Author
Mr. President: Spare us the rest
Coronavirus claimed its highest daily number of U.S. deaths since May earlier this week, and the Texas National Guard was forced to deploy a team for the grim task of helping out with the morgues in El Paso. School districts around the country, including in Virginia, are debating whether to continue teaching online, or bring […]
Lost in the pandemic pettiness and partisanship is the human toll of the virus
Nearly a quarter-million Americans have died from COVID-19, including more than 3,800 here in Virginia. Yet they are more than simply numbers to tote up. Each had dreams and goals, many had careers, and some had children – or, sadly, were just children themselves. Many toiled at 9-to-5 jobs and lived quietly. Others garnered a […]
A troubling foray to Philly and other election observations
A few thoughts about Election 2020 and its aftermath: • Why did two men from Chesapeake – supporters of Republican candidates, and one an adherent to bizarre QAnon conspiracies – tote an AR-15 style rifle and handguns to Philadelphia while trying to monitor vote-counting in the closely contested Keystone State? That’s what local and federal […]
Too many have sacrificed too much for us to sit on the sidelines on Election Day
NBA superstar Bradley Beal and other Black players say they’re voting – for the very first time – in this year’s presidential election. The Washington Wizards shooting guard thus joined colleagues who are finally heading to the polls today, or who voted early in their respective states. I’m encouraged by the move, but also incensed […]
The consequences of rugged individualism in a pandemic
Americans can be a selfish lot. Not everybody, of course. But too many people couldn’t care less about taking the necessary steps to keep deaths and infections from COVID-19 at bay. It’s not that hard: Stay at home as much as possible. Wear a mask out in public and in buildings. Wash your hands. Avoid […]
Portsmouth: where local dysfunction exposes racial fault lines
People in most places would be appalled if the chairman of the court-appointed Electoral Board — which is supposed to guarantee fair and accurate voting — tried to encourage a mayoral candidate to drop out with just weeks left in the campaign. In Portsmouth, the quaint city of just under 100,000 residents in Hampton Roads, […]
As turnout surges, Virginia has largely been spared the electoral shenanigans … so far
Virginians obviously didn’t get the memo from pundits that we’re not a swing state in the 2020 presidential election. Residents around the commonwealth have cast ballots in huge numbers, taking advantage of early voting options amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of voters have already avoided the long lines that are commonplace every four years. As […]
A step in the right direction on police traffic stops
Too many times, over too many years, Black and brown motorists are pulled over by police for the flimsiest of purported reasons. Officers say it could be for a busted taillight, not using a turn signal, or other minor violations. These can be highly charged, anxious encounters — for law-enforcement officials and drivers alike. But […]
Times have changed, but the disenfranchisement game is the same
State officials, a half-century after her momentous voting rights victory, have decided to honor activist Evelyn Butts in her hometown. The Virginia Board of Historic Resources recently announced a marker will rise in Norfolk, noting her importance in ending the poll tax in the commonwealth. It’s not that Butts, who died in 1993, failed to […]
Equity goes way beyond law enforcement
Protests this summer nationwide – including here in Virginia – have correctly focused on police brutality against Black and Brown people and the quest for humane treatment. Most interactions with officers, especially for minor crimes, shouldn’t end in death. Another issue dealing with racial inequity doesn’t involve law enforcement, but it still reveals the disparate […]
Virginia needs to stop treating its citizens like bad stepchildren
If open-government advocates have their way in Richmond, relatives of crime victims and the news media may finally learn more details about a host of violent incidents – many that are several years old and votes of the State Parole Board will be pulled into the light of day. It’s way overdue. When it comes […]
Access to ballot boxes and other measures will help all voters
Voting drop boxes aren’t sinister repositories of fraud. They’re not working overtime to deny candidates their proper electoral victories. That’s true no matter what opponents of greater ballot access contend. Their fevered suspicions aren’t supported by something I call “proof.” That’s why the Virginia General Assembly deserves kudos for passing initiatives in the current special […]