Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

The Virginia Way

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by

Robin Beres
in , , , ,

by Robin Beres

Politicians and pundits have invoked the “Virginia Way” in speeches and writings since colonial times. The phrase is used by partisans to evoke sentiments of decency and honor (and votes) in residents of the Old Dominion. In 1926, Douglas Southall Freeman wrote in an editorial for The Richmond News Leader that the “Virginia way is not one of contention, but of understanding, not the making of humiliating laws, but the establishment of just, acceptable usage. Public sentiment can be trusted now, as always, to find the best ‘Virginia way.’”

In January 2019, writing in Bearing Drift, Brian Schoeneman described how the “Virginia way” used to work in the legislature: “Republicans and Democrats would fight hard and long during the campaign season, and when the fighting was over, both sides would pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and govern effectively for all Virginians. The bitter invective and the accusations went away.”

Unfortunately, if the childish, vindictive sign seen today in a Richmond front yard is any indication of today’s political atmosphere, the Virginia Way is in big trouble.

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40 responses to “The Virginia Way”

  1. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    How anybody could hate Glenn Youngkin is beyond me. I’m a Republican but I can’t imagine saying I hate Mark Warner. I may disagree with Warner but he’s an honest man trying to do the best he can.

    If people want to spew political hate, I’d advise focusing on the fringe politicians – Bernie Sanders, AOC, Marjorie Taylor Green. It’s politicians like them who unendingly polarize the country.

    1. M. Purdy Avatar
      M. Purdy

      Did you hate Ralph Northam?

      1. Donald Smith Avatar
        Donald Smith

        No. I felt sorry for him. His responsibilities overwhelmed him. He bit off more than he could chew.

        1. Lefty665 Avatar
          Lefty665

          That’s what happens when we put Docs in charge of actually running something.

    2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      You think Bernie deserves hate…?

    3. Lefty665 Avatar
      Lefty665

      “trying to do the best he can.”

      And succeeding, The problem being that he’s dumb as a stump. His best is not of much account. It’s an embarrassment to Virginia, and the Senate, that he’s Chairman of the “Intelligence” committee.

      1. VaNavVet Avatar
        VaNavVet

        If only more of us could be so “dumb”and successful.

        1. Lefty665 Avatar
          Lefty665

          Save us from that. It’s bad enough to have Warner in the Senate and his even more bricks shy of a full load twin in the White House.

          1. VaNavVet Avatar
            VaNavVet

            Neither you nor I will ever be as successful as either one of them has been either in politics or in business. So you might as well face facts.

    4. VaNavVet Avatar
      VaNavVet

      Does anybody think that Governor Youngkin really cares that he is so unpopular and that his policies are so detested by younger voters? After all he campaigned on bringing the Commonwealth together.

  2. James McCarthy Avatar
    James McCarthy

    The 1926 editorial lauding the Virginia Way was only two years later than the Commonwealth’s Racial Integrity and Sterilization acts. Finding the “best Virginia way” may mean looking away. By the early 60s, massive resistance was the Virginia way. Not so many years ago, the Virginia way produced a constitutional ban on same sex marriage. Atmospheric political pollution is not easily scrubbed from the environment.

    1. Carter Melton Avatar
      Carter Melton

      This post had to do with the process of governing. I love folks who look in the mirror and see only beauty and perfection looking back, and then look out the window and see only warts and blemishes.

      1. DJRippert Avatar
        DJRippert

        Your point about the process of governing being the point of the post is right. However, Mr. McCarthy does make some good points. While the Plantation Elite who ran Virginia from about 1870 to 1970 might have operated in a genteel manner, they also politely instituted some pretty awful (even for the times) policies.

        1. James McCarthy Avatar
          James McCarthy

          As the Jesuits taught, the process of governance may be distinguished from the results of governing but it cannot be separated. IMO, today, folks know more about both aspects of government. The Virginia way could succeed when the sentiment of the public was far more quiescent.

      2. James McCarthy Avatar
        James McCarthy

        Love being loved. Back at you.

    2. VaNavVet Avatar
      VaNavVet

      You can add in banning inter-racial marriage with VA versus Loving.

  3. Don Crawford Avatar
    Don Crawford

    Sad. I wonder if they hate Mr Youngkin personally or his policies?

  4. Lefty665 Avatar
    Lefty665

    Does that sign qualify as the dreaded “hate speech”?

  5. VaPragamtist Avatar
    VaPragamtist

    Sure, the yard sign is ridiculous and can be a literal sign of how polarized we’ve become.

    But there’s a certain irony in writing a whole article pointing out how a one citizen’s yard sign goes against “the Virginia way”–an implicit “look at what they’re doing! Shame on them!”

    The Virginia way also means rising above and ignoring petty slights that have zero effect on anything, other than making the sign’s owner feel good. This article is not the Virginia way.

    1. VaNavVet Avatar
      VaNavVet

      Well said!

  6. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    As I always told my kids, “hate” is a strong word…

  7. M. Purdy Avatar
    M. Purdy

    Carole, what is it that I did that you removed my post critical of Glenn Youngkin?

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Last four words.

  8. Donald Smith Avatar
    Donald Smith

    Hey! It looks as if y’all had a party! What did I miss? 🙂

  9. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    Looking over Freeman’s 1926 editorial prompted me to pull out Uncle Charlie’s 1924 VMI yearbook and scrapbook. I was surprised to find a number of Japanese and Chinese students pictured as cadets. Cultural exchange students 100 years before it was fashionable.

  10. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    I feel fairly certain that my hatred harms me more than the people whom I hate. -Max Frisch, architect, playwright, and novelist (15 May 1911-1991)

  11. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Uh yep, the sign says, “hate”. Doesn’t say why, nor who “I” is. Could be one of your own. Virginia also has a history of treason. Okay, okay, maybe not treason. Let’s just say, “less than loyal.”

    1. Lefty665 Avatar
      Lefty665

      and “down” is sometimes “up”? Them’s what are most obsessed with hate and expansive about what constitutes it seem to be clustered in one corner of the spectrum.

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