Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Such Words Have “No Place in Virginia”

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,

by James A. Bacon

Governor Glenn Youngkin did the right thing by demanding the resignation of David Dietrich, a Hampton Republican Party official serving on the city electoral board, for making a racist Facebook post.

In accusing certain senior military officials of persecuting “conservative, freedom-loving Americans,” Dietrich referred to them as “nothing more than dirty, stinking N—–s.” If they want a Civil War, they’ll get one, he added. “Perhaps the best way to pull us back from the brink is a good public lynching.”

Republican Party officials, from Governor Youngkin on down, have condemned the remark. “We unequivocally condemn all forms of racism and bigotry,” said Hampton GOP Chairman Philip Siff.

“As governor, I serve all Virginians. I won’t accept racism in our Commonwealth or our party,” Youngkin tweeted yesterday. “The abhorrent words of a Hampton Roads official are beyond unacceptable and have no place in Virginia. It’s time to resign.”

Shortly after the Governor’s tweet, Dietrich did resign.

It’s sad to know that someone capable of using that kind of language is a member of the Republican Party. While Dietrich may have legitimate concerns about the leftist policies emanating from Washington, D.C., framing them in the racial terms that he did was wrong in every way that it’s possible to be wrong. Black people, and anyone who sympathizes with their struggles in American society, are totally justified in taking grave offense.

Moreover, Dietrich’s words will be used to characterize all Republicans as racist — no matter how swift and forceful the condemnations from GOP officials.

Most Republicans want the GOP to be a big tent party that is welcoming to all races and ethnicities. Under Glenn Youngkin, the GOP stands for opportunity for all Virginians. There is no place for racially exclusionary language. We must condemn outbursts of racism and bitter grievance. If that means expelling people like Dietrich, then let’s get on with it.

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27 responses to “Such Words Have “No Place in Virginia””

  1. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    Goodbye and good riddance.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Good riddance? My, my, but aren’t you the optimist. He’ll be on Fox tomorrow and a new career is launched.

  2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    Making a place at the top for the likes of Trump, his cronies, and their (at best) racist dog whistles, has also given this sort of overt racist a voice where he had none in the past. The problem is that while Youngkin was swift in his condemnation once this was brought to light, there are a significant number in today’s GOP who will think “you know he’s not wrong… the issue is in HOW he said it…”

    Also, this was posted in February 2021….??

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      I also think he was not wrong and he said it just fine… well, at least the part about conservatives being white nationalists. The trash about the generals themselves was just “white nationalist” talk.

    2. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      2/2021… someone other than a Republican must have just seen it.

  3. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Now, words and bananas are quite similar…

  4. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    It would have been nice of Ralph, the Lt. Gov, and Herring had resigned. At the time it seemed like the right move. But no, we didn’t get that. Instead it was 3 years of their arrogance. What was the Lt. Governor’s name? Amazing how fast you forget somebody. Dietrich will be forgotten too.

  5. James McCarthy Avatar
    James McCarthy

    Perhaps this outburst was only some adolescent-like anti-social behavior requiring only a suspension form the board. After all, it was only some FB postings about 3 individuals, not six incidents of bananas at the teacher’s door.

    1. James A. Bacon Avatar
      James A. Bacon

      James, that might be plausible if Dietrich were a 10th grader suffering from anxiety, depression and/or social exclusion. We don’t know why the 10th grader did what he did — perhaps he fits the old-fashioned bigot profile rather than the social-defiance profile that I hypothesize — but we can be pretty sure that Dietrich does not fit the teenage social-defiance profile.

      Apparently, though, your worldview is binary. There are racists and non-racists, and all racists are essentially the same. The wellsprings of behavior of a 14-year-old kid who leaves bananas in the door well are indistinguishable from adults marching around with tiki torches and using their cars to run down counter protesters.

      Remind me never to rely upon you for counseling or psychological advice.

      1. James McCarthy Avatar
        James McCarthy

        Given the statements of the individual, it is possible that he suffers from some inner turmoil. I don’t know but, in my experience, racist behavior often is an expression of underlying inferiority or dysfunction. Those conditions may exist in school age folks as well as adults. As you note, we don’t know why the 10th grader behaved the way he did. Also, we don’t know the motivation of the Hampton Republican or what inner demons he possesses. As the song from South Pacific warns, “You have to be carefully taught.” BTW, my speculation was purely that – speculation. Not dissimilar to that you offered in the article on the student. I could not rely upon your speculative evaluation in that circumstance as I would never advise you to rely upon mine.

      2. VaNavVet Avatar
        VaNavVet

        Perhaps some people never outgrow their anti-social racist behavior. Otherwise, why would the GOP establishment put this bigot on the Hampton electoral board? Good for Gov Youngkin. Now how can he go about ensuring the voters of Hampton that future elections will not be tainted by such bigotry?

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          starts out with bananas and progresses…. as he “matures”.

          One does wonder how someone like Dietrich got to that point where he not only felt that way but verbalized it in a public forum for others to see.

          This was not some anonymous goofball. This was someone who is an election official for Hampton as well as a GOP activist. Surely his views were known to others he associated with.

  6. Joe Jeeva Abbate Avatar
    Joe Jeeva Abbate

    Thank you for demonstrating the historical context of critical race theory right here by publicizing the reality of “David Dietrich, a Hampton Republican Party official serving on the city electoral board, for making a racist Facebook post”, and suggesting that there’s been a place in the GOP party for a government official who suggests “lynching” of black Americans. This minor report could easily be showing a small aspect of the racist core that currently must be appealed to by any of the current GOP leadership who are stuck supporting the lies promoted by Trump, the current leader of the GOP. It’s difficult for Americans of color to consider entering the GOP “big tent”, when there’s one or another GOP racist holding up a noose to demonstrate who they really want to appeal to. So far that tent has been most open for white supremacists, racists, nazis, those who followed Trump’s urging to march on the Capitol to undermine the American democratic process.

    1. DJRippert Avatar
      DJRippert

      “It’s difficult for Americans of color to consider entering the GOP “big tent” …”

      Today’s trivia question, Alex: Who are the Lt Governor and Attorney General of Virginia?

      Both replaced White people under the former Democratic regime.

      1. Joe Jeeva Abbate Avatar
        Joe Jeeva Abbate

        Sorry it took me so long to reply, DJ. My point here was that the “GOP big tent” is controlled by Donald Trump who has filled his tent with white supremacists, racists, and anti-government extremist militias. The GOP in VA is more open and has done a better job in providing traditionally conservative solutions to problems that don’t necessarily involve lying about an election, violently attacking the Capitol, or waving nooses in the air. As a retired businessman, I can certainly understand and support some of Gov. Younkins positions on the economy, education and on safety and health. Thanks for the discussion.

  7. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Yep, the man was cancelled for exercising his free speech… but the condemnations were not exactly swift if he said this in 2021.

    what he was talking about was and is a narrative that other Conservatives and the GOP are engaging in including in BR:

    ” Sen. Tom Cotton and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a heated exchange during a hearing this week over the military going “woke” through Defense Department efforts to address “extremism” within its ranks, with the senator asking bluntly if the United States military is a “fundamentally racist organization.”

    The intense back-and-forth occurred while Austin was testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday.

    The Arkansas Republican, who recently set up a whistleblower campaign for members of the armed forces to expose extremist training programs, began by noting that his office had received “hundreds” of complaints thus far.”

    ”
    The senator then asked Austin, the first black defense secretary, if he agreed with a quote from Ibram X. Kendi’s “How to Be an Antiracist,” which read that “the only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination.”

    “Prior to his time expiring, Cotton asked if troops “subjected to the kinds of trainings drawing on critical race concepts” should report them to the proper authorities, to which Austin said yes.

    “They’ve always had that ability to do that and I would recommend that in the future. I would also say that diversity, equity and inclusion is important to this military now and it will be important in the future,” Austin added.”

    https://nypost.com/2021/06/11/tom-cotton-asks-lloyd-austin-if-military-is-a-racist-organization/

    That narrative is also making the rounds in BR ….

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Who here lives in Fairfax? We need a BR report on Depp v Heard. Trial underay in Fairfax.

      1. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        I read an article about the case but it only mentioned “Virginia”. Why is it being tried here?

        1. James McCarthy Avatar
          James McCarthy

          See rely to NN above.

      2. James McCarthy Avatar
        James McCarthy

        Depp’s defamation suit was brought in VA because his counsel believed VA law more favorable. He’s already lost a similar suit in England and faces a steep incline to succeed in the US. Given the Sarah Palin loss in NY recently, Depp’s chances are equally dim.

        1. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          Also the WaPo printing plant is in VA, but in this case the paper is not a defendant. So not the same as Palin exactly. If they got past all the preliminaries and are taking it to trial, that’s a reason to think he might prevail. It didn’t get dismissed on motions. He proves her allegation false and we’re off and running. One medical or police report or photo of bruises and this would already be over. He certainly can claim the allegation cost him income, big bucks. Interesting case.

          Dietrich not so interesting. He was promptly and duly executed.

        2. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          I would have thought FLA would be better. They were known in the early 2000s as the place for SLAPPs which depended on libel/slander suits.

        3. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          Also the WaPo printing plant is in VA, but in this case the paper is not a defendant. So not the same as Palin exactly. If they got past all the preliminaries and are taking it to trial, that’s a reason to think he might prevail. It didn’t get dismissed on motions. He proves her allegation false and we’re off and running. One medical or police report or photo of bruises and this would already be over. He certainly can claim the allegation cost him income, big bucks. Interesting case.

          Dietrich not so interesting. He was promptly and duly executed.

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Promptly and duly? Feb 2021? Sure, relative to glacial terms, even with global climate change.

  8. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    This guy will just become a Fox news regular. He scooped them by one day…
    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/russel-honore-pelosi-pick-to-lead-review-of-capitol-security-ripped-as-extreme-partisan-by-republicans

    1. DJRippert Avatar
      DJRippert

      Did you read the article you posted? Here’s an excerpt from Pelosi’s lead investigator …

      “Hawley was specifically responding to a tweet from Honoré that called for him to be disbarred.

      “This little piece of s— with his @Yale law degree should be run out of DC and Disbarred ASAP,” Honoré said in a post that now appears to be deleted. ”

      Is Honore a lawyer? Some kind of expert in disbarment?

      Or, as Sen Hawley contents … just a mad partisan?

      Sounds like the general graduated from the Donald J Trump school of ill-advised Tweeting.

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Defending Hawley, are we?

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