Bacon's Rebellion

  • Alumni Groups File Amicus Brief in Virginia Tech Free Speech Case

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    The Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA) and alumni groups from nine colleges and universities, including The Jefferson Council, submitted an  amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday urging the court to hear a case brought by Speech First over the issue of bias reporting practices and procedures at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

    “The use of bias reporting systems has become pervasive across American college and university campuses and these systems create a climate of fear and intimidation that causes many students to self-censor and discourages constitutionally protected speech,” said AFSA President Charles Davis. “These bias reporting systems have no place at a university whose defining purpose as a place of learning and human fulfillment can only be achieved through a steadfast commitment to free speech.”

    From the brief:

    Rather than adopting explicitly punitive speech codes or conditioning participation in university life on acceptance of prevailing views, colleges such as Respondent created “bias response” systems. (more…)

  • Factoid of the Day: Speeding in Virginia

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    James A. Bacon

    Maniacs. Image credit: Washington Post

    Virginia has the third highest rate of fatal crashes in which someone was driving faster than the speed limit or too fast for road conditions, according to personal injury law firm Heninger Garrison Davis in an analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.

    Virginia recorded 906 fatal crashes; speed figured as a factor in 240. The speeding rate of 26.5% is more than 50% higher than the national average. The press release did not specify the year these figures are based upon, but a web search reveals that the most recent NHTSA crash data comes from 2020. 

    I blame out-of-state drivers on Interstate-95. — JAB

  • Thunder in the Pulpits

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    Bob Rayner

    by Michael Giere

    “But this was not always so. In fact, for much of our history, it has been just the opposite. Godly men and women who were fearless, bold, strong, and savvy have been central to the American experience.”

    There has never been anything in history like the US Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787. It is the crown jewel of human advancement and bids freedom not for some but for all. It stands alone, enshrining and paying homage to the core reality of man’s existence – that the dignity and rights of every person and their personal freedom don’t come from the word or works of an impermanent ruler, a mob, or government but from the permanent promise of the Creator.

    The Constitution began with a convention and 55 delegates from the newly-free Colonies called to modify the Articles of Confederation. It became a convention that would reshape history. Influential members such as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, among others, were convicted that the Confederation needed a stronger national government, and the Convention settled on Mr. Madison’s Virginia Plan as a starting document to replace the Articles of Confederation. (more…)

  • Will Dove Get the Bud Light Treatment?

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    Bob Rayner

    by Kerry Dougherty

    Does the name Morgan Bettinger sound familiar?

    Perhaps not.

    She’s just another victim of fake hate at the University of Virginia. A girl who was wrongly labeled a racist and who suffered as a result of a relentless, mean-spirited campaign to drive her out of school.

    Meanwhile, the person who accused her of racism, Zyahna Bryant, went from BLM activist to the spokeswoman for the Fat Liberation Movement who just landed a partnership with Dove. (more…)

  • Voyeurism Isn’t Good for the Soul (or Politics)

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    Bob Rayner

    Susanna Gibson, Democratic nominee for the 57th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

    by Shaun Kenney

    The scandal of the week involving Susanna Gibson is an indictment of our politics. Shame on us all for participating in it.

    HAMLET Get thee ⟨to⟩ a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be
    a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest,
    but yet I could accuse me of such things that it
    were better my mother had not borne me: I am
    very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offenses
    at my beck than I have thoughts to put them
    in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act
    them in. What should such fellows as I do crawling
    between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves
    ⟨all;⟩ believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery.

    — William Shakespeare, “Hamlet” Act 3, Scene 1 (1601)

    Ophelia has given herself to Hamlet. Yet having placed her trust totally in men — her father, her brother, her lover — she is told by her beloved to remove herself to a nunnery. Or in the context of the Elizabethan age? A brothel — thus exchanging the ideas of nobility and love for pure utility and momentary pleasure.

    Realizing the world for what it is — or at least, the world of Hamlet, Laertes, and Polonius — drives Ophelia insane. Having relied upon a branch made of willow, she drowns in a shallow pool, able yet unwilling to save herself and face such a world. (more…)

  • A Race to the Bottom Everywhere

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    Bob Rayner

    by Kerry Dougherty

    Great news!

    Beginning today, members of the U.S. Senate will be indistinguishable from bums.

    Axios reports that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is “relaxing” the dress code for members, allowing them to be on the floor of the Senate dressed like they’re headed to Walmart. Or rather, like John Fetterman of Pennsylvania who has the sartorial taste of a hobo and finds putting on a suit and zipping his fly too much trouble.

    Instead of censuring the jerk from the Keystone State and barring him from floor votes until he puts on business attire, Schumer is scrapping hundreds of years of tradition and decorum to allow this fool to continue to disrespect the people who elected him, and his colleagues. (more…)

  • Want to Save the World? Teach a Kid to Read.

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    James A. Bacon

    (Image credit: Salon.) Who does more to promote social justice — these guys? Or…

    Reading skills among Virginia’s public-school children as measured by Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores are dropping through the floor. Among the remedies that Governor Glenn Youngkin proposes to address the threat of mass illiteracy is requiring under-performing students to receive three to five hours of tutoring per week.

    …this guy? (Image credit:ETFO Voice)

    Good luck finding the tutors, warns The Washington Post. The teacher shortage is getting worse — about 4.8% of teaching positions were vacant at the start of the school year, up from 3.9% the previous year. And half of schools responding to an Institute of Education Sciences survey reported that their tutoring programs were constricted by lack of funds or inability to find staff.

    Here’s an idea: recruit the social justice warriors to teach kids to read. (more…)

  • Jeanine’s Memes

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    James A. Bacon

    From The Bull Elephant.

  • Bacon Meme of the Week

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    James A. Bacon

  • Virginia Colleges Fare Pretty Well in 2024 FIRE Rankings

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    James A. Bacon

    In case you’re wondering how all Virginia institutions scored in the 2024 FIRE free speech rankings, here is a summary of the universities included in the survey. For perspective, I’ve included the top and bottom scorers. Liberty University is listed separately, as it is one of six that prioritize other values over free speech. Remember, the rankings reflect an assessment of formal written policies, not actual practice or campus climate. — JAB

    2024 FIRE Free Speech Ranking
    Rank Institution Score Speech Climate
    #1 Michigan Technological University 78.01 Good
    #6 University of Virginia 68.00 Above Average
    #8 George Mason University 67.67 Above Average
    #20 Washington & Lee University 62.99 Above Average
    #26 James Madison University 58.83 Slightly Above Average
    #59 College of William and Mary 53.69 Average
    #160 Virginia Tech 42.17 Slightly Below Average
    #184 Virginia Commonwealth University 39.23 Below Average
    #248 Harvard University 0 Abysmal
    Liberty University 35.62 Warning, No Rank

  • Don’t Get Too Fired Up About UVa’s FIRE Ranking

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Allan Stam

    The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) recently gave the University of Virginia a 6th-place ranking in a national survey assessing the state of free speech on college campuses. Provost Ian Baucom cited the recognition during Wednesday’s Board of Visitors meeting, noting that it was the highest ranking the university had ever achieved.

    UVa’s high score suggests to some the existence of a robust culture of open dialogue and intellectual freedom at UVa. However, a closer examination of the underlying data reveals a more nuanced and troubling picture.

    UVa’s overall score was a mere 68 out of 100, a grade that would be considered failing in many academic and household settings. This discrepancy between the overall ranking and the actual score raises questions about the survey’s methodology. It casts doubt on the true state of free speech at UVA and perhaps other highly ranked institutions.

    UVa earned the high score primarily on the basis of its stated policies. President Jim Ryan, Provost Ian Baucom and the Board of Visitors have repeatedly endorsed free speech and viewpoint diversity in the past year. But official policies tell us little about actual practices or the cultural milieu in which students, faculty and staff interact.

    When one digs a little deeper into the specific categories within the survey, the concerns become even more pronounced. UVa ranks alarmingly low in several key areas: 222nd in “Comfort Expressing Ideas,” 178th in “Disruptive Conduct,” and 188th in “Openness.” These rankings are not mere numbers; they represent a tangible reality where students feel uncomfortable expressing their ideas, where disruptive conduct stifles dialogue, and where a lack of openness hampers intellectual growth. (more…)

  • Virginia’s Top and Bottom Local School Divisions, 2023

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    Bob Rayner

    by John Butcher

    Professor Excel is glad to sort the Division test results so let’s look at the top and bottom performers.

    But first: On average, Virginia’s economically disadvantaged (ED) students pass at about 20% lower rates than their more affluent peers (Not ED). Thus, the overall division averages are affected by the relative percentages of ED students, which is not a performance metric. The excellent VDOE Build-A-Table offers data for both groups, so let’s look at them separately. (more…)

  • Hey, Preppers, Check Out Virginia!

    Posted on

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    James A. Bacon

    I always suspected this might be the case, but now there is hard data to back it up. Non-coastal Virginia is one of the lowest-risk areas in the country for natural disasters. Sure, we get the occasional tornado or flood, but, really, how often? And when was the last time we experienced a deadly wildfire, hail storm or volcanic eruption?

    Gutter Gnome, a gutter installation company, drew upon FEMA’s National Risk Index to identify the ten cities in the United States safest from natural disasters. Virginia snagged the top three. The list:

    1. Richmond
    2. Lynchburg
    3. Roanoke
    4. Midland, TX
    5. Duluth, MN
    6. Rochester, MN
    7. Pittsburgh, PA
    8. Tyler, TX
    9. Bloomington, IN
    10. Boise, ID

    Oddly, Compton, Va., a community in Page County, Va., appeared on the list of riskiest “cities” for natural disasters. No explanation given. Must have had a bad flood or landslide.

    Here are the categories of natural disasters, incorporating data from exposure, frequency, and historic loss ratio, that FEMA tracks: avalanche, coastal flooding, cold waves, droughts, earthquakes, hail, heat waves, hurricanes, ice storms, landslides, lightning, riverine flooding, strong wind, tornado, tsunami, volcanic activity, wildfire, and winter weather.

    — JAB

  • Virginia’s “Runaway” Budget Negotiators

    Posted on

    by

    Bob Rayner

    by Derrick A. Max

    (This column was first published by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy)

    Fear of commitment is a common theme in Hollywood — where romantic comedies are replete with characters that sidestep long-term commitment primarily out of fear that someone better may come along. Think of Runaway Bride, where Maggie, played by Julia Roberts, keeps running away from her betrothed at the altar out of such fear.

    The budget amendments passed last Wednesday with bipartisan support and praise from Governor Youngkin are replete with commitment issues. The approved tax cuts and new spending were written to have very little impact beyond the current budget cycle. Like Maggie, both Governor Youngkin and the Senate Democrats are clearly standing at the budget altar hoping for better options after the November elections. (more…)

  • UVa’s Ever-Expanding Bureaucracy: Student Advising Edition

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    University of Virginia old-timers (like myself) remember what it was like to find help in picking courses and deciding majors. We’d latch ourselves onto a professor who took an interest in us, and he or she would walk us through the process. It did require some initiative on our part to reach out, but then, we were accustomed to taking matters into our own hands. I was fortunate. My advisor, history professor Joseph C. Miller, was not only a charismatic teacher and a leading scholar in his field, but he regarded the care and tending of students — even lowly undergraduates like me — as part of his vocation.

    That’s not the way it works anymore. Faculty members are still expected to play a role in advising students, but it is a much diminished one. At UVa, responsibility for dispensing advice has been bureaucratized.

    At the UVa Board of Visitors meeting Wednesday, the Ryan administration highlighted what it is doing to improve student advising. The dominant themes of the session were (1) the student experience is lacking for many, and (2) the answer is hiring more advisors and investing in the latest, greatest technology.

    The picture that emerged is that UVa has numerous fragmented initiatives at the school and college level but no coherent university-wide vision. Practices vary widely. The cost of programs was not discussed. No cost-benefit analysis has been conducted. With no clear objectives beyond “we want to be the best,” there are no logical limits to an endless expansion of programs. (more…)

Now Available

Book cover of 'Dust Mites: A Second American Revolution' by James A. Bacon, featuring astronauts planting a flag with a blue and white emblem on a lunar landscape, with Earth visible in the background.
For sale on Amazon.com

The year: 2075. The American colonies on the Moon are getting restless under Washington’s tyrannical rule….

This second edition of “Dust Mites” has a snazzy new cover, includes helpful lunar maps, and is 5,000 words tighter than the original. The sequel, “Trogs,” is scheduled for publication this summer.

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Bacon’s Rebellion is Virginia’s leading politically non-aligned portal for news, opinions and analysis about state, regional and local public policy. Read more about us here.

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