Virginians Deserve Better

by Kerry Dougherty

Word of warning to Virginia State Senate Democrats: paybacks are hell.

Your gleeful construction of a “brick wall of resistance” to the governor who was elected by the majority of Virginians may come back to crush you.

Maybe not this year. Or next. But eventually you’ll be back where you belong — in the minority — and the GOP will remember what you did in February 2023.

Have you heard?

Earlier this week the Dems flexed their muscles and rejected three of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointees. They tried to block the appointment of Bert Ellis to the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors because he arrived on “Grounds” a couple of years ago with a tool that he intended to use to remove the “F*** UVA” sign some snotty, disrespectful undergrad had plastered to her door on the Lawn.

The president of the university should have ripped it down the day it appeared, but he’s far too woke.

Democrats were unsuccessful in trying to boot Ellis. He was approved on a tie vote.

So the UVa board now has at least one member willing to stand up for the values that once were the hallmark of the commonwealth’s flagship university.

One of the Democrats’ dubious successes this week was the sinking of Colin Greene, Youngkin’s pick for Health Commissioner.

“On a party-line vote, the Senate blocked the appointment of Health Commissioner Colin Greene, Virginia’s top public health official, over comments he made downplaying the significance of racism as a driver of health disparities,” reported the Virginia Mercury.

Also on the Democratic chopping block was Steven Buck, removed from the Parole Board. The soft-on-crime gang who rewarded Adrianne Bennett, former chair of the board, with a Virginia Beach judgeship because she waved her wand of freedom over convicted killers, just purged the parole board of a Republican “who voted to grant parole in a vanishingly small number of the cases the new board has heard.“

Imagine being cautious about setting convicted felons free. In a commonwealth that abolished parole in 1995.

Perhaps the most outrageous move was one that kept a woman of color from the Board of Education, because she wasn’t sufficiently racist and espoused traditional American values that made board members, such as Sen. Tim Kaine’s wife, “uncomfortable.”

The nomination of Suparna Dutta, a parent, an information technology professional, and education activist who has been vocal in her opposition to the new anti-Asian policies at the highly competitive Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology was blocked by Democratic blockheads in the State Senate. She objected to those policies that relaxed admission standards to increase black, white and Hispanic enrollment at the expense of high-achieving Asian students.

Dutta’s ousting follows a contentious exchange last week during a board meeting reviewing proposed changes to history and social science standards in Virginia public schools. Two of the foundational principles outlined in the learning standards are that the “Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are remarkable documents” and that socialism and communism are “incompatible with democracy and individual freedoms.”

Board member Anne Holton — who is married to Sen. Tim Kaine — said she was “uncomfortable” with that language.

“You cannot reference the Declaration of Independence and Constitution as remarkable documents without also acknowledging that they contain fundamental flaws of enshrining slavery and limiting the protections that they provided for only to white, propertied men,” she said.

Holton conceded that communism is not compatible with democracy, but said “plenty of governments” call themselves socialist democratic governments, reported Fox News.

Good Lord. Now you know why Virginia public education is on a steep downward trajectory.

In a statement, Youngkin said Senate Democrats “voted to remove Suparna Dutta, shockingly claiming that a public school parent isn’t qualified to serve on the Board of Education. She is a mother and advocate for parents’ rights, she is an immigrant and an advocate for Asian American rights, she is an engineer and advocate for STEM in education.”

“She is not only qualified, she epitomizes parental involvement in our schools and we need her voice on our Board of Education.”

Youngkin called the vindictive moves by Senate Democrats an “appalling display of partisanship.”

“Democrats are repeating loudly their clear beliefs: parents don’t matter, criminals first victims last, and petty politics above Virginia’s best interests,” Youngkin said. “It’s shameful. Virginians deserve so much better.”

We do. That won’t happen until the brick wall comes tumbling down.

Republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed and Unedited.


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Comments

46 responses to “Virginians Deserve Better”

  1. James Kiser Avatar
    James Kiser

    Too late the country is on a downward trend and will continue its slide into oblivion.

    1. Thomas Dixon Avatar
      Thomas Dixon

      It will if people are too cowardly to fight to save it like millions before us.

      1. James Kiser Avatar
        James Kiser

        I suggest you look at what has happened in the last 50 years the boomer generation was the last to be allowed to grow up under adversity. Since then kids have been told to never take matters into their own hands but let the govt deal with it. Most kids but not all can’t find their butt with both hands. And if you do stand up the govt will shut you down with deadly force except for black lies matter and antifa.

  2. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    It already was a pay back for three Board of Ed members. You reap what you sow. Politics is best described as passive aggressive.

    1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
      James C. Sherlock

      Come on, Kathleen. That is just one, and not the most compelling reason Democrats voted against the Asian-American mom.

  3. VaPragamtist Avatar
    VaPragamtist

    An old man walks on a college campus and harasses an undergrad because he didn’t like what a sign said. The author is upset because the university’s president didn’t tear down a sign he didn’t like. So much for promoting free speech on college campuses. We should all remember the author’s words in this article.

    Also, not to get technical, but Youngkin wasn’t elected by a “majority of Virginians.” He was elected by a majority of voters who cast ballots for governor: 1,663,596 to be exact. He still has to represent the other 7 million Virginians too.

    1. Thomas Dixon Avatar
      Thomas Dixon

      I’m curious to know what the relevance is of the age of the man who complained.

      1. He’s supposed to be mature, wise.

        1. Thomas Dixon Avatar
          Thomas Dixon

          How is removing a profane sign that disrespects the school immature or unwise?

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Because it didn’t belong to him? Usually, one would call that vandalism, and theft if he took it with him.

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

            Asked and answered multiple times on this blog.

          3. Because you don’t go to young person’s dorm with a razor blade to cut down first amendment protected speech, however misguided. Unwise, anti-free speech. This is not a hard first amendment issue. And if there were more sensible lawyers who write for this blog it would be apparent.

          4. Randy Huffman Avatar
            Randy Huffman

            I recognize this has been hashed out a lot, but lets not forget the student had responsibilities for the right to live on the Lawn. This wasn’t just another dorm room. Per student affairs web site:

            https://studentaffairs.virginia.edu/living-lawn-faqs

            Lawn residents should:

            Work together as a group to pursue common goals determined by the community. Promote and role model an attitude of inclusiveness and respect at the University of Virginia. Promote and role model healthy behaviors. Enthusiastically share their passions with other members of the Lawn community. Willingly explore new friendships, cultural experiences, or academic fields with other Lawn residents. Continue to uphold high standards of University involvement, leadership, and academic achievement. Physically open their doors to the Lawn. Use their Lawn room as their primary University residence. Respect their living space as a place of historic value and as the public face of the University. Abide by the policies in the Record concerning the use of Lawn. Abide by all Dean of Students/Housing & Residence Life policies.

          5. Agreed, they could have taken that stance. But the state cannot contract around fundamental rights. They decided–rightly–that her rights trump whatever is in the lease. This is, after all, a state institution. And the Lawn is most certainly a public square (see Unite the Right idiocy, for example).

          6. Warmac9999 Avatar

            It is also freedom of speech to cut down the sign. See flag burning by the radical left.

        2. VaPragamtist Avatar
          VaPragamtist

          ^this. And he’s an old man picking a fight on a college campus. It’s weird. And sad.

  4. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    As Kathleen Smith has pointed out, last year House Republicans rejected the three appointments to the Board of Education made by Governor Ralph Northam, who had been elected by a majority of Virginia voters. Kerry conveniently forgot about that.

    Fact-checking Kerry Dougherty’s columns could be a full-time job. Here is her latest “misstatement”: “The soft-on-crime gang who rewarded Adrianne Bennett, former chair of the board, with a Virginia Beach judgeship because she waved her wand of
    freedom over convicted killers,….”

    Some key words or phrases: “soft-on-crime gang”, “rewarded”, and “because”.

    The 2020 General Assembly elected Bennett to the Virginia Beach judgeship in early March 2020, before she took the actions in March and April 2020 that have been the subject of much criticism. Therefore, it can hardly be said that she was rewarded with a judgeship because of actions that had not been taken.

    As for that “soft-on-crime gang” who elected her to the judgeship, the vote was unanimous. See HR 139 and SR 52. Therefore, it seems that Republicans were members of that “soft-on-crime gang”.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      The GOP board rejections last year were purely to create openings for the new governor to fill. Nobody’s character was assassinated the way these three were lied about and trashed. The attacks on Dutta and Greene, with his long medical career with the US Army, were despicable. Despicable.

      Kerry links to the full length of the Virginia BOE meeting where Anne Holton decided to take out Dutta. The link below is to a short, 2 minute snippet of the highlights.

      https://twitter.com/i/status/1623327513417027584

    2. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      The GOP board rejections last year were purely to create openings for the new governor to fill. Nobody’s character was assassinated the way these three were lied about and trashed, on the Senate floor and in never ending social media attacks. The attacks on Dutta and Greene, with his long and honorable medical career with the US Army, were despicable. Despicable. Hard to imagine somebody such an obvious “racist” would be one of the top Army docs and serve 30 years. Of course the attack is knowingly false. Disgusting.

      Kerry links to the full length of the Virginia BOE meeting where Anne Holton decided to take out Dutta. The link below is to a short, 2 minute snippet of the highlights.

      https://twitter.com/i/status/1623327513417027584

      1. How was Greene’s character assassinated? He said what he said.

        1. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          He also spoke medical truth. But then the leap was he himself was a racist. Kinda like the good ol’ days when you called somebody a commie. Totally impossible to answer or disprove even if one has risen to the highest levels of a very diverse US Army with no previous wiff of such a claim. That is pure character assassination.

          I watched the floor discussion on him. When Amanda Chase attacked him, because he wouldn’t go along with her nutball COVID whining, that was enough for me to see him as a keeper.

          He doesn’t need this job. Virginia’s loss.

          1. I mean, his words were pretty racist, no?

          2. Stephen Haner Avatar
            Stephen Haner

            No. He DENIED that racism was the primary cause of disparate outcomes. I guess with Kendi logic, to deny racism makes one a racist instantly. And Kendi logic rules now.

          3. Stephen Haner Avatar
            Stephen Haner

            No. He DENIED that racism was the primary cause of disparate outcomes. I guess with Kendi logic, to deny racism makes one a racist instantly. And Kendi logic rules now.

          4. Can you provide those quotes, because what I’m reading online says things like the use of the word ‘racism’ alienates white people. He also played down gun violence. I mean, listen, if it’s a simple matter of reasonable policy debate, that’s one thing. If it’s talking out of school and making incendiary statements, then it’s to be expected that there will be political backlash.

          5. https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/06/23/board-of-health-calls-commissioners-comments-an-embarrassment/

            In an interview with the paper,[Washington Post] Greene said he had yet to see “compelling evidence” that racism played a role in well-documented maternal and infant health disparities for Black mothers and their babies. He also described racism as a “politically charged” word, telling the Post that “if you say ‘racism,’ you’re blaming White people.” …The resolution also prohibits the commissioner and other agency spokespeople from making public statements “contrary to the board’s policy or intentions” regarding health disparities, or comments “that carry a message of denial of basic scientific facts.”

            He denied no scientific facts. So much for your arguments on the First Amendment.

          6. “So much for your arguments on the First Amendment.” My face hit my palm so hard I bruised myself. This is decidedly NOT a first amendment issue. Can I honestly recommend that you and the Jefferson Council audit an undergrad free speech course at UVa?

          7. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            You could prove that position with CRT.

  5. “The president of the university should have ripped it down the day it appeared, but he’s far too woke.” Utter hogwash. UVa was founded by the Founder who championed freedom of speech. The student in question had a right to express herself on the public square at a public university. This blog plays the free speech card and invokes Thomas Jefferson only when it suits them, without any effort whatsoever to maintain a semblance of intellectual integrity. He would be disgusted.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      Talk about presentism. Do you really think that kind of crude, juvenile attack on the school would have been tolerated 180 years ago? Or would it have led to expulsion? Dissent, yes, but that level of profanity, no. Frankly using that language to make your point is hard evidence of your lack of intelligence or imagination. She did it to show off to a similarly limited audience.

      1. Awful point. If we applied the standards of the 19th century, the young lady in question wouldn’t be able to attend and wouldn’t have been considered a citizen. (Maybe that’s what’s intended?) Jefferson, more than anyone, knew that standards and the Constitution would evolve. Like I said below, if we had a single sensible lawyer writing for this blog it wouldn’t be even controversial. Jefferson Council, indeed.

        1. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          The “young lady in question” played the university’s president like a violin.

          She was in direct violation of her housing contract. She should have been evicted by the housing office.

          The fact that instead she got in to see the University President and made a fool of him by recording the session and then playing it on a radio interview was nobody’s fault but his.

          He also let her stay in the room.

          It was never a first amendment issue until the left made it one.

          And, witness your comments, still tries to do so.

          1. Sherlock, see my points about having a sensible lawyer give some fundamental lessons about the First Amendment to your so-called “Jefferson Council.” Believe it or not, the First Amendment applies regardless of who invokes it–the left, this young lady, or even right-wing ideologues when it so suits them. You also can’t contract your way around or out of fundamental rights. But I do find it hilarious that this blog that wraps itself in blather about free speech on campus, blah blah blah, can’t hold itself to even a modest pro-First Amendment standard when faced with speech it disagrees with. Please, lecture the left on ‘free speech’ Jeffersonian Councilvolk!

          2. She could SAY whatever she wanted. She could write whatever she wanted. That did not give her the right to violate her lease post it on her door and the expectations of being the public face of UVA in a World Heritage site.

          3. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            And still, that does not give a third party license to destroy or steal her property, aka vandalism and theft.

          4. They could have taken the position that her lease trumps her first amendment rights, and they would have lost. Had they taken that position, it would have further undermined what President Ryan sees as the institution’s commitment to free speech. Something this blog claims to care a whole lot about. The very campus free speech organization that this blog amplifies when it comes to attacking leftist indoctrination–FIRE–gives Ryan its top rating. The fact that it’s a world heritage site is irrelevant; it’s still subject to the laws of the U.S.

          5. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Definitely would have lost. Lemme see, UVa is the State. Can you imagine a more clear violation of the 1st than the State limiting political speech?

            Imagine if the GA passed a law prohibiting picketing at the Capitol? Or specifying what words you could put on your sign?

            Listen, if I recall, the student in question works for a progressive version of TJIPP. Perhaps, she was baiting Ryan for a nice juicy 1st Amendment fight that would guarantee a job at the ACLU. He didn’t bite, but Bert was just the ticket. Played like a fiddle.

          6. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            And still, that does not give a third party license to destroy or steal her property, aka vandalism and theft.

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

        “Do you really think that kind of crude, juvenile attack on the school would have been tolerated 180 years ago?”

        Hmmmm…. “In the campaign of 1800, Thomas Jefferson opposed John Adams…. Jefferson’s camp accused President Adams of being a hypocrite and a coward, and as having a ‘hideous hermaphroditical character … (with) neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.’”

        Pretty crude and juvenile attack that, eh…?

        1. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          Fair point. But I doubt any Federalists were allowed on The Lawn!

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Wait.

            “And get off the Lawn!”

            That would be ageism, not presentism.

      3. James McCarthy Avatar
        James McCarthy

        Amazing. Feigned, quaint gentility enhanced by reading the mind of an individual to result in contemporary dudgeon. Presentism?? Methinks conservative wokeism. Or Newspeak. Take your pick.

    1. Is this comment for this post or another?

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Perhaps, it’s just “I thought of it first.”

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