Vermont Conversation: Is Vermont fertile ground for white extremists?
By David Goodman
Aug 18 2021
SNIPPET:
Shank 👍 writes that
white extremists have “bullied countless people of color in Vermont, who had to flee their communities because it became increasingly hostile and unsafe for them. And now it’s pushing me out, too.”
Shank tells The Vermont Conversation, “Not only are people unsafe in our communities … but they are unsafe in terms of who they turn to for protection….
The very people who are supposed to protect them aren’t protecting them.” He cites recent reports about racial disparities in policing in Vermont that show that
Black and Hispanic drivers are three to four times more likely to be searched by police during traffic stops — despite having a lower “hit rate” for contraband.The
bias that pervades policing has created a permissive environment for racial harassment and white extremism to flourish, says Shank. “Vermont has a leadership problem on this issue,” he asserts. “We are allowing the racism to metastasize.”
🔊 Podcast and article: 🤦♂️https://vtdigger.org/2021/08/18/vermont-conversation-is-vermont-fertile-ground-for-white-extremists/