by Russ Ingalls
Editor’s note: Sen. Russ Ingalls (R-Essex Orleans) read this statement on the floor of the Senate today to explain why he opposed JRH6, Joint Resolution relating to Racism as a Public Health Emergency. The resolution passed the Senate and now goes to Gov. Phil Scott for his signature. May 12 it passed the House 99-42, on a largely ‘party line’ vote.
I believe that we must always continue to eradicate Racism where it persists. I also believe that Racism is real.

I also believe that Vermont is not a Racist State, when in making that statement would mean that I believe Vermonters as a whole, are not Racist. In my personal and business life, I have found that Vermonters, when meeting people for the first time, really don’t care of the color of ones skin, what god they pray to, whether you have lots of money or none, whether you are big or small, short or tall, what you’ve accomplished or not, what sex you identify with nor what political affiliation you align with.
Vermonters care of only one thing. Are you a good person. If you are, then you are in.
Is Vermont Systematically or Institutionally Racist? The dictionary says that Institutional racism, also known as systemic racism, is a form of racism that is embedded through laws within society or an organization. If that persists in Vermont, then please let me know where it’s at so we can address it today.
Is Racism a Public Health Emergency? Not as defined by The National Disaster Medical System Federal Partners Memorandum of Agreement, which defines a public health emergency as “an emergency need for medical services to respond to a disaster, significant outbreak of an infectious disease, bioterrorist attack or other significant or catastrophic event.”
And as for some of the findings in this Joint Resolution, the fact that 241 of the 251 deaths due to COVID19, for which race and ethnicity are known, 96% are white, non-Hispanic people. According to the US Government Census, Vermont is 94.2% White. So it does not appear that any population disportionately has seen deaths because of systematic Racism.
There is a Public health Emergency in Vermont. It’s the deaths of 94 people a year to opioid overdoses. That’s happened every year since 2009 with a 38% increase in 2020. Let’s find a solution to that problem.
I want to work with everyone of my Colleagues to keep Vermont an inclusive State for all, as I believe it is now.
This joint resolution is something that I can not support.
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Categories: Commentary
This is what’s going on: Postmodernism doesn’t believe in objective reality. It believes reality is constructed in language and discourse and that those who control the language and discourse can control the hierarchies and systems of power. The Left, incorporating this with Critical Race Theory, has tied our culture and thus our politics and politicians into knots. The Right hasn’t figured this out. They’re all tied up in their knots of constructed-guilt, combined with the manipulation of their natural goodwill as they try and “solve” the language-constructed ‘systematic’ racism. It’s a a language game. Postmodern philosopher Michel Foucault termed this phenomenon ‘Power-knowledge’. This in conjunction with our culture’s inability to truly understand – because of the Left’s takeover of our education system – its own roots and principles rooted in Modernism, Judeo-Christianity and the Enlightenment, produces an inability to defend these principles… leaving us flailing in the wind towards a kind of nihilism.
One cannot assuage the guilt of others with reason when, paradoxically, their conscience directs them to be hell-bent. Let them be. They are the captain of their respective ship. If that’s their only acceptable redemption, let them go down with it. To stay on board in order to convince them to take a different tack presents a risk, in my opinion, no longer worth the reward of their salvation. Because, I suspect, if history is any hint, they too will, in their final analysis, prefer Barabbas.
While the racism issue has more than likely been inaccurately assigned as it was it does exist. It began at an incubated rate that has hatched into Critical Race Theory, Social Justice and the like. The indoctrinators are feeling rather spry in showing off these accomplishments since their former students have gone on for training to reinforce the job they have been brainwashed to do. Easy marks they were, but then again it was so subtle out of the gate. Infiltrate over invasion! My word you must drive over it or what across it each day attending your Senate assignment! Pretty persistent to me when it’s in your face. Manufactured and growing along with all those questionable bills being passed on the hill.
So what part don’t you recognize in all this? Have a look and read the links as well:
https://granitegrok.com/blog/2021/05/why-cant-i-get-a-hold-of-janice-ive-been-trained-to-interrupt-you-starkey