BRATTLEBORO — I recently received a flyer from “Concerned Citizens of Vermont” encouraging me to “vote a resounding no!” on the addition of Article 22 to the Vermont Constitution. The case made in the flyer is that the language of the amendment is “so vague” that it “doesn't adequately protect all reproductive rights.”
This raised alarm bells for me. I have been dismayed by the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the horrifying effects this has had on women's self-determination and health care. Would this proposed article put women at greater risk? The language in the flyer is both compelling and confusing.
In an effort to inform myself, I tried to research the source of this flyer.
A Google search revealed no evidence of an organization named “Concerned Citizens of Vermont.” I did find that a group, Vermonters for Good Government, stated, “Women should vote NO on Proposal 5/Article 22 following the Supreme Court Dobbs Decision.”
Vermonters for Good Government is known for its “right-to-life,” anti-abortion, and conservative positions (The Vermont Political Observer) and is “leading the campaign in opposition to the amendment” (ballotpedia.org). The language used by Concerned Citizens of Vermont in the flyer is almost identical to that used by Vermonters for Good Government.
My point is not to create divisiveness or to challenge a position or a cause, but to comment on the confusing and misleading marketing tactics that are continually being presented to all of us.
My concern for our democracy and the transparency of the political process is at an all-time high, and I have been eligible to vote for over 50 years. The manipulation of the voting public is currently worse than I have ever experienced.
Don't be overly influenced by emotional and potentially misleading marketing and political tactics. I encourage you all to question and research the sources of what you read and hear before making thoughtful and informed voting decisions.