The Vermont Select Board Un-Candidate #6

Brattleboro 4/19/17
     I attended the Select Board Meeting and sat in the second row by the open door. There were about twenty people in the big meeting room, and it was not crowded. I was comfortable with no thoughts of panic. I saw where the Select Men and Women sat, on the other side of the room with the only exit near them an emergency fire outside stairway or ladder, and knew I would have to endure panic sitting there. Bring it (I say now).
     I did make some redemption for my lack of courage in the past and I hope I championed the thoughts of some other people too. The issue was replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day. Now people, the motto for my un-campaign is "Freedom, Reason, and Evidence." Indigenous means occurring naturally in a particular places. There were no indigenous people in North America. We thought the Clovis people were the first to come to North America from Asia. They were immigrants then, 13,000 years ago. But evidence of pre-Clovis people has been found. The point is: There are no indigenous people in North America! So why have a holiday set aside for no one? There was a motion made, seconded, and passed to replace Columbus Day - a real person- with Indigenous People's Day when there have never been indigenous people in Vermont. Political Correctness (read Intimidation) at its most absurd. I told myself that I had to speak up, but the audience wasn't invited to on this issue, at variance with the other items on the agenda. I forgot to bring my wallet with his card in it to the library so I cannot name the distinguished Indian who eloquently thanked the Select Board for establishing the holiday for no one.
     We then proceeded to another issue, and the Chairman asked if the audience wanted to say anything. I got up, went to the microphone and camera, and spoke most ineloquently about being " a southern rebel " not "from this culture" and not liking the trend to erase history. I said that I was sorry for the things done to the Indians, and that these things were continuing to be done "to species of animals." I think I said that Columbus Day was historical and accurate and wanted to keep it.
     I then collapsed on my chair. The Indian came over, shook my hand that was cold and wet (and probably little too!), gave me his card and said he would be glad to talk to me if I wished. I gave him mine. That was my only contribution to the meeting, if you would call it that.
     I then drove to my office at McDonald's and actually had some possible constituents drop in and talk for several hours. I left them shaking their heads in dismay.
    This afternoon I returned to the River Garden to attend the session "What Is
Living Well To Me ?" hosted by Pennfield Chester. My only contribution there was an offhand remark that could apply to snowflakes. It was "Friction is good. It exposes you to other views." Grab your blankie and bott!
     Peter Nickerson peternickerson12@yahoo.com  352-359-0850
Office hours at McDonald's 9:05 weekdays except for Friday which is 8:05
"Freedom, Reason and Evidence" humor too!