Brattleboro, Vermont: where it can ALL happen!
Yesiree, that’s their motto in Brattleboro: “Where it can ALL happen.”
I’m not exactly sure what the ALL is about, although the slogan is vaguely reminiscent of Barack Obama’s. But one thing that has indeed happened is that Vermont is now one of the most liberal states in the nation.
It wasn’t always thus. Tiny and largely rural Vermont (take a look at the Wiki article and see the population figures for those Vermont towns) was once one of those rock-ribbed Republican New England states you used to hear so much about. But the Vermont demographics and political outlook changed in the 80s and 90s with the influx of (gasp!) New Yorkers, and other immigrants fleeing the urban areas of Massachusetts, to find their Green Mountain Dream.
Now Vermont not only has a Socialist Congressman, civil unions, and a large movement desirous of seceding from the Union and perhaps joining up with Canada, but also state resolutions to impeach Bush and Cheney.
But that’s not enough. Not to be outdone by the state, the town of Brattleboro has passed its own measure directing its “police to arrest President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for ‘crimes against our Constitution'” should they ever get the yen to visit the quaint olde shoppes of ye olde Brattleboro. If they are unable to resist the temptation, the President and VP run the risk of being “extradite[d] to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them” (Venezuela, no doubt). I assume this will also hold true when they become the ex-President and ex-VP, a consummation so many devoutly wish (only 320 days!! Yippee!!).
And so one thing that will not be happening in Brattleboro, where it can ALL happen, is the local Chamber of Commerce hanging out that welcome sign on its wepage for the likes of the two evildoers, Bush and Cheney.
No, the pair won’t be visiting the bed and breakfasts, theaters, art galleries, music centers and museums boasted of by Brattleboro boosters. Nor will they be snowshoeing over to the Rudyard Kipling home (as I did one day long ago), despite the fact that the Kipling sensibility was probably more simpatico to that of Bush and Cheney than to the latter-day elders of Brattleboro.
Kipling in Vermont, you ask? Yes, indeed, and it’s the site where Kipling invented the sport of winter skiing (you heard it here first, on neoneocon).
Yes, the house where Mowgli was born (metaphorically speaking) and where Kipling lived in the early years of his marriage to a woman who was a member of a prominent Brattleboro family of the day (will the city fathers of Brattleboro now pass legislation to disown her for marrying Kipling?), and where Arthur Conan Doyle introduced skiing to Vermont during a visit to Kipling, is located just a few miles from Brattleboro.
So Bush and Cheney, eat your hearts out.
[NOTE: And speaking of disowning Mrs. Kipling, forget Brattleboro—she’s not gotten a good press so far in the literary world at large.]
Brattleboro police vs. the Secret Service. Now that’s a shoot-out I’d like to see. Short and one-sided since the Service carry’s automatic weapons around in their briefcases, but entertaining none the less.
Many moons ago, I interviewed for an entry-level engineering job in Brattleboro, so goods-poor that I hitched up to the interview. If my memory serves me correctly, years before on a family trip to Vermont, my parents had bought some cheese from the Calvin Coolidge homestead.
Vermont has since then become a place of refuge for Cambridge and for NYC’s Upper West Side, overwhelming any Coolidge-like tendencies of the native Vermonters.
The favorite Cal story I recall is that some woman came up to him at a party and said to him, “President Coolidge, I made a bet with someone that I can make you say at least three words.”
“You lose,” came back the reply.
Bush should take their bluff and go up there with a contingent of bloggers. With his own cameras capturing what the town’s police tries or does not try to do, Bush can provide plenty of proof either way that the town of Brattleboro is full of brats.
Of course, Bush is not interested in these golden propaganda moments, so Bush loses out.
Why do I get the idea that the police in this town would resemble Barney Fife and the city council the North Korean poliburo?
Brattleboro is where the hippies too weird for Northampton eventually wash up.
Vandersomething:
“Brattleboro police vs. the Secret Service. Now that’s a shoot-out I’d like to see.”
Dont wait up…
This shouldnt be anything of a surprise, but the measure is non-binding, meaning that, as usual, its more mere posturing and propagandizing without real substance. More bumper-sticker convictions from the left who feel their views are that much more important and imperative and must be shouted shrilly from every street corner.
Can we demand that Vermont impeach itself from the USA?
I currently have a project going to balance the budget in Va. We can do it by stopping, ticketing and fining every Vermont driver that comes through the state this summer. By Nov we should be running a surplus across the state. Then the heavy fines come in from the snow birds which will be all gravy. You can’t get there without coming here.
Thank you, Brattleboro! Some brave Americans who are not afraid to speak out!
Lee, Id be more impressed with their so-called courage if they made their resolution resolute. Otherwise its mere frantic hysterical hate-filled rhetoric. Lets see some principals and convictions at work.
Lee, we (including you) all know that you people only have the guts to run your mouths behind the safety net that the U.S. military provides for you…. Boycott Brattleboro, Vermont!
If Brattleboro had real courage it would publish the Mohemmed cartoons and condemn Islamic violence.
Great point Vince, but we also know Bushitler isn’t going to behead anyone. Its the easier way out! We know liberals can explain away this lack of courage with a slavish devotion to multi-culturalism.
Where did Lee run off to anyhow?
Lee is back at DailyKos wishing that Nancy Reagan died when she fell last week , probably.
Where is Lee? He’s out to lunch…..
Lee is at the frontlines, between Brattleboro and Berkeley….
Vermont was a refuge to another very conservative writer: it was chosen by Solgenitzyn as his place of exile. Climat here reminded him his beloved Russia.
Lee:
If they were really brave, they would go to Washington and get the culprits. Why wait for the bad guys to come to them? Sounds like half hearted law enforcement to me.
BTW, Kipling did not particularly like Americans. Maybe hanging out with Vermontians did it to him.
From sensible Americans to diaper-soiling moonbats in a little over a generation. Utterly disgusting.
There’s a lovely little bit of dialogue between Bing Crosby (Bob Wallace) and Danny Kay (Phil Davis) in the movie “White Christmas” when they’re trying to think of a way to help their old commanding officer, who’s going broke running a B&B in Pine Tree, Vermont. They wonder what could be novel in Vermont, and when Kaye suggests “A Democrat?” Bing laughs and says “They’d stone him!”
I wish Bush were even half the bloodthirsty dictator idiots like Lee love to pretend he is when they indulge their Sophie Scholl wet dreams, and would hang the Brattleboro fools. Or at the very least issue a signing order cutting off every bit of federal funding to that bunch of whining disloyal wretches.
Sorry – Danny KAYE. Damn fingers.
I just held a meeting with myself, and I passed a binding resolution that banishes Brattleboro from the universe. Buh, bye.
P.S. The vote was unanimous.
Last year, it also became entirely legal to parade around in the buff in Brat-boro.
Tom: fortunately, the weather is such that that can only be done a few weeks a year.
Vanderleun Says:
“March 5th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Brattleboro police vs. the Secret Service. Now that’s a shoot-out I’d like to see. Short and one-sided since the Service carry’s automatic weapons around in their briefcases, but entertaining none the less.”
Ditto… were I president I’d make a point of stopping by after the election but before I left office… then charge the city council for murder for causing the deaths of anyone that died in the shootout…
I keep getting Brattleboro confused with Battlecreek. Guess i should end my breakfast cereal boycot.
… directing its “police to arrest President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for ‘crimes against our Constitution’” …
This really is too rich. Which “crimes” would those be, pray? Not listing them because that would then be, let’s see, a specific legal charge that could then be appropriately challenged? Like being entirely outside that Constitution you claim to venerate?
Someone in that lovely hamlet really ought to read the document, paying particular attention to the executive branch bits. Go ahead, try to get your local police to arrest the President or VP under your non-binding laws; after the National Guard has patrolled your quaint Main Street for a few months you might find even Canada won’t take you on.
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the – Web Reconnaissance for 03/06/2008 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.
I went to high school near Brattleboro in the 1960s. The area was at that time notable for attracting leftists who were looking for a Walden Pond existence or just a way to escape the heat of NYC summers. The natural beauty of the area attracts people who like to imagine that they can live cozily in a rural environment without regard for the realities forced upon the rest of the country. After all, they have been successful artists, writers and academics. If the toiling masses would only come to their senses, what a peaceful world it would be!
> The favorite Cal story I recall is that some woman came up to him at a party and said to him, “President Coolidge, I made a bet with someone that I can make you say at least three words.”
“You lose,” came back the reply.
My favorite version of this story goes more like this:
Calvin Coolidge was at a Washington Ambassador’s Ball, when one gushing young debutante came up to him, exclaiming, “Oh, Mr. President! My friends bet me that you wouldn’s say more than two words to me all night!”
Mr. Coolidge calmly turned to face her, and said, matter-of-factly, “You lose”, and walked away.
Take it or leave it… I think the latter version flows better :o)
I was born in Brattleboro in 1969, my family moved to florida in 1986. I have many relative still in Brattleboro and I visit yearly, this isnt the town I grewup in. The “Colonel” is a racist symbol??? Public nudity is OK??? Arrest the president???? What happen to my town??? Where are all of the level headed Vters??? I guess you can never go home.
I found your blog while surfing. This is a great site.
And yeah, it’s gotten pretty frustrating that Vermont has become the place where New York City has dumped their mostly out of touch with reality rural-oriented leftists. But hey, it’s all peace, love, and socialism from the state that refused Federal help in the 20’s after the great flood.
Many of the young natives (including my sister) are moving on to greener and business friendly states (and not surprising more conservative places).
Thanks too, for your blog. I’m much younger than you (I’m probably the same age as your children) but in the struggle to gain happiness and peace I found my self pulling way from “NPR thinking” to a truer moderate position.
My greatest fear now is fanatics from both sides of the aisle. They are cut from the same fabric, just different sides. And sadly, (at least compared to my former position), I’ve found many extreme conservatives are more upfront with their agenda.