Tag: James A. Bacon
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Did Police Manpower Shortages Contribute to Virginia’s Crime Wave?
by James A. Bacon Jim Sherlock, Dick Hall-Sizemore and I have been having an excellent debate in Bacon’s Rebellion over what caused the crescendo of homicides and violent crime in Virginia over the past two years. In response to previous posts by Jim and me critical of Northern Virginia’s woke, Soros-funded prosecutors, Dick argued yesterday…
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Despite Tighter Gun Laws, Firearm Violence Up in 2021
by James A. Bacon What role has the availability of guns played in the surge in violent crimes in Virginia over the past two years? The graph above summarizes the data from the 2021 Crime in Virginia report. Over the two-year period, the number of firearm-related crimes increased 10.9%, while the use of all other…
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6,000 Violent Crimes in Virginia Involved Guns Last Year
by James A. Bacon After a spate of mass shootings, gun control has moved to the top of the Democratic Party agenda. Here in Virginia, we got a reminder this morning of the omnipresent threat that gun-wielding thugs pose to public safety. Police arrested two illegal immigrants who were allegedly plotting to shoot up a…
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Four Cities Account for Almost 70% of the Increase in Virginia Homicides
While overall crime rates have remained fairly stable in Virginia since 2019, the year before social-justice protests rocked the state and nation, the homicide rate has increased alarmingly. The total number of murders and nonnegligent homicides leaped from 428 in 2019 to 562 in 2021, according to data recently published in the 2021 Crime in…
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Life in the 21st Century: No Limits to Human Depravity
by James A. Bacon Sherrell Rivera of Chesterfield County pleaded guilty on Tuesday to killing her two-year-old son by putting liquid methadone in his sippy cup, giving him an unintentional fatal overdose. Rivera had a prescription for methadone to treat an opioid addiction, and son Kruz had been addicted at birth due to her drug…
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Did Mandated Vaxes at UVa Reduce COVID Transmission?
by James A. Bacon Well, well, well. The indefatigable Walter Smith has obtained new data from the University of Virginia through the Freedom of Information Act that put the efficacy of the university’s mandated COVID vaccinations in a new light. Recall that the university “disenrolled” 238 students for declining to get double vaccinated or qualifying…
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What’s With All the TJ Haters?
I was pleased to have an opportunity this morning to discuss the swelling anti-Thomas Jefferson sentiment in contemporary culture on The John Reid show on WRVA. In particular, I criticized the University of Virginia Alumni Association for turning down an ad from The Jefferson Council (on whose board I serve) that defended Jefferson’s reputation for…
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Assaults on Law-Enforcement Officers Down Slightly in 2021
by James A. Bacon Although the number of police officers assaulted in the line of duty declined somewhat in 2021, two police officers were killed last year compared to one in 2020 and one in 2019, according to data published in the 2021 Crime in Virginia report issued by the Virginia State Police. The number…
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Hopewell Schools to Become Phone-Free
by James A. Bacon Hopewell has banned cellphones during the school day at the city’s middle school and high school, reports The Progress-Index. “We want our families to know we are taking an important step to enhance student learning, culture, and safety at school,” said the Hopewell Public School System in a Facebook post. When…
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Happy 4th, Everyone!
And the rockets’ red glare The bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night That our flag was still there I’ll be taking a day off from the culture wars to remember — and appreciate — what all Americans have in common. Have a great 4th. Drink real American beer and eat real hamburgers,…
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Your Alumni Association Dollars at Work
by James A. Bacon Above is an ad that The Jefferson Council submitted to run in the University of Virginia Alumni Society publication, Virginia. Before I tell you the fate that befell this ad, please take a moment to read it, and then ask yourself: is there anything political about it? Is there anything contentious…
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UVa Board Meetings Should Get a Lot More Interesting
by James A. Bacon Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced his appointments to the boards of visitors of Virginia’s colleges and universities, at least one of which has the potential to be highly consequential — Bert Ellis, a serial entrepreneur and major donor, at the University of Virginia. Ellis has been a prominent critic of UVa’s…
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African-Americans the Main Victims of Virginia Crime Wave
by James A. Bacon The Virginia State Police has published its 2021 Crime in Virginia report, and the big news — that homicides and violent crime continued their two-year surge — seemed not to pique much interest in the mainstream media. To be sure, the television stations, where crime news is a staple, and the…
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Hey, Where Did All the White Supremacists Go?
by James A. Bacon If you believe the political/pundit class, Glenn Youngkin rode the path to the governorship on the back of a White backlash against his predecessor’s efforts to rectify the last 400 years of wrongs against minorities. All the while last year, the experts warned of the looming threat of White supremacists against…