To say I was floored by the election results last week would be an understatement. Only in the last 24 hours have I truly been able to articulate why I am so devastated by Hillary Clinton's loss. My first reactions were simply to how this affected me personally. But as I have gotten out of … Continue reading The times, they are a-changin’
I keep hoping that I will find the time - and the mental space - to do some serious writing again. In the meantime, a few random thoughts: Confederate flags should be removed from public property. I made the argument years ago that the "heritage not hate" camp needed to choose a flag other than … Continue reading This ‘n that
About to get started on my Thanksgiving cooking. A couple of stories I'm keeping my eye on: Sexual assault on campus. The story from Rolling Stone was absolutely chilling, if not completely surprising. There's been a big push this year to make awareness - and prevention - of this a priority. The RS article has … Continue reading Quick hits: 11/26/14
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Thursday. In it, I discuss why I believe the elected school board Norfolk's voters approved Tuesday should be elected at-large and not by ward. I've lived here long enough to see that the ward system has not been good for Norfolk. Yes, it got a third … Continue reading ICYMI: Don’t break Norfolk School Board into wards
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Thursday. In it, I discuss the effects of the U.S. Supreme court decision in Shelby on the upcoming redrawing of Virginia's 3rd - and surrounding - congressional district. I covered some of this ground in my earlier op-eds, particularly just after Shelby and after a bill … Continue reading ICYMI: Virginia’s redistricting dilemma
Yeah, it's been like the picture here. The start of the semester always brings new challenges, no matter how much time I spend preparing in advance. Add to that the wife's surgery - with another one scheduled next Monday - and it makes for a real time crunch. Something has to give - and it's … Continue reading Been buried
It's been a really, really busy week. A few things that have caught my eye in between everything: NYT: "Who Gets to Graduate?" - Income, it seems, is a pretty good predictor. VP: "Virginia GOP executive under state investigation" - This will be interesting to watch. WP: "How gerrymandered is your district?" - At 79.26, … Continue reading Quick hits 5/23/14
From the AFER press release yesterday: Richmond, VA – On Monday, March 10, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit granted AFER’s proposed motion for an expedited briefing schedule in Virginia’s marriage equality case, Bostic v. Schaefer (formerly Bostic v. Rainey). On February 13, 2014, the Federal District Court for the Eastern … Continue reading Marriage equality case fast-tracked in 4th Circuit
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. The president will give a speech this afternoon, one which he admits will not measure up to that given by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And one which many Americans will not witness personally, because it will be given in the middle of an afternoon … Continue reading Jaded
The money quote: "Poverty is no longer an issue of 'them', it's an issue of 'us'," says Mark Rank, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis who calculated the numbers. "Only when poverty is thought of as a mainstream event, rather than a fringe experience that just affects blacks and Hispanics, can we really … Continue reading Poverty in America
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 