Ouch! SEVEN DAYS Dumps VTCommons!

There's been so much said about Second Vermont Republic and it's ties to racist groups like the League of the South that I thought it best to take a breather and sort of let the dust settle.   I also thought that given a some time to reflect, SVR and its sister organization, "Vermont Commons", might reconsider its arrogant insistence on maintaining such ties.

Well, no such luck.   In fact, they've added a link to the separatist, homophobic, neo-Confederate extremist group, Christian Exodus, another group with strong historic ties to the LoS leadership. [1]

That intransigence hasn't been without consequence.   First, this letter appeared in yesterday's issue of Seven Days:

‘COMMONS’ COURTESY?
What’s up with Seven Days? I understand you agreed to distribute Vermont Commons throughout this year. (I’m an occasional contributing editor.)

Second Vermont Republic is still an infant organization that recently stumbled. The response by everyone has been to kick them out the door and roll them down the hill.

The affiliated publication, Vermont Commons (which has been working hard with few resources to raise a very worthwhile and necessary conversation), has been penalized by you — and summarily dumped.

It seems a shame to me. And also, dishonorable.

Jacqueline Brook
PUTNEY

"Stumbled?"   Refusing to get out of bed with racists and bigots isn't what an average Vermonter would call a "stumble."   It's more like jumping off a cliff.   'Course, the spinmeisters VTCommons and SVR, architects of the famous "Don't Ask, Don't Care" about racism strategy, as well as being well practiced subscribers to the "Racists? What Racists?" dodge, might have called such a jump "stepping out for some air."

Here's the Seven Days reply:

SEVEN DAYS RESPONDS:
The reason we’ve decided to stop accepting Vermont Commons as an insert has nothing to do with any controversy surrounding its associate organization, the Second Vermont Republic. It’s because the publication, complete with ads, confused readers who thought it was a part of Seven Days. So as not to leave Vermont Commons in the lurch, we agreed to accept one final insertion of the publication. It appears in this week’s paper.

O-kay.   And that "confusion" wasn't readily apparent when the insert was initially accepted?   Sorry ladies but that just doesn't pass the smell test.   You've done the right thing by ending the connection to such a clueless group of people but that sort of equivocation is, as Jacqueline Brook might say, shameful and dishonorable.   I guess she had one thing right.