    These children are being taught original sin for being white, BUT had great great++ grandfathers who fought and died to free thes slaves, and to set them free to be the best they can be – free to create their own lives, as they see fit.
    Will they have skills to use this free land? Will they have to pay real estate taxes on this free land.
    to support roads, educations, etc. Will we buy them a pick-up truck to help them use this land.

    Are we calling our Black neighbor citizens incompetent to create a good life for themselves.

    This makes the oft maligned ‘ 10 acres and a mule” look realy lame.

  7. great read John – Equity is more than an ideological power grab as it will manifest quickly in the physical world. We must see the forest for the trees – we are in the midst of a neo-Marxist revolution, and Vermont, along with several other states, are at the forefront. The courts here will soon be infected with the woke plague, existing law and Constitution be damned. Smart people will begin voting with their feet.

    • The courts here will soon be infected with the woke plague? Two generations two late on that that one.

      • Indeed. And many have voted with their feet, for many reasons.
        This “Social Justice” trend started with a spark during Kunin’s reign in the 80’s and is now becoming a wildfire. Wildfires generally burn themselves out when the fuel (taxes) has been consumed, leaving scorched earth. Vermont may add another first: The greenest place not to sustain life.

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