Racism in a Blue State
I live in the state of Connecticut. For those who don’t know much about U.S. geography, it’s a small state in the northeastern portion of the country. For years, Connecticut has had a reputation as a liberal haven. The bicameral state legislature has a veto-proof majority; many of the 169 towns and cities are run by Democrats; all of the elected state official positions are Democrats; all the Congressional Representatives and Senators are Democrats except one (and he’s the last one in the northeast); only the Lieutenant Governor and Governor are Republicans; also, despite having a strong Democratic twinge, most politicians tend to be on the moderate side of the scale, and 44% of Connecticut voters are Independents.
So, with all the blue love going on in Connecticut, are we all a bunch of peace-loving hippies? Not necessarily.
For all its Democratic love, I’ve personally noticed a pattern of quiet stereotyping toward people of other races. True, the younger generation, as in most areas, is a lot more accepting, and doesn’t buy into the old stereotypes. Mostly, it comes from the older generations. Yet, not everybody from Gen X, the Baby Boomers, or the Greatest Generation subscribe to stereotypes. I’m not saying that. Maybe it’s the people my family hangs out with, but it’s just something I’ve noticed for many years.
So, with that world view in mind, it wasn’t entirely unsurprising to me when I heard what happened today at the doctor’s office adjacent to my father’s store. Like many doctor’s offices, in Connecticut at least, several of the doctors are of Indian descent. Well, someone (or some group) decided to spray paint on the sign out by the street the phrase “white pride” over their names.
Now, I’ve never been under the delusion that Connecticut lacks racist organizations. Actually, there are several; among them are a white supremacist group, a neo-nazi group, a black separatist group, and a couple others. It’s just that in my lifetime I’ve never heard of such an overt display of racism in this state. I suppose it had to happen some time, but to hear about it happening so close to where you spend a good part of your day is a little unnerving.
Interestingly, none of the media in my area seems to have gotten wind of this thing. I guess nobody driving around decided to call it in to them, or else nobody felt like it was a big deal. I kind of do think it’s a big deal, since things like this don’t often happen in Connecticut.
The sign has been taken down for the time being, and it doesn’t seem that any other property was vandalized. Still, it was a little close for comfort.
