Independence Day in Vermont capital replaced with African cultural troupe

Montpelier, Vermont's capital city, canceled Independence Day celebrations under a shallow ruse that the pandemic posed a threat, instead encouraging Vermonters to attend an alternative African drumming exhibition collecting people from across and around the state.  Invoking as its goal the "promotion of diversity," the city canceled the recognition of American First Principles that have always been celebrated on this same date and ground, demonstrating how supposed "diversity" is being used to extinguish American culture and is ideologically intolerant.

To those aware of the extreme toxicity of this city's council and mayor toward the Constitution and the First Amendment, this anti-American decision is unsurprising.  It is highly unlikely Vermont will ever have a celebration of Independence Day in its capital again — its RINO governor has endorsed BLM, even telling BLM protesters during the pandemic that they were exempt from COVID restrictions.


Downtown Montpelier (photo credit: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0 license).

Following the George Floyd incident, Montpelier was one of the first jurisdictions in the nation to paint the "Black Lives Matter" message on a public thoroughfare — on State Street, in front of the Vermont State Capitol Building.  When a group of political candidates filed a petition to paint an accompanying "Liberty and Justice For All" message, they were twice denied.  Montpelier is an ultra-progressive Mecca in the cult of ultra-progressive in-tolerance.  It is, like Critical Race Theory (CRT), the opposite of inclusion, or compassion, or reconciliation — it seeks strife, axes to grind, racial grievances to nurture into rage.

Vermont has completely reopened post-COVID, and its citizens are in desperate need of outdoor positive events for their mental and physical health.  Instead, and replete with crocodile tears, the "extremely difficult decision" was made by this anti-American enclave to ixne the Fourth of July under the pathetic pretense of COVID and then announce a new Independence Day free from any such health concerns:

Events like July 3rd require many months of planning and careful coordination. Unfortunately, there is too much continued uncertainty for us to plan a safe and successful celebration this year[.] ... Please consider attending the Shidaa Projects July 3rd Celebration on the Statehouse Lawn instead!  Shidaa Projects Inc., a non-profit organization focused on sharing West African Culture through dance, drumming and cultural education, invite you to celebrate Independence Day, as the city of Montpelier returns from the past year of COVID seclusion and inactivity.  Shidaa will take to the State House Lawn July 3rd from 5-8 pm., with a goal to promote diversity by mobilizing drummers, dancers, and performers across multi-racial lines who share a similar vision to celebrate diversity in our city.  This evening of music and dancing will include performances by: Stuart Paton and the Burlington Taiko drummers, Akwaaba Dance Ensemble (Manchester, NH), Jeh Kulu Drum and Dance Theater (Burlington), Karl Miller and his group Z-Jaz team (Montpelier) and Other Local Solo performers, including: Sara Grace (Montpelier), Julia Rose Riback (Rutland) and Jason Mallery (Montpelier).  

Social justice ideology seeks to dismantle the Bill of Rights and the Constitution as tools of racist white oppression against blacks.  It is unconstitutional for government to favor one political or religious view over others — CRT is both, and it deliberately seeks to obviate all constitutional safeguards.  Vermont proves this for the world to see, as well as the sly deception of the so-called "goal to promote diversity" — a cultural event has been extinguished instead of tolerated alongside multiple alternatives.  No doubt the African drummers are fantastic, but it is not diversity to schedule them so as to blot out a tradition.

Recently, a Vermont high school student was summarily dismissed from his job for daring to question CRT teachings in his school, at a forum created for that discussion.  Vermont schools led the nation in displaying obviously partisan BLM flags and, now, teach white-hating racist poetry.  White Vermonters are shamed for alleged silence, shamed even more sharply if they utter the least of dissents.  This is a cult!

The canceling forever of public celebration of our national holiday in Vermont is just a preview of the extremist ideological agenda of Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden.  Vermonters who understand this threat will be gathering in defiance of this contemptuous action by Montpelier on July 3 at the Vermont State House (at noon).

We the People will not be stymied by tyrants and their toxic hate — liberties and rights are not created by government, any more than the City of Montpelier owns Vermonters' public places, or controls how or when they celebrate their remarkable heritage.

John Klar writes on Vermont topics for True North Reports and can be found on Twitter and at vtliberty.net.

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