Editor’s note: This commentary is by Rep. Scott Beck, a Republican representing St. Johnsbury in the Vermont House of Representatives. He is on the Ways & Means Committee.
Growing up, as I became interested in public policy and elections, and started to follow them more closely through newspapers, magazines, and television, I noticed that there were often litmus tests for those seeking election, especially candidates seeking the presidency. America’s press seemed to be terribly interested in whether someone had served or avoided service in World War II and Vietnam, and what their thoughts or involvement were regarding Watergate and the presidency of Richard Nixon. Notably, the civil rights movement as I recall was not one of the tests. I suspect because America, even the press, was not prepared to discuss America’s sordid history with slavery and racism.
Until recently, I hadn’t given much thought as to why the press was focused on World War II, Vietnam, and Watergate. World War II engulfed America with extraordinary sacrifice and dwarfed all other considerations; the press understandably wanted to know whether someone seeking to lead had contributed to the American war effort.
Vietnam and Watergate were different. Unlike World War II, these events didn’t unite the country, they tore at it badly. In the case of the Vietnam War, sacrifice was disproportionately the burden of the poor and minorities. Only later did Americans discover that we were lied to about our entry and conduct of the war, not a condolence for the 58,220 brave men and women that lost their lives or the hundreds of thousands that served in Vietnam.
In Watergate, we learned that a criminal was elected twice to serve as the leader of the free world. America also learned that government would cover up criminal activity to preserve power and privilege. Thankfully, we relearned that our best line of defense against tyranny is a free press – not politicians.
These Cold War political litmus tests have been getting smaller in the rearview mirror for quite some time.
On Jan. 6, after months of promoting election conspiracy theories and numerous failed attempts to reverse the results, President Donald Trump incited and encouraged the most vicious political attack ever orchestrated in the United States.
The political reaction to these events has been mixed. Democrats have insisted the president lost the election, incited an insurrection, and should resign or be removed by Cabinet or Congress. On Wednesday, a pathetically small group of 10 Republican U.S. representatives joined the Democrats in impeaching Trump for the second time. Almost 200 Republican representatives couldn’t bring themselves to put their country ahead of their party.
In Vermont, elected Republicans have done much better. Gov. Phil Scott immediately denounced the president, declaring that he had in fact lost the election, incited an insurrection, and should resign or be removed by Cabinet or Congress. Vermont’s Legislature quickly passed J.R.H. 1, agreeing with the governor. The vast majority of Republican legislators supported this effort.
Curiously, Vermont GOP and every county and town Republican Committee, with the exception of St. Johnsbury, has remained silent. No one has declared the president lost, incited an insurrection, or should be removed from office.
I have asked the chair of Vermont GOP and Caledonia County Republicans to resign immediately if they cannot acknowledge that the president lost, incited an insurrection, and should be removed. They have not resigned, but instead have made the laughably bold statement that they don’t condone violence, and advanced dangerous assertions and comparisons about Black Lives Matter, antifa, 75 million disenfranchised Trump voters, and pink hatters – real high-level thinking.
These two chairs and many other committee chairs are just the tip of a really sick iceberg. Their power comes from a group of Vermonters that for some ridiculous reason have twisted the Republican Party into a party dominated by extremists that can’t even acknowledge that their president lost an election, incited an insurrection, and must go, now.
In two years, Vermont GOP and county and town committees will ask Vermont voters to vote Republican. Voters should remember the deafening cowardly silence they exhibited during the most brutal political assault on democracy in this country, ever.
