General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Northam opponents will not like this New York Times article [View all]dlk
(11,561 posts)The NYT article brings into focus the fact that Northam's situation is not cut and dried but must be taken in the context of his upbringing and social environment of that time period. No one is suggesting that he be given a pass nor is anyone suggesting that wearing blackface, under any circumstances, is ever acceptable. However, in today's scorched earth political environment, with Republicans' consistent weaponizing of Democrat's values against them at every turn, we should keep in mind the timing of the top three Democrats in Virginia facing scandals, and being asked to step down -- at the EXACT SAME TIME. These events did not happen in a vacuum and as Malcolm Nance has often said, "coincidences take a lot of coordination." I believe we should give Northam a chance to demonstrate his commitment to addressing the many longstanding issues of racism in Virginia and I don't believe his prior behavior is sufficient cause to overturn an election. Make no mistake, our democracy is under assault. However, I believe we can protect it and still combat institutionalized racism at the same time.