by Nancy Gassett

Vermont Bill H-386 is seeking to reduce the Vermont Constitutional Requirements of the voting age in Brattleboro. Our headline question is especially directed to Brattleboro Town  Clerk, Hilary Francis. As the town clerk she is the main person who is responsible to organize  and preside over Brattleboro Elections. Will she keep her Oath of Office to Uphold the  Vermont Constitution as the Foundational and Supreme Law of Vermont? Or, will she enable  the lawlessness of the Vermont Lawmakers who are betraying their constituents and ignoring  their Oaths of Office?  

We are also directing this same important question to the present Brattleboro Selectboard  Members: Ian Goodnow, Peter Case, Franz Reichsman, Daniel Quipp and Elizabeth McLoughlin. As the elected leaders of the Town of Brattleboro, will you keep your Oaths of  Office? Or, will you enable the tyrannical, lawless bill known as H-386? 

Vermont Voters elect persons at all levels of government to serve their best interests as Vermont Taxpayers, Voters and Citizens. They expect their elected representatives will act  to protect their Individual and Unalienable, Freedoms, Rights and Privileges. Being a United  States Citizen and attaining the age of 18 years, are the requirements declared in both the  Vermont State and United States Constitutions. These requirements cannot be changed by  tyrannical legislators who abuse their authority by handing down an illicit act from the state  legislature. 

A legal change of the voting age requires following the process to amend the Vermont State  and/or United States Constitutions. This bill introduced in the Vermont Legislature is an  illegal end run around our State and United States Constitutions. Vermont Voters would need  to be engaged and participate if the legal process was rightly followed to change the Vermont  Constitutional Voting Age Requirement. Voters and taxpayers should be asking, how did such  a blatantly unconstitutional bill such as H-386 get past the Vermont Legislative Lawyers who  are paid with our state tax dollars? Many of us who follow Vermont Legislative Activities and  Bills have asked this same question many times previously.  

If the Vermont Locally Elected Government Officials in Brattleboro choose to accept and  enable the Vermont Legislature’s Usurpation of our Constitutions, their actions will also be  in opposition to their Oaths of Office. Rather than breaking their Oaths and enabling  lawlessness, they should think about their positions as independent elected town officials. They are voted into their offices to serve the best interests of the people of Brattleboro who  are their constituents. Elected officials holding Vermont Town Municipal Offices, have  specific duties and independent functions under Vermont Law as they serve and are legally  accountable to “The People.” 

The Vermont Legislators supporting this bill are counting on those in other elected  government positions to silently and submissively accept their wielding of false authority to  enact their illegal bill. They are counting on persons who will follow their immoral examples of betraying their Oaths of Office.

Every elected officer in Vermont is required before entering upon the execution of their  office, to take an Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance. The required Oaths of Office taken by  ALL Vermont Elected Persons are part of our Vermont State Constitution. They are shown in Chapter II, Section 56 – Oaths of Allegiance; Oath of Office. Since these Oaths  of Office are taken, “Under the pains and penalties of perjury, “voters and citizens should  easily expect that elected officials will keep their Oaths of Office.  

Since perjury is a crime in Vermont, if elected officials blatantly break their Oaths of Office,  can they be charged with the crime of perjury? According to the following Vermont Statute:

Brattleboro Officials hold independent elected positions allowing them to oppose Bill H-386. They can choose to courageously adhere to our foundational laws as they agreed to do in  taking their Oaths of Office. They can choose to reject this lawless bill by refusing to enact its  illegal directives to the Town of Brattleboro Government. If the voters of Brattleboro want to  change the Vermont State Constitution Voting Requirements, Brattleboro Elected Officials can choose to be the ethical leaders needed to lead voters through the legal and right process. 

We have many Vermont Legislators, who act in opposition to their Oaths of Office as they  ignore and usurp our Constitutions. Rather than serving their constituents best interests,  they have become arrogant and power-hungry, tyrants. In their lack of self-awareness and  hypocrisy, they are some of the first to cry, “Treason and Insurrection” about others while  many of their own lawless actions are eroding our government foundations. 

Our hope is that Brattleboro Elected Officials have an awareness of the extremely important  function of our Vermont State and United States Constitutions as the Supreme Law and Foundations of our Governments. Our hope is they will choose to honor their Oaths of Office. 

To ALL the Voters of Vermont and especially Brattleboro Voters, please be reminded of your  Article 6 Duty as Citizens who live in our United States Constitutional Republic.

Don’t allow the further erosion of our Constitutional Freedoms. Hold ALL your elected  officials legally accountable!

Remember: Tyrants Claim Freedom to Kill Freedom Yet, They Keep Freedom for Themselves