Category: Civil Rights, Individual Liberties
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Labor Day: A New Start
by Kerry Dougherty Labor Day. Americaโs most ambiguous national holiday. Think about it. On other special days โ Memorial, Independence, Veterans, Thanksgiving, Presidents, Martin Luther King and Christmas โ we pause, however briefly, to honor a beloved person or a historical event. We have parades, visit cemeteries, blast fireworks, give thanks, recite a famous speech…
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Roanoke’s Remarkable Symphony Under the Stars
by Scott Dreyer As more folks are putting the Covid lockdowns in the rearview mirror, larger gatherings are occurring, as seen by the crowds at the Roanoke Symphony Orchestraโs (RSO) โSymphony Under the Starsโ on Saturday, August 26. The hillside amphitheater in Roanokeโs Elmwood Park was packed by music-lovers as the sun went down, the…
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Yes, Virginia Democrats Really Do Want Abortion Up to 40 Weeks (and Beyond)
by Shaun Kenney This November in Ohio, a referendum measure will be on the ballot that will not only enshrine abortion as a state constitutional right โ the measure will eliminate parental notification and parental consent on any and all decisions about sexuality and gender in language so broad that it encompasses not just abortion…
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Deja Vu, All Over Again
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Todayโs Washington Post has an article about efforts to preserve farmland in Loudoun County. That headline instantly took me back to the late 1970s and early 1980s when there was a flurry of activity regarding the need to preserve farmland and provide landowners incentives to keep their farmland from being developed. Loudoun…
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Washington Post Gotcha’s Another GOP Candidate
by Victoria Snitsar Churchill Despite The Washington Postโs attempts to paint him as an anti-woman radical, Republican nominee for the House of Delegates 21st District John Stirrup of Prince William County makes a compelling case for his District to elect him to the open seat this November. According to The Washington Post, โStirrup told a…
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The Sorry State of the ACLU of Virginia
by Hans Bader The communist activist Angela Davis advocated abolishing prisons in the U.S., while supporting the incarceration of political prisoners in totalitarian communist regimes overseas. The ACLU of Virginia has touted Angela Davisโs stances in the past, such as in an April 4, 2022 tweet ย quoting Davis. Now, the ACLU of Virginia has returned…
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Guns for Felons?
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Virginia law prohibits a convicted felon from possessing or transporting a firearm. Is that unconstitutional under the provisions of last yearโs Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen ย (597 U.S. ___; 142 S. Ct. 2111)? Background Before trying to answer that question, it is helpful to…
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The Latest Tool for Suppressing Unpopular Speech: Special Use Permits
๏ปฟby James A. Bacon With considerable fanfare by Governor Glenn Youngkin, Armed Forces Brewing announced six days ago that it would relocate its headquarters from Annapolis, Md., to Norfolk, creating 47 local jobs. The company, which markets its beer by adopting a rough, often profane language prevalent in the military, says it will hire veterans…
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RVA 5×5: Referendum Waiting In The Wings
by Jon Baliles Three weeks or so ago, the regurgitation of the casino referendum got a round of approval from almost everyone on City Council in a meeting that was filled with unearned righteousness about how it was going to save the city (kudos to Councilwoman Katherine Jordan for the lone no vote). Richmond BizSense…
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Where Do Dems Stand on Civil Immunity for Law Enforcement Officers?
by James C. Sherlock Being a law enforcement officer is tough under the best of circumstances. Do you think that exposure to losing your house and car in a civil suit for something you did in a split second to protect the public and yourself and did not have reason to know was against the…
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Where Does Freedom of Speech End?
by Dick Hall-Sizemore I have a question. Under the recent Supreme Court case ruling that a wedding website designer could refuse to provide her services to a gay couple because to do so would require her to write something that she did not want to say, thereby violating her First Amendment right to free speech,…
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Equal Protection, Affirmative Action and Effecting Generational Change
by James C. Sherlock America is the most successful nation in the history of the world because of the freedoms and rights guaranteed by our Constitution. More than a hundred other nations have emulated the American Constitution. Without constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights, we would be chained to the whims of the state. Most immediately…
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What It Means to Be a Citizen
by James A. Bacon The 4th of July, commemorating our nation’s declaration of independence, is an occasion to think about what we appreciate about America. Amidst our social breakdown, culture wars, and vitriolic politics, that’s not an easy thing to do. Among the most demoralizing aspects of our times is the abysmal level of understanding…
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Culture Wars about College Admissions Tend to Ignore Guaranteed Entry from Virginia Community Colleges
by James C. Sherlock Much angst has accompanied the Supreme Courtโs decision banning overt racial preferences in admissions to colleges as violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The conversations in the comments to Jim Baconโs article on admissions were as split philosophically/politically as is anything else these days.…
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Patriotism in Virginia
by Robin Beres In less than a week, Virginians, like Americans everywhere, will celebrate Independence Day. This year, despite high inflation, high gas prices, a sharply divided electorate, and rising crime rates, there seems to be a growing consensus that we celebrate this occasion with all the gusto we can muster. Despite the holiday falling…