by Scott Frye
Four Windsor County Democrat legislators are condemning last Saturday’s vandalism at the Vermont State House following the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
They were responding to this constituent’s inquiry: “I’d like to hear your take on this action that happened the other day, shortly after the Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade and the Dobbs case. “Capitol Police say that shortly after two a.m. this morning, an unknown person or persons vandalized the Vermont State House, breaking seven windows on the ground floor across the front of the building. Additionally, ‘if abortions aren’t safe you’re not either’ was spray painted on the front portico of the State House.”
“I have two reactions,” Sen. Dick McCormick said. “First of all vandalism and threats, like rioting, are an outrage. The damage to property itself is bad enough. But property can be repaired. Worse is the damage to civility, to our constitutional system for resolving conflicts.
“For all our disagreements, we Americans ought to agree on the ground rules for addressing such disagreements. Policy achieved through threats of violence, even good policy achieved through such threats, is a betrayal of our nation’s founding and defining principles.
“Second, why would an abortion rights advocate vandalize the VERMONT State House? And threaten the VERMONT Legislature? Vermont is a pro choice state. So the vandal is not only an enemy of orderly, constitutional process, s/he is a bit of a buffoon, attacking people who agree with him/her on the underlying issue at hand.”
“I find it appalling, period,” Rep. Alice Emmons (D-Springfield) said.
“Defacing a Statehouse which has only supported reproductive liberty was a weird choice,” Senat Majority Leader Alison Clarkson said. “Defacing anything is so unproductive and uncivil. And, who gets to pay the tab to clean it up? Taxpayers.”
“Violence and vandalism in any form is not condoned by normal law abiding citizens,” Rep. Kristi Morris (D-Springfield) said. “There are peaceful ways to voice one’s opinion. Such acts, as seen at our State Capital, are not it. Done under the darkness of night this is another cowardly act that ultimately costs the taxpayers from both sides of the debate.”
The author is a Springfield resident and occasional news reporter.