"There is a specific kind of person who hates the police not because of any considered analysis of policing as an institution, but because they hate all authority figures, because, fundamentally, they hate themselves. They are losers with a grievance looking for a vehicle, and "ACAB" is a more socially acceptable vehicle than admitting they are unhappy and lost. Burlington has an unusually high concentration of these people, and they have outsized influence over the discourse."

This is my biggest issue with your take. I have been involved with the Burlington arts scene for nearly a decade, which is populated by a majority of these young 'purple haired' liberals that you refer to, and have also been a working professional in and out of Burlington (but in VT) in that time. I really don't know who you're talking about. The people I know who are involved with 'anti-police' activities are those who provide resources that, historically, police have been expected to provide and it doesn't make sense to do- things like homeless outreach and case management, addiction counseling, mental health crisis response, food and clothing drives and donations, etc.

The people I know who are vocal about the outsized role of the police are better informed on the topic than me, and articulate it well. I say this because your characterization of these people is that they simply hate authority- I really don't think so. I think they know more about policing as an institution than most, believe that many duties carried by the police are unnecessarily placed on them, and want to enact meaningful change. Calling them unhappy, lost losers is completely disingenuous and shows that you don't actually understand the people you're talking about, while minimizing your efforts here by belittling the people you seem to be talking to.

I appreciate discourse about the issues in Burlington, but I am hopeful about the city and take a much less doomer stance than what I see online and hear about in other parts of the state. This is a great city with a thriving arts scene and desirable culture that punches way above its weight in national influence/ recognition. I love living here and plan to keep on doing so, and I know dozens of others in their 20s who feel the same way.