CT mayor says the term 'rural character' is a dog whistle for 'white,' 'Anglo-Saxon'

MANSFIELD, CT- The town of Mansfield is a small suburban community of roughly 26,000 in eastern Connecticut and is home to the University of Connecticut, which is located in the village of Storrs within the town. By any measure, Mansfield is a rural/suburban town. Just don’t tell the town’s mayor that. 

Mayor Antonia Moran, a Democrat (of course) who holds a law degree (of course), has a problem with people referring to Mansfield as a “rural” community, complaining that the term “rural character” is a dog whistle for the term “white.” Now, Moran is under fire for that rather bizarre statement. 

At a March 12 town meeting where the town’s Vision and Strategy Plan was being discussed, Moran invited community members to read and share feedback. The problem is she apparently only wanted feedback that she agreed with, according to the Connecticut Centinal. 

A town resident spoke up and complained that the small town is being turned into a city, saying, “...well, my big concern is we’re turning our town into a city, and I think the residents in this area all feel that same way–we’re turning Mansfield into New Haven.” 

Now, if you know anything about New Haven, it is a crime-infested hellhole on the banks of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound. Getting compared to New Haven is not a compliment. 

The unidentified man complained that the term “rural” was being removed from the plan, which didn’t please the illustrious mayor. 

“The concern about the term ‘rural character’ is that it’s a code word for ‘white,” Moran said. “The term ‘rural character’ is a code word and we don’t want to have that code word because it means a white Anglo-Saxon population.” 

One look at Moran, and you will completely understand why she believes this. She is a typical older white female attorney who apparently suffers from a chronic case of white guilt, the very picture of what some might picture a “Karen” to be. 

The definition of “rural character,” as Law Insider explains, is “...a quality of the landscape dominated by pastoral, agricultural, forested…” Nothing in there about “white” or “Anglo-Saxon.” 

The University of New Hampshire defined “rural character” as being “about community not just place”...”of knowing your neighbors and those you pass on the street.” Again, nothing about “white” or “Anglo-Saxon.” 

In fact, we examined many sources to determine the definition of “rural character,” and we could not find “white” or “Anglo-Saxon” anywhere. 

In the case of the Mansfield town meeting, the gentleman who was concerned about Mansfield turning into New Haven was so disgusted he left the meeting.

The Centinal reached out to Moran to find out what was rolling around in her vapid skull and why she felt “rural character” was a racist dog whistle. 

In an email response, Moran wrote, “Let me ask you this. When you hear a place described as having a rural character, what images of people leap to mind? Do you think of Jamaican migrants picking apples? Guatemalan dairy workers? Indigenous farmers?” she asked. 

Not too sure here, but those images seem kind of racist to us, as if Jamaican migrants are the only ones picking apples. But we digress. 

“Not likely,” Moran continued. “You think of Grand Woods American Gothic or some other white person,” Moran wrote. “You may not be aware of the fact that your image of a rural person is white, but black people are. And my examples, btw, are from Eastern Connecticut.” 

The Centinal asked Aaron Bowman, a Republican candidate for state representative from Mansfield last November, for his opinion. 

“As a Frederick Douglass Republican, I believe in self-determination, community, and individual merit–not racial division. Claiming that ‘rural character’ is a racial code word is divisive, misleading, and an insult to our community. It undermines our shared values and distracts from real issues,” Bowman said. “Mansfield’s identity is built on its farms, community, and shared values–not race. Leadership should unite us, not push false narratives that create unnecessary division.” 

In a post on X, Bowman said the town deserves better. 

“Do we really need leaders who see everything through the lens of identity politics? Mansfield deserves better.” 

Moran is clearly suffering from a terminal case of white guilt and racial delusion. Anyone who sees racism in the term “rural character” needs an intervention. Perhaps the voters in Mansfield will give her one when she comes up for reelection.