Category: Uncategorized
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The Dude Had It Coming!
by James A. Bacon Most people watching the Academy Awards ceremony were shocked to see movie star Will Smith stride unbidden onto the stage and slap master of ceremonies Chris Rock across the face. Smith later apologized for his action, and then resigned from the Academy. Condemnation was widespread. But the disapproval was not unanimous.…
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Luria Transmogrifies Oath of Office
by Emilio Jaksetic On January 6, 2022, Representative Elaine Luria (D-2nd District) announced her decision to run for reelection. In the opening sentence of her statement she said: “On the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, I recommit to uphold my oath to ‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies…
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What Is Free Speech Without Intellectual Diversity?
by James A. Bacon Eleven days ago the Editorial Board of the Cavalier Daily, the University of Virginia student newspaper, opined that it could not condone the “platforming” of former Vice President Mike Pence by allowing him to speak on the university grounds. The blowback has been gratifying to see. While some students have expressed support…
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Dualism Defines Politicians
This column has been republished with permission from Vox Fairfax. Do not pity the masses. Rather, exercise some sympathy for them as they attempt to sort through their daily lives while politicians – elected and campaigning – issue barrages of promises, criticisms, and non-answers to questions. With just a smattering of reflection, the separate universe…
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Whatever Happened to Defund-the-Police?
by James A. Bacon The Defund-the-Police movement in Virginia has passed its peak. Indeed, it may have disappeared, leaving barely a trace. People still may have concerns about the criminal justice system, but that doesn’t mean they want to throw out the good with the bad. Consider three stories in the news clips today. SROs…
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COVID Hospitalizations Rapidly Receding
COVID data junkies might want to check out the latest iteration of the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association COVID hospitalization dashboard. It now provides a regional breakdown. After winter’s Omicron surge, the numbers are heading down fast, and could well dip lower than the level Virginia enjoyed last summer. The seven-day moving average of COVID…
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The Real March Madness
by Kerry Dougherty I can’t watch. It raises my blood pressure. I’m talking about the NCAA Basketball Tournament. For the first time in years I’m not glued to my TV during March Madness. I have my reasons: First, none of the teams that matter to me made the tournament. Second, I’m not in a pool…
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NCAA Champions!
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Commonwealth is home to another NCAA basketball champion. The Randolph-Macon (Ashland) Yellow Jackets won the Division III championship yesterday. Most sports fans in the state will be unaware of this accomplishment. Of the major media outlets, only the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Roanoke Times covered it.
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Slave-Holder Jefferson Paved the Way for Ending Slavery
by Phil Leigh Critical Race Theory and Identity Politics advocates have gained enough influence to cause many Americans to despise some of our country’s most significant founders. Chief among such founders has been Thomas Jefferson. New York City, for example, removed a 200-year-old statue of Jefferson from its city hall last year. When race hustlers…
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Modeling Success in Virginia Schools
by James C. Sherlock I recently spent considerable time reporting on competing methods of grading in Virginia public schools. The choice of grading system appeared to make no measurable difference in learning. Sometimes you just have to admit that someone else has built a better mousetrap. That is very hard to do concerning something…
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The Rural Housing Challenge
by James A. Bacon I’ve tended to think of the housing-affordability issue in Virginia as a phenomenon relegated to the major metropolitan areas. Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads are where the population growth has occurred, and that’s where zoning and environmental restrictions have been the most stringent, making it difficult for homebuilders to keep…
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Feel-Good Stories for a Cold, Wintry Day
by James A. Bacon Yes, hot war is raging in the Ukraine and culture wars are burning in the United States, but a few things are happening here in Virginia to make you feel good about the world: Longwood University making it into the NCAA tournament, Crozet resident Kenedi Anderson winning a platinum ticket in…