I think I reacted like most people who read the news about today's press conference announcement from Speaker Symington and Senator Shumlin that they're diving full steam ahead into the issue of gay marriage in Vermont. Basically:

Whaaaaaa…….?   

We can discuss the peculiarities of timing, the prospects of success, the sometimes unfathomable thinking of the Democratic leaders (and we will, no doubt), but what's more interesting to me at this moment is how our reactions to this issue and this initiative are going to define us as activists and progressives.

The kneejerk response is to go the route that Freyne did – outright mockery, but I think that would be a mistake.

The criticism of the Legislative leadership is that they've been wimps. Capitulators. That they strategize and compromise in such a way that takes their base for granted. Both Symington and Shumlin have endured much justifiable and appropriate criticism on their rejection out of hand of this very issue last session.

So now, here thay are. Taking a divisive, high-profile, risky – but morally correct position. Maybe it's bad strategy. Maybe it's a crass attempt to shore up the base. Maybe they've just gone a little crazy.

But at the end of the day, who gives a shit? It's the right thing to do and they're doing it. End of story.

Freyne has become so mired in the personal, he can't see that. During the civil unions debate, he was a regular advocate for equal rights for gays and lesbians in the state, and yet he has nothing to offer but mockery. He has crafted a print narrative that places Symington and Shumlin in the role of comic relief. Of buffoonish clowns. There are certainly many who would agree, as GMD's own JDRyan has repeatedly called for Symington to step down on this very site, and his opinion is shared by many. Lord knows I've been critical of them as well.

The difference is that Freyne seems no longer capable of seeing past it.

And folks, we have to. I think there's a real argument to be made that what we're seeing is the Legislative Leadership becoming more responsive to the base. Sure they picked a strategically odd time/place/way to do it, but to go so far out of one's way (as Freyne does) to ignore the actual content of their presser – that the leaders of the Vermont Legislature are moving to craft a bipartisan push for Gay Marriage – is to cut off one's nose to spite one's face. Freyne would even rather talk about how shocking – shocking – it is that Bob Kiss wasn't invited to the press conference than actually engage with the issue that is now front and center (and check the news and the papers tomorrow if you doubt that it will now be front and center). He is that jaded.

Are we?

Again, there's no question that the strange strategy of making this announcement now merits a discussion – and you can bet I'll be neck deep in it myself. There is a lot of justifiable eye-rolling to be done.

But at the end of the day, if we're not going to first and foremost step up to back these folks up on doing the right thing even though it's politically dangerous, than we're just hypocrites. 

Go here for a full-size slide show.

( – promoted by odum)

Community broadband services are all the rage nowadays. Start singing Woody Guthrie's “This Land Is My Land” and by the time you reach those gulf stream waters you'll have not only covered the entire lower 48 U.S., but you'll also have described where local communities have put in high speed communications services. (For much more information visit freepress.net.)

And even at the federal level these efforts are being recognized and encouraged.

(Free Press Lauds ‘Community Broadband Act of 2007’, freepress.net, 07/24/07)

As Senator Lautenberg stated in a press release:

(click here for press release)

Fair enough, Senator. I know many folks in Williamstown, VT are sick of waiting for the pie in the sky promises made by the commercial carriers to come about. I've been tasked by the Williamstown Community Economic Development Committee to explore community broadband, and I'm working on this venture with at least 13 other Orange County towns. After all .. this land is your land, this land is my land.

As a matter of fact, all across Vermont communities are exploring or actively installing the latest in communications infrastructure … fiber-optics and some wireless. Much of this has been made possible by Burlington Telecom, the Burlington utility that gives Queen City residents inexpensive access to fast, reliable and high quality Internet, telephone and television services via a brand new fiber-optics network.

So I'm going to applaud those pushing to make sure community broadband is not interfered with by behemoth corporations … politely, tentatively. Because I want to see if the final actions meet the initial words.

You.  Have.  Got.  To.  Be. Kidding.  Me.

From the Brattleboro Reformer:

One police officer, who attended the Selectboard meeting “on his own behalf,” said the protesters were being irresponsible, pulling officers away from their more serious duties.

“We are a very busy department,” said Detective Eric Johnson, who said he sympathized with the protesters but disagreed with their decision to not leave the property when ordered to by police.

“If we go to a scene and ask you to please leave, just leave and move to a public place,” he said. “Our responsibility is to enforce the law,” adding “if I ask them to leave and they don’t, what am I to do?”

Oddly enough, one of the protesters had a fairly good idea about that:

“All they had to do was take our water away from us and we would have been gone in 48 hours,” said Kilmurray, after speaking at Tuesday night’s Selectboard meeting.

Congratulations, Brattleboro Police Department.  You’ve taken a minor protest by a very small group of people and turned it into something much bigger.

If you haven't seen the emails and postings, Sierra Club is targeting Fox “News” for their campaign of crude, scorched-earth style global warming denial (heh… pardon the expression… honestly, it didn't even occur to me until I read the diary preview..heh heh). To do so, they've identified a major Fox advertiser – Home Depot – for action. Here is the associated YouTube video: 

You can add your name to the petition here. What makes this story particularly timely for Vermonters? This (from the Times Argus):

It's not just a rumor any more. Home Depot has set it sights on central Vermont.

The company that bills itself as “the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer” is targeting a partially abandoned strip mall on the Barre-Montpelier.

It's possible they may be more receptive than usual to Vermonters, under the circumstances.