Vermont town's only black female lawmaker resigns after repeated racial threats

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

Vermont state Rep. Kiah Morris (D) announced she will be resigning from the legislature after a series of racially motivated harassment and threats. Morris, who was the only black woman serving in the Vermont House of Representatives, ended her re-election campaign late last month. The state lawmaker said she will care for her husband, who is currently recovering from open heart surgery.

Morris, who was first elected to represent Bennington in 2014, said in an interview with The New York Times that her home had been broken into multiple times and that swastikas were "painted on the trees in the woods near where we live.”

“It has come and gone and in different waves, but then it picked back up again and of course we are back in an election season so there’s always more,” she said.

According to The Associated Press, Morris said the Bennington Police Department’s response to the incidents was underwhelming. But Police Chief Paul Doucette reportedly defended his department's handling of the racially motivated incidents.

According to the news agency, the threats made against Morris are currently being investigated by the Vermont Attorney General's office.

Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/408684-vermont-towns-only-black-female-lawmaker-resign-after-repeated

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[bucolic_frolic]

1. It's them Yankee Rednecks

white rural America is a brotherhood of sorts

[NewJeffCT]

3. There are a good deal of them

in upstate NY, northern New England (VT, NH, ME) and even in isolated spots in southern New England. A lot of them crawled out from under their rocks and voted for the first time in many years for Trump in 2016

[NurseJackie]

2. Vermont is a very homogeneous state lacking diversity...

Vermont is a very homogeneous state lacking diversity. I don't find that to be particularly appealing... I guess it helps to explain a lot, however.

[OhNo-Really]

4. Doesn't FBI probe hate crimes?

[Lars39]

5. You'd think so!

I'd be going waaay over the Vermont AGs head.

[Aristus]

6. What the hell, Vermont?

You're supposed to be the Mister Rogers of the states!

Send that shit back to Mississippi. It doesn't belong in Mississippi, either, but at least it will have a hearty welcome...

[SWBTATTReg]

7. This is really disappointing, especially in today's environment of enlightenment. I've a ...

lot of respect for this state's citizens, I still do, but I thought that more of the states' citizens would have cared more about this person's efforts to run for office and respected that effort and support her, e.g., provide some security for her, etc.? As the article said, the police dept.'s response has been underwhelming. Pathetic. And this state is one of several that we use, in selecting our presidential candidates?

We see Vermont citizens on national TV every 4 years because of the presidential primaries.

Perhaps one day, we'll do these primaries differently, I'm a little sick and tired of all of the candidates running around the states of Vermont/New Hampshire/Iowa (or other states w/ very early primaries), constantly on TV, and hearing their citizen's opinions on just about everything, and in effect, deciding for the rest of the country which candidates are going to run president (a very small portion of the total US population deciding the candidates, as well as the issues, it seems like).

I'm not knocking them (the citizens of these states or the states) but frankly, I think that the other states do have some say as to what candidates remain viable, and oftentimes, by the time a primary comes up in our states, its too late. It doesn't seem fair to me. And, the parties control this too (the states that have primaries and when, via sanctioning, etc., I know other states have tried to 'muscle in' and try to be part of the early primary season).

[SunSeeker]

8. Sickening. How is Vermont letting this happen? Has Bernie issued any statements about this? nt

[Honeycombe8]

9. Vermont? Really? Howard Dean territory?

I had no idea Vermont had neo-Nazis.

[BlueIdaho]

10. What the fuck is wrong with Vermont?

Part of the great white north?

[woundedkarma]

11. loved vermont

Some of the kindest coolest people in the world, very liberal in some ways, conservative in others. If you grow up living anywhere with a lot of racial diversity, you'll probably notice it faster but vermont is very white. At least all the places we visited for the 2+ years we were there.

I'm very surprised to hear anything about neonazis. I'm also greatly saddened that Rep. Morris has been treated this way.

[onetexan]

12. i hope she sues the state government for the lack of response from law enforcement