Joe May Under Fire

By Not Eve Marie Barner

You know it's the last week of a campaign when random Internet reports show up taking an entrenched incumbent to task for being a supposed racist.

This MyDD post appeared last night citing Del. Joe May's ties to the Sons of Confederate Veterans. This isn't really a secret for people who know Joe May. He advertises the fact here that he is the treasurer for the group.

The blog reactions to this have been predictable: That the Sons of Confederate Veterans has a sordid past and that even some current members have made some unfortunate statements. Here's a good one: "Black Katrina victims are pestilent vermin. These leeches will go on to pollute the communities [where] they're relocated"

Heartwarming.

A couple thoughts on this. Many members, hopefully a majority, of the Sons of Confederate Veterans aren't racists. But the Southern Poverty Law Center reported last year the the SCV is in the middle of its own Civil War between moderates and "radicals with hard line racial views." Del. May is often referred to as a "good guy" by Republicans and Democrats alike in the 33rd District. I've met Joe May and tend to like him too, but I'd like to hear from him why he continues to hold office for a group that serves as a shelter for white supremacists.

What is more troubling about Del. May's affilation is that he has used his position in Richmond to advance the SCV's interests. May personally introduced, sponsored and pushed legislation to require the state Department of Motor Vehicles to add the SCV to its list of authorized vanity plates. The NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League and other organizations vehemently opposed the SCV plate. 

At the time, the commissioner of the DMV,  had discretionary authority over design of the plates. He ruled that the SCV plates could not contain the image of the Confederate Flag. The SCV then pursued a law suit, encouraged by May, that was brought by the national SCV.

Del. May needs to explain to voters in the 33rd why he continues to push the SCV's agenda.

Secondly, this last-minute barrage of Internet posts smacks of desperation from Marty Martinez, the Leesburg Town Councilor running against May. There's no proof of this, mind you, but what other explanation is there? Perhaps Natasha from MyDD can tell us why she decided to take aim at Del. May seven days before an election.

This District, as NLS pointed out the other day, leans Republican. May has been able to stay away from ethically challenged Republicans on the Loudoun County board and should be able to hold on in the middle of a Democratic wave. But May needs to adequately explain his connection with the SCV during this final week or the 33rd could be closer than even the most optimistic Loudoun Democrats think.

Comments

[Doug]

He's actually pushing for St. Andrews cross and our proud Scottish heritage! See, he's an inside agent for Scotland trying to reclaim that proud image from the traitors who tried to tear this country permanently apart 147 years ago.

[Not Hyper-Sensitive "White Guilt" Guy]

Close?

HA HA HA HA HEE HEE HAW HO HO HEE HAW HAW HEE HEE HO HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NEMB, ... you crack me up.

I'll bet a bowl of grits agasint your burrito that "Confederate" Joe May beats Fernando "Marty" Martinez by a landslide.

Every other race in the area is turning on immigration, ... and you are telling me this race alone will side with a guy named Martinez who calls himself "purple" (he's not blue and he's not red) and is smart enough to leave his given "nombre" - Fernando - off the ballot - over a 14 year incumbent transportation cmte chairman just because the latter admits he's the treasurer of the local chapter ofthe SCV?

[Not Eve Marie Barner]

NHSWGG,

No races in western Loudoun and Clarke County are turning on immigration. And I do think May will win, but it's possible this makes the race closer than some anticipate.

Wow, that was quick. A May supporter jumps on here and in racial overtones attacks Marty Martinez. Why is that not surprising.

[Phil Chroniger]

This quote...

"But the Southern Poverty Law Center reported last year the the SCV is in the middle of its own Civil War between moderates and 'radicals with hard line racial views.'"

...describes almost any political group out there. There are moderates and hard-line radicals in almost EVERY walk of political life.

Joe May's affiliation is probably with the moderates, given his general attitude and nature from what everyone describes. This group would be "All Radical" if they were a "Shelter for White Supremacists", as you described them.

That's like calling the NAACP a "Shelter for Black Supremacists". There are those within the NAACP that many people of all races would classify as Black Supremacists...but that doesn't mean that the NAACP is simply a shelter for them, or that their views are the views of the entire organization.

HAHAHA this is my favorite, "smart enough to leave his given "nombre" - Fernando - off the ballot" How clever of him, because "Martinez" is so ambiguous.

But thanks for verifying that the "immigration" issue is actually a "race" issue.

[NotARepublican]

Joe May is one of the good guys. This is just a lot of last minute, desperate, bunk.

[Loudoun Insider]

This is such a crock of shit! Joe May is one of the nicest, most honorable men I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Guess what? Some Democrats have said mean and nasty things about people too, hell, even Senator Byrd has a racist past. This is totally bogus and not worth even discussing.

[Not Jefferson Davis]

".....a group that serves as a shelter for white supremacists." Really? You really believe that? My bet is someone told you that & you have not a clue what the SCV does. If you ever read anything about the Civil War, it was no doubt the typical public school crap about an agrarian south, industrial north, states rights & slavery....blah, blah, blah......presented by some mindless twit who had no personal connection whatsoever with the war, north or south.

I'm sure that the SCV has some racist members, as does the NAACP. That makes neither organization racist.

[Not Eve Marie Barner]

That's what I was trying to imply, Not Jefferson Davis, that some members of the SCV have questionable motivations. I also said it smacks of desperation.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

NEMB, you didn't just "imply" that, you stated that.

NJD and NHSWGG are both just shilling from embarassment that their guy might be getting caught looking bad.

I think Joe will still win this. I have met him once, and he was a very nice guy.

But, that doesn't change the facts about what may be happening within the SCV. And why is it the Martinez campaign that is being blamed!? For crying out loud, it showed up on a national blog. Could have been anyone's doing.

Alas, it is ironic for HSWGG (noticed the N was dropped because he really is) to have made racially charged statements while attempting to support Mr. May. I am sure Mr. May would not be pleased at such tactics--or at least I'd hope.

This entire episode could be completely put to bed by Mr. May himself very easily. He simply has to issue a statement denying his allegiance to any white supremacism, and while he's at it, make a big stink about the outlandishness, inaccuracy, and slanderous nature of these accusations. With his reputation, folks will absolutely believe him, including myself.

If he says nothing, on the other hand, it might leave people wondering....

[I.Publius]

*other* blogs imply that the alleged (and unsourced) SCV comments, and his connection to SCV mean that he's racist. Not Eve won't say that explicitly, but she doesn't have to. It was enough for her to say that it's "troubling."

Nice try, but you swung and missed on this one.

[David]

Joe May *is* a nice guy. Unfortunately, that has allowed him to smile and shrug off a lot of questionable votes, votes that no moderate would ever have cast.

He supported the SCV lawsuit against DMV, and I'll bet he also supported the SCV assault on the Town of Leesburg, demanding the display of their confederate flag logo at the entrance to the town. The SCV has a habit of deliberately provoking controversies like this, then alerting the national membership to blast whoever the target is with emails. I've heard from several council members that the vast majority of the pro-SCV emails were from out of the area, and that was also clear from the comments posted on the local news sites.

The striking thing was that none of those people gave a damn about what the black residents of Leesburg were saying about what that symbol represents to them. They didn't listen, they didn't care, and they used language with racial overtones like the apologists are using here.

If Joe May supports that behavior in the name of "heritage," I'd like to know why.

[Jose Kinusee]

Doug in Mount Vernon,

If I were Delegate May, I wouldn't give this rumor the benefit of a response because of its absurdity. It's akin to saying that Patrick Henry College is performing abortions in its basement--right?

Furthermore, based on Joe May's Mennonite roots, this is not the kind of character that his parents have molded. This is a non-issue. Joe May will win based on the fact that he is simply the best candidate and voters see that.

[David]

What rumor?

All of the information presented here is, as far as I know, not something that Delegate May would deny. We're just asking for some explanation of why he would associate himself with this particular group.

[Jose Kinusee]

David,

Yes, it is all meaningless conjecture which his opponents keep trying to get traction with. I'm sure Delegate Joe May is proud of all of the 18 different nationalities represented in his ancestral heritage including Native American.