…as in Thomas Rowley, the anonymous blogger who broke the story about the Vermont secession movement’s ties (real, substantiated ones, not “allegations” as they say) to Neo-Confederates and white supremacists. As always, if you’re not interested in this semi-frequent subject on here, skip it. if you love juvenile tit-for tat with people as crazy as the teabaggers (and kindred spirits, too), then this is your post.
A brief follow-up to my Rob Williams: Still A Whiny, Spineless Douche post a few weeks ago (again, if you’re not interested in the whole “VT secessionists who love neo-Confederates” thing, just skip this). Apparently, Rob’s feelings were hurt because Cathy Resmer didn’t mention his loony blog in her latest article, and did mention that blog that pointed out how he loves him some lynchers. Get over it, already, Rob, you lost. Please call me, we’ll do lunch sometime.
Hard to believe it’s been a year since that whole Second Vermont Republic fiasco, in which it was revealed that the tiny VT secessionist group had (and continues to have) some rather unsavory ties to Neo-Confederate groups. It got the wingnut brigade out in full force, but they couldn’t hide the bad PR, especially when they were defending it as though it were nothing to be concerned about. But that hasn’t stopped founder Thomas Naylor and VT Commons editor Rob “I don’t know if they’re racist and frankly, don’t care” Williams from trying. Blogger Thomas Rowley, the man who set the ball in motion that would eventually sink SVR, has a little retrospective up now. And today’s Times Argus also has the latest on the failure of the recent effort for SVR to get a secession initiative going on the ballot at Town Meeting Day in several towns this year (h/t to Jack at GMD). They couldn’t even get enough signatures to get it on one ballot, anywhere. Yet Thomas Naylor will probably insist that support is still growing, the neo-confederates are nothing for us to be concerned about, and whatever other blatherings those crazy voices in his head make him say. It seems to be his stock formula now, regardless of the truth of the matter.Nice job guys.
Here’s a quick, interesting story that has nothing to do with the election:
Lakota Sioux Indian representatives declared sovereign nation status today in Washington D.C. following Monday’s withdrawal from all previously signed treaties with the United States Government. The withdrawal, hand delivered to Daniel Turner, Deputy Director of Public Liaison at the State Department, immediately and irrevocably ends all agreements between the Lakota Sioux Nation of Indians and the United States Government outlined in the 1851 and 1868 Treaties at Fort Laramie Wyoming.
Veeeeery interesting. Lakota territory actually spans five states. And they’ve apparently had enough of the homesteading on their territory:
Lakota representatives say if the United States does not enter into immediate diplomatic negotiations, liens will be filed on real estate transactions in the five state region, clouding title over literally thousands of square miles of land and property.
I don’t know if this story will even make the national headlines, considering how invisible our indigenous peoples are to the rest of the country. Bush probably can’t even pronounce “Lakota”. If it turns into some sort of armed struggle, I’m sure it will make some waves, but let’s hope it doesn’t reach that point (although if it does, the Lakota will have my support, undoubtedly). Now this is a secessionist movement I can support wholeheartedly. If you’re more interested, go to Lakota Freedom for more information, as well as to offer any support you can.
Where’s Billy Jack when we need him most?
Well, I never thought I’d be doing another post on these people, but apparently the people at CBS News couldn’t be bothered to do their homework. The article seems to be oblivious to the fact that they have very little support on the left any more, and most of us left like rats on a sinking ship. I’m not going to recap for the sake of my regulars, but in a nutshell for those of you who were trying to find out more information on them – SVR has people on their advisory board with ties to racist organizations. Some bloggers called them out on it, they flipped out, dug in their heels, tried to get one of the bloggers fired, and in the process, Thomas Naylor exposed himself as quite the unhinged delusional type, sounding more like a cult leader than a supposedly respected academic. And the people in question are still on the advisory board. So they’re pretty much the fringiest of the fringy. And that’s all I’m gonna say on it.
If you are interested in this, all of my posts on it can be found here. Thomas Rowley, the guy who broke the story and did all of the homework, can be found here. And the Green Mountain Daily story that started the fiasco is here.
And unless some loony wearing a colonial outfit shows up at my door threatening me with a musket, that’s the last you’ll hear from me on this. But if you happened to come here, have a look around. It’s a little crazy in here but the water’s nice. And thank you for stopping by.
UPDATE: Ok, so I lied. One more bit. It’s actually more of a VT history lesson, but Rowley at VT Secession has a great piece about Vermont and some of the arguments one hears in regards to secession and the historical revisionism we hear, as told by VT State Archivist Gregory Sanford. There’s that and a few other things… did you know there’s a Ku Klux Klan in Hardwick and Rutland? Neither did I. Enjoy.
