You first, legislators – I have a suggestion for every climate and social justice warrior seeking to transform Vermonters’ daily lives:
You first.
For every bill or proposal you want to force on Vermonters, the first step must be for you to comply immediately, even before the law is passed. Lead the way!
Don’t want any gas or diesel vehicles on VT roads? You must immediately stop using any that you own and you must be prohibited from traveling in any. Including public transportation.
Don’t want any gas or propane stoves in Vermont? You must immediately stop using any in your home or apartment. You cannot dine anywhere the food is prepared using a gas or propane stove, flat plate or oven. You cannot heat your home with any fossil fuel product.
Don’t want any law-abiding Vermonter to own or possess any type of gun for protection, hunting or sporting use?
You must immediately remove every gun in your possession and you must refuse protection from any armed guards or security.
You want to force EVs on Vermonters who can’t afford them? You buy one today. You use it exclusively. Regardless of the purchase price or time to charge. Regardless of the cost or availability to charge it where you live or work.
You use it when it’s -30 and you are stuck on the Interstate or some back road because a squall or ice has made the road unsafe to travel. And as you watch the charge dwindle to zero and you freeze your butt off, remember you are Saving the Planet.
You want equity in Vermont schools? Tell your children they are hate-filled racists and keep them in poverty. Only feed them minimally. No new clothes. They must be punished and pay reparations to people they never harmed.
While you’re at it, you explain to every member of the BIPOC community why you think they are incapable of thinking for themselves and getting an education that will lead to a productive life.
You want to legalize destroying life in the Womb? Start with yourself, your wife or daughter. Send them to anyone who claims to be an abortion provider. That is the law you created. Joe the Mechanic can hang up a shingle claiming he is now an abortion provider. He is exempt from any criminal responsibility regardless of any injury or death he causes. You wrote special protections for that. Destroy your child or grandchild first.
You want genetic males in women’s sports and locker rooms? Put them in with your daughter or granddaughter first. If the outcome is that she has zero chance to ever win again, who really cares ? If she is subjected to sexual harassment, who cares?
Diversity and inclusion above all, right? – Jim Sexton, Essex Junction
Colleges libraries closing: O, the humanities – the changes are currently underway. There’s the new library web presence at https://libraries.vsc.edu/home. It is promoting exactly what Mr. Grewal is advocating and insisting is going to happen, like it or not. All of this was put in motion back in 2020 when the system began to restructure. The information and warning were there, we were not paying attention, perhaps because we were distracted by certain global events that we are still living in the thrall of.
State College Libraries have rescaled and retooled multiple times in the recent decades. In my heart of hearts, this time, it is different. Humanities materials are the ones that will be gutted and eventually the courses, too, as interest spirals downward without access to materials of the sort that often inspire a reader who is seeking to understand their world. Stack browsing with its thrill of serendipity and discovery will be a thing of the past. People are not flocking to the humanities majors, but the studies are profoundly important for exploring what it means to be human, and to provide balance and justice in a world where it is claimed “science” is supreme.
In my experience, humanities sources are primarily book print format, in the stacks, the spaces that will be repurposed. These are not materials that are commonly digitized. They will not be available in full format in digital databases; digitizing is an extremely expensive process subject to policies and budgets, i.e. marketing, of the companies providing the service. Common library subject fields associated with the humanities are: arts, history, literature and children’s books, philosophy, religion, fairy tales, mythology, music, and social sciences. And apparently, where will the librarians be? They have the skills and training to track down the newly obscure materials students will need and want, and the materials will not necessarily be “free” to acquire, check out and renew; what you want and need in print could be in a distant library, and perhaps accessible via mail, yes, old fashioned brick and mortar delivery, with time constraints depending on demand. Even digital copies are limited and costly to source, curate, and print, any other implication is just false.
When the humanities dry up, voices from across the ages become less accessible and eventually disappear to the bowels of the archive until a future generation discovers them anew. Can the people of the world wait that long? Mr. Gerwal, perhaps you and your board could take a break and browse the stacks for humanity’s sake, please. – Joanne R Bertrand, Lyndonville,
Retired School Librarian
Dollar devaluation looms – The US dollar took a hit in Davos when Saudi Arabia informed everyone they would accept other currencies for purchasing oil. National media ignored this as did President Biden. The US dollar (USD) has been the world’s most frequently used currency for trade since it became the reserved currency worldwide in 1879.
The Wall Street Journal predicted the Saudi’s would move away from exclusively using the USD for trade. They noted the kingdom was frustrated with President Biden and his administration, and it was looking to focus trade with Asian markets, mainly China. Market analysts are saying the USD domination world over is fading and countries like Russia, China and Saudi Arabia’s goal are now undermining the supremacy of the USD.
As China achieves its goal of global/economic dominance and its currency strengthens it could become the world reserve currency. China then could call our debt. We’d have to devalue the USD thereby spiking inflation that will affect our purchasing power. Basic necessities we’re accustomed to would be unaffordable. The increased ads citing gold and silver as a way to preserve wealth today are foretelling.
Strong economic growth, credible political leadership and sound fiscal policy will restore the USD. The Congressional debate extending the debt limit is a start and managing federal spending would restore economic confidence. Earning trust and leading politically with our allies and undeveloped countries to counter China dominance is absolutely necessary. – Frank Mazur, South Burlington
Categories: Opinion
Jim Sexton hits another home run! Bravo, Jim!
To quote the great Merle Haggard,
“When they find out how to burn water
And the gasoline car is gone
When an airplane flies without any fuel
And the sunlight heats our home
But one of these days when the air clears up
And the sun comes shinin’ through
We’ll all be drinkin’ that free Bubble Up
And eatin’ that rainbow stew”
Another great one from Merle Haggard to sing after the Unforgivable Heat Standard passes: “If we make it through December, everything’s gonna be alright”. (IF) For us widowers, widows and single people!
Great points made!
And, be sure to use an electric lawn mower (or have your lawn/hedges, etc. trimmed by someone using a gas-less trimmer). Of course, the old-fashioned push-mower would work, as well!
Eliminate your gas chainsaws – electric or handsaws only!
No gas grills allowed either.
Make sure your Fed-ex, U.P.S, and postal deliveries are all by electric vehicles – or don’t order anything!
Be sure to have your children walk or bicycle to school. We can’t have gas-powered school buses!
In all seriousness:
It wasn’t much longer than 100 years ago that electricity began to replace gas-lit lighting. Were the citizens of this country told that they would HAVE to replace their gas lights? NO! It was up to each individual! Most eventually found that electric lighting was easier, safer, more convenient and the cost was reasonable.
NO one wants to be forced into this craziness!
You can’t have an E.V. because the minerals used or the batteries are mined with diesel power 😉
Well said! I think they should ALL have to live in Medicare as well. No salary increases, and none when they leave office. Can we pass a law for all you said and more?
Mr. Sexton, I do believe you are on to something. Legislators should be required to personally adopt some of their proposals before voting to have them imposed on others. So many of their ideas are short sighted and do not take into consideration how the citizens of Vermont will be affected long term. Let them find out first hand what some of the consequences will be. How do we get this implemented?
Guy, When we receive these columns from various writers, are they being published in any other “mainstream” (aka: lamestream) news outlet in Vermont?
It would be interesting to know their source or even alternate publication where they were sent & accepted for publication.
As far as what I write Kathleen, I only make submissions to Vermont Daily Chronicle and occasionally True North Reports. I have great respect for Guy Page and Michael Bielawski.
I learned after the Rally I organized to Support Law Enforcement at the Statehouse in July 2020, that every media outlet, ( print and network ) that reported about my event had no intention of actually reporting. ( With the exception of the Chronicle and True North Reports ) My Rally was only to support the Law Enforcement that were being being portrayed as completely hate filled and hunting Black Men for no reason at all. Every ” newscast ” spent time pushing these lies every night.
I had asked people to speak on behalf of members of the Law enforcement Community that had performed way above the call of duty. Several spoke of instances where their life was saved by a Law Officer.
I had stressed for weeks before it was held that we were not protesting blm, Antifa or any other organization. I had worked with the Capitol, Montpelier and State Police for two weeks prior sharing what my event would be.
I had received many email and message threats that my event was racist and I better not have it. I shared all this info with the agencies listed above.
On the day of the Rally, protesters disrupted the event, forcefully pushing closer to the Lectern the speakers were using. They were using sirens and bullhorns, becoming ever more aggressive. I was forced to cancel the event after an elderly Woman was knocked down when someone tried to grab her sign.
I was called a racist for not being sympathetic to blm.
The day after, a Channel 3 reporter showed Phil Scott a video taken at my event.
Despite the fact that we were peaceful and were physically and verbally attacked, Scott told the reporter that, We can never have another racist event like this at the Capitol.
There are Youtube videos of that day. There were hundreds supporting us that day. Ask any of them what happened.
FYI, it was a very hot day. After I cancelled the Rally I offered everyone to take bottled water that I had purchased for the event. Everyone.
Thank you Jim.
I got you insofar as your experiences with our propagandized & “inequitable” news agencies; it signals the destruction of a once free nation. As I always state – no free press – no free country. Yet as unbelievable as this all appears to oldsters like me, I fear we are indeed witnessing the end of an era – an era whereby a nation conceived in liberty was epoch.
However, in an attempt to retain some minor modicum of optimism, just in the rare event (lol) I happen to be completely wrong on this, I fear that not submitting our collective points of view to the lamestream media, in terms of opinion pieces, we operate just as the radicals hope we do – the primary objective being to silence us and to create a system wherein our views, our perspectives, our knowledge cannot be disseminated.
But I hear your very justifiable frustration and I of course hope Guy’s publication and True North Report’s readership continue to grow exponentially, in order for all to learn truths. Thanks for your voice.
Jim Sexton – RIGHT ON !
Over the last 40 years i have seen my dollar shrink and shrink as prices get higher and higher. It’s time for this to end !
Hey Jane Sixpack, I’ll go one further…don’t forget those electric cars bodies, frames, brakes, wheels, motors are all made with steel. Steel is made by smelting iron ore, smelting is accomplished by burning – wait for it – COAL! Not to mention all the plastic in a EV…is it made from non gmo soybean polymers or is it PETROLEUM based. This conversation could be endless. All delusional climate justice warriors need to understand one thing…the ENTIRE world runs on coal & diesel, PERIOD!
The legislators walk by the figure of Ethan Allan on the front steps of the Capitol statehouse (The People’s House). It would be great to know what Ethan would have to say to them and what would he do with them. One thing is for sure, he wouldn’t have put up with this crowd and he would shed a tear knowing what has become of the state that he and his Green Mountain Boys fought for!
Jim Sexton – Fantastic letter, I agree with everything you said. Imagine if we bombarded senators, legislators and representatives with your letter. It echo’s a lot of our own sentiments. Laws for thee, but not for me (govt). Well said good sir!!