Matt Bai: In 200 years, Vermont has contributed nothing to American Democracy [View all]

[cali]

Last edited Thu May 28, 2015, 12:14 PM - Edit history (1)

It looks like bashing Vermont is the new way to bash Sanders. I understand journalists take sides, and Bernie Sanders deserves criticism on issues and on whether he could accomplish his agenda, etc, but this is just absurd.

And yes, Bai actually makes this claim in a piece entitled Hillary Clinton's not like the rest of us: Good!

After more than 200 years of contributing pretty much nothing to American democracy other than some inspired ice cream and a buffer against Canadian aggression, Vermont has apparently decided that once a decade it should send out some scrappy, leftist presidential candidate who will take it to the elitist Democratic establishment. This time it’s Bernie Sanders’s turn.

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https://www.yahoo.com/politics/democratic-presidential-candidate-hillary-clinton-120050918741.html


Really, Vermont has contributed nothing but ice cream to American Democracy?

Vermont was the first state to ban slavery

Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys ring a bell?

In the Civil war Vermont sent 35,000 to fight- out of a population of 350,000. Most were volunteers, not conscripted.

It was a Vermont Senator, Ralph Flanders who was the first to step up against McCarthy. He introduced the resolution of censure.

Vermont has led on ensuring the rights of the LGBT community. Not just with civil unions in 1999 but laws protecting LGBT folks from discrimination in housing, adoption, workplace and more. These laws have been in place for 25 years + in a country where many states still haven't ensured the rights of the LGBT community.

Vermont has also been a leader on land use, conservation and the environment.