This commentary is by Lucinda Johnston of Wallingford.
In anticipation of JD Vance’s family ski trip to Vermont, Gov. Phil Scott said that “while we may not always agree, we should be respectful.” He also asked Vermonters to “join me in welcoming them to Vermont, and hoping they have an opportunity to experience what makes our state, and Vermonters, so special.”
Well, we did. Hundreds of Vermonters gathered near Sugarbush to tell Mr. Vance, peacefully and respectfully, what they thought of his racist and misogynistic rhetoric, his heartless treatment of vulnerable people, and his cruel and vile humiliation of President Zelensky of Ukraine during their meeting in the Oval Office the day before Vance’s arrival for a vacation here.
While Vance and Trump curry favor with Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin by working hard to dismantle American democracy and undermine the security of our nation, the strength of its economy, and our standing in the world, they had the temerity to treat with contempt a courageous hero who is actually fighting for democracy against a brutal Russian invasion of his country.
But as Gov. Scott requested, Vermonters showed what makes us special: we don’t welcome those who would trade our democracy for oligarchy; we don’t celebrate the arrival of people who abandon the most fundamental principles of honor, civility and decency; we don’t want to hang out with people who, as matter of policy, violate the declaration of inclusion which many Vermont towns have signed onto — that each of those towns “condemns racism and welcomes all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, or socioeconomic status,” and that they “formally condemn all discrimination in all of its forms, commit to fair and equal treatment of everyone in our community, and will strive to ensure all of our actions, policies, and operating procedures reflect this commitment.”
Once Mr. Vance is able to make those commitments and honor our global alliances, I’ll be the first in line to welcome him to the Green Mountain State and buy him a superb Vermont beer.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Lucinda Johnston: Vermonters showed JD Vance what makes them special.