A few of you have e-mailed this morning asking if I have read the latest GMD screed.

Why yes, in fact, I did read it.

Ever since I called up GMD point man John Odum on the phone and
invited him out to lunch last winter to discuss his "concerns" with the
Vermont independence effort, I've been reading the GMD blog.

Religiously.

I use the term "religiously" here, not just because I'm a regular
churchgoer (Episcopalian and proud), because I've just been condemned
to hell, or at the very least, Purgatory, by Mr. Odum today.

Double hell, actually, if you include the remarks of Mr. Odum's trusty sidekick, J.D. "Grindhouse" Ryan.

Their old allegations are back and more Biblical than ever.

1. Still my favorite is the argument that publishing southern writers who
are well-studied on historical questions of "secession," "Empire,"
"small versus large states," or "hard money" smacks of "communion"
(nice term, John - very Biblical - pass the wafers, please) with
"racists," as so deemed by the SPLC, an organization that GMD's own
readers have repeatedly pointed out is somewhat suspect on determining
such matters.

[And, while we're talking about the SPLC, let's not forget Mr. Odum's other very reliable
source of information on the "evils" of the Vermont independence effort
- an anonymous blogger(s) who, to this day, remain(s) anonymous, one
and a half years later (but whom Mr. Odum knows the identity of.
Huh.)]

2. Or that I have "characterized my relationship with
Thomas Naylor" as "nonexistent to parochial" (whatever that means), when what I have said to
anyone who asks is this: the Vermont independence effort is by no means
driven by a single organization or impulse. Thomas Naylor is a
colleague in the conversation about Vermont independence, and we often
disagree on questions of strategy, tone, and tactics, but he runs his
organization (SVR) and I help run mine as part of an editorial team,
and we confer and collaborate where it seems to make sense to do so.

I'm not sure how much more clear I can be here.

3. And now, we have some creative new arguments, too. (i.e.:
How dare a secession-minded group emulate the successes of another
secessionist newspaper interested in the non-violent dissolution of the
U.S. as Empire! Horrors.)

And, as always, the snark runneth over, not to mention the ad hominem attacks, something that Mr. Odum seems to enjoy whenever he has the opportunity.

And let it be said that, having read him for 16 months now, Mr. Odum is a bright fellow.

He is also a master propagandist.

Unlike Mr. Odum, I am not much for amateur armchair psychoanalysis, especially of the Biblical variety.

And, having only had lunch with him once - and I remember some
of the details of our experience and conversation that he conveniently
omits in his account, but I will keep them to myelf, out of respect for
everyone's privacy - I am certainly not in a position to render any
moral judgments about the nature of his character. Only those who know
him well, or who have worked with him in varying capacities, can do
that, if they so choose.

Now - I suppose I could take another 2 hours and attempt to dialogue with, refute or otherwise
clear up (again) Mr. Odum's accusations, selective half-truths, distortions,
conflations, hyperbole, ad hominem attacks, and Biblical exegesis ( as
applied to me).

But, as one who has now been officially cast out of GMD's Garden (I
wonder if they'll cut off my RSS feed?), I better get back to the work
of producing our next issue of the newspaper, in keeping with our
mission of imagining what an independent Vermont republic might look
like.

We've got deadlines to meet here.

For those of you who haven't yet read my conversation with the SPLC's Heidi Beirich, here it is again, and I think it speaks for itself, but only if you keep everything I say in context.

Something our neighbors at GMD sometimes have a hard time doing.

Free Vermont! Long live the UNtied States.

Rob Williams

Editor, Vermont Commons