Kiah Morris reemerges in video calling Sen. Rodgers, Vermonters racists

Former state Rep. Kiah Morris has released a new YouTube video stating that Vermont is full of racism, and she singles out state Sen. John Rodgers, a highly respected Democrat representing the Essex-Orleans district.

In the Aug. 7 video, Morris, an African-American from Bennington, mentions a tweet she wrote during the contentious gun bill debates of the 2018 legislative session. That’s when lawmakers passed S.55 (Act 94), which placed background checks on private gun sales, set a 10-round magazine limit for rifles and 15 rounds for pistols, banned bump stocks and raised the firearms purchase age to 21.

The tweet said comments Rodgers made at the time were “racist.”

After remembering the tweet in the video, she goes on to say Rodgers “had gone on record using some really racist tropes and talking points on the Senate floor in opposition to the bills that were under consideration.”

In particular, Morris took issue with a statement about insects.

“Senator Rodgers likened his colleagues to insects that have overrun the state,” she said in the video. “This is a strong example of dog-whistle political imagery with rather racist implication. The effects of these political tactics are historically consistent in the acceleration of increased discrimination, bias and hate crimes against ethnic minorities and other marginalized people.”

The video message goes on to put forth the narrative that “white nationalism” is rampant.

“So here we are today in the wake of ever-more mass shootings fueled by histrionics and societal acceptance of white nationalism,” she said. “Those actors in the crowd that day at the bill signing, they needed those elected to endorse those beliefs.”

Rodgers told True North in an interview he wasn’t aware of the video.

“I wouldn’t give her the time of day to listen to it,” he said, adding that he stands by his decision to oppose S.55.

“I basically said that we’ve been overpopulated with people who think differently than native Vermonters, and that’s where all these gun restrictions are coming from,” he said. “We’re the safest state in the nation and there’s no statistical reason to be passing all this new gun legislation.”

Rodgers also addressed Morris’ original tweet.

“From my speech, she went on Twitter and said that I was racist and historically violent,” he said. “From that, I went and confronted her and told her that she was racist, and that putting out the tweet that she did was racist.

“I guess that’s the only game she has. I think she’s dishonest, and I think she does things just for media attention.”

RELATED: Local residents accuse Kiah Morris and husband of hypocrisy regarding alleged threats

Morris resigned from office suddenly in September 2018 after claiming to be the victim of threats and harassment. Separate investigations by Bennington Police and Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan concluded that none of the incidents Morris cited constituted criminal offenses under state law.

Rogers noted that significant taxpayer money has been spent investigating Morris’ claims, which go back to 2016.

“Do you know how much money we spent looking into that?” Rodgers said. “T.J. Donovan investigated and there were no death threats.”

He said Morris was known for stirring up controversy during her time in the Legislature.

“The first term she was in the House she was trying to get funding through the budget for her own position back in Bennington,” Rodgers said. “ … That’s when Shap Smith was speaker [of the House] and he found out about it and shut it down. That’s the kind of person we are dealing with.”

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North Reports. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.

Image courtesy of Lou Varricchio/TNR

26 thoughts on “Kiah Morris reemerges in video calling Sen. Rodgers, Vermonters racists

  1. “I basically said that we’ve been overpopulated with people who think differently than native Vermonters, and that’s where all these gun restrictions are coming from,” he said. “We’re the safest state in the nation and there’s no statistical reason to be passing all this new gun legislation.”

    100% spot-on, John Rodgers.

  2. Some cheese with your whine Ms. Morris. Strident defense of “insects” too funny – they’re not our friends! Those who do not wish to be compared thusly should stop channeling them. It is fair game to identify the fact that VT has been overrun for decades with leftists who do not respect our state or people who actually live here. Most of the offenders are in fact white! Pretty sure other races besides caucasians are no fan of rats or insects either…locusts were used in biblical times to describe destructiveness of enemies, so bible is racist too?

    Pervasiveness of pestilence we *all* object to is now falsely attributed to “racism” – along with every other thing the lunatic fringe can conjure and got old real quick. Talking-point committee needs to get a dictionary learn some new words. Hysteria symptomatic of rampant derangement syndrome – serves to show how popular DJT is with Hispanics and blacks as exodus from Dem plantation is causing earth to move under their feet as the party apparatchicks fire away with all they have – unending insults, threats of violence and vomiting of venemous vitreole. #Walkaway must be gathering steam!

    Declaring a group as a whole as racist for no valid reason except a difference of opinion or color of skin – is racist. However real reason for this intellectually dishonest hatred-stoking and lengthy missive appears as smokescreen for ejection from politics by locals in own district who have accused Ms. Morris and husband of hypocrisy in a Facebook/Twitter war and now assigning blame to Senator Rodgers among others as all sore losers do – much easier to make Sen. Rodgers the strawman as attacking district is a nonstarter. Personal attacks are the last refuge when unable to discuss or debate on the merits.
    https://vtdigger.org/2018/09/07/no-stalking-order-against-rep-kiah-morris-husband-rejected/

    Proving once again unfitness for any state office as Ms Morris is unable to accept opposing points of view and someone other than mob-rule feftist loons protesting on statehouse floor and halting traffick…how very elitist to look down upon VTers exercizing right to peaceful protest and free speach. Trying hand at revisionist history which all Marxists do and one more bite at the bigoted apple by snarling at the protesters to the bill signing, along with Benedict Scott – dual display of abject hatred. Shame on you!

    • Senator Rodgers dared to speak against the collective. This could also be a warning sign for all the democrats to see….don’t step out of line or we’ll label you racist.

      Thinking for yourself is very much frowned up on within the collective. Marching in step and having a deep affection from brown clothing is very much sought after.

      • Ms. Morris and ilk have cheapened and do great disservice to *real* victims of racism…as do the ‘four morons of the apocalpse’ coined by Tucker Carlson…the four are all reliant upon the racial minority vote…but only one, Pressley, share the black experience in our country…and are traitors to those they purport to serve while sponsored by unrelated special interests and outside influences:

  3. Our kids don’t even know the pledge of allegiance and these shooter drills should be stopped. They only inform those who want to inflict damage what to do. Our kids and apparently the former representative Kiah Morris don’t realize we are a republic (a nation of laws) of which they are supposed to support and defend via our Vermont constitution. She clearly can not articulate her interpretation of Article 16 and why those who voted against the constitution of Vermont did so.

    Instead she reverts to fear and labeling. The safest place this woman could every be is in the center of an orange vest protest. These men and women are smart, protective and reasonable.

    Rights and Democracy was started in 2015, and Alinsky formatted organization, an astro turf organization if there ever was one. Imported partially from Detroit. So yeah, we don’t need out of state people moving to Vermont to run our state. When you follow the tracks you’ll find so many.

    A recent long time respected Progressive was recently defeated in Burlington by some one who moved her last year. It’s a pattern repeated hundreds of times across the state. You won’t find Vermonters telling NH what to do, or Maine, or ….so it’s not wrong to say we can govern ourselves.

    Please don’t Astro Turf Vermont.

  4. Does anyone not find coincidental the timing here, barely just following the brouhaha over town “policy” in Hartford? If anything could emphasize that the DemoLeftists will be pushing the racism racism racism card in 2019-2020 it is Morris’s reemergence as The Mariah Morris. It’s an ill wind that will take focus from correcting the real problems that matter.

  5. How is pointing out damage caused by the recent far left political wackos invading our state racist? Seems miss morris has nothing else to run on so she plays the race card. Good response from Senator Rodgers.

    • Because “racist” is the label used by the far left to describe those who dare to disagree with them.

  6. There is little to no racism in this state but there will be by her creation. If you tell a lie often enough, people will start to believe it and that is her strategy. The racism will come to be but it will be minority racism upon whites as what she is trying to bring forward.

  7. Morris’s, if you’ll allow me, is the pot calling the kettle black. If she calls Roger’s a racist, all I can say is “it takes one to know one.”

  8. Here we have another transplant into Vermont, then find a way into the State House
    and then because she didn’t fit in or people didn’t like her agenda, now we’re Racist,
    a typical Liberal Democrats “Cry Racism”, if she can handle Vermont’s ” left-leaning ”
    State House ………………wow ………. politics isn’t her cup of tea !!

    I’m Not a Democrat, I never met Kiah Morris but followed some of her proposed bills
    I have never met John Rodgers either, but have followed him and his proposals for VT,

    I’ll stick with Sen. Rodgers. as he represents VT, and he not a hand out !!……. Pretty sad.

  9. Racism is the new Russia… and the Race baiter morris seems to have
    been taking lessons from big Al Sharpton this summer. Disrespecting a true
    representative of Vermonters and only VT Democrat I’ve ever had any respect for is just so ghetto and just what you’d fully expect from her..

  10. She proclaims a “societal acceptance of white nationalism.” Really? On what planet? Talk about drama. I am First Nation, and I need not be lectured by carpetbaggers of any color. We need real Vermonters to rescue us from the out-of-state toxicity of people like this, who create hornets’ nests to kick; conjure race and hatred to stoke their self-empowerment. It’s getting old.

  11. Of course this is all in the hand book. Used by all the AstroTurf organizations and those who follow the creed.

  12. There is systemic racism in America. I never believed, then it was revealed clear as day. It’s the media. The Americam media conglomerate is extremely racist and perpetuates racism.

    They constantly promote stereo types on tv of all sorts.24/7/365.
    They constantly promote violence toward minorities.
    They constantly ignore rampant corruption in areas of minority homes and schools.
    They constantly ignore entire cities or areas of cities that are extremely violent.
    They constantly tear down those helping rather fellow man, Steve Harvey being one.
    They constantly promote race hustlers over the great men and women that are building wonderful families and communities.

    Needn’t worry anything but the media, they are the systemic problem with race.

  13. Racist? Ho, hum. Let’s turn the page. Getting tiresome. When she doesn’t get her way, she screams ‘racism’.

  14. It’s such a shame, all the progress I’ve seen in the last 50 years or so, people learning to accept each other as humans, not colors, is being systematically erased by this stupidity.
    Seems some people don’t want to give up their perceived victimhood, because they have realized, it gives them power. It’s pathetic. Turns out you don’t have to be white to be racist.
    Now we are all equal, just at a lower level. Sad.

  15. Good for you Senator Rogers for refusing to be bullied by Morris and standing your ground. It seems that is how she operates.

    • While I agree with what you said unfortunately Senator Rogers should realize that he belongs to the party that has brought all of this to Vermont. He will not be able to change the members of his party and he does not fit in with them. The democratic party that he knew is dead never to be resurrected. He is a good man in the wrong party.

  16. The little boy who cried wolf one too many times,the word no longer holds any meaning thanks to the Left,next story.

  17. There are those who will never, ever, let the idea of racism die because it has always been such a useful tool in getting what they want. It is apparent that those who scream racism are most frequently the only ones who see everything in terms of color. The accusation has been so over used that its impact is fading like the boy who cried wolf. This “lady” should lose her stinky attitude and start trying to just get along with her fellow Vermonters rather than trying to stir up trouble for political gain. If she did she would probably find that the only racism is in her own heart.

    • Follow the money Dave – there’s a lot to be made.

      Al ‘Shakedown’ Sharpton and his sidekick Jesse ‘Jack-Em-Up’ Jackson wrote the playbook on extorting cities and corporations.

      The minor characters are just following the script, hoping to hit the jackpot.

      • Even Reverend Al looked somewhat surprised at newfound high-honor…all 20-something Dem hopefuls ritually lining up to kiss his ring…

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