A dangerous precedent

A House education subcommittee on Thursday evening backed House Bill 11, which would require Virginia textbooks to note that the Sea of Japan is also referred to as the East Sea. The bill now heads to the full House Education Committee. A Senate version of the legislation has already passed. Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Thursday that if the bill makes it to his desk, he would sign it.

I know this bill has been championed by the Korean community and I understand their resentment based on a cruel Japanese occupation, but it seems to be a slippery slope we're climbing here. When politicians start dictating textbook contents I see nothing but trouble. We've seen some screwy legislation come out of state houses...what's to keep our state legislature from writing into code that all textbooks purchased for use in Virginia must include intelligent design instead of the theory of evolution? Is it just me, or is this something to be concerned about?

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Yes to guns....no to flags

A small American flag on a stick may be used as a dangerous weapon, but a dangerous weapon apparently isn't a threat as a dangerous weapon. In what continues to pass for rational, reasoned thinking in our state legislature visitors to the state house are not allowed to have any sticks or club-like objects, including small American flags.

A group of gun violence prevention activists discovered this when they arrived on Monday to attend a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event. According to Virginia Capitol Police, the groups were informed beforehand of the restriction barring sticks at permitted rallies, because they can be used as weapons. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America’s Gena Reeder said they were aware of the rules, but “certainly not in our wildest imagination thought that could apply to the American flag.” While the moms tore out the dowels of their flags, capitol grounds visitors with firearms were ushered through the entrance. That day, Virginia Citizens Defense League and other gun rights groups organized a “Guns Save Lives” day. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that about half of the crowd was armed, packing weapons that ranged from handguns to assault rifles.

So let's run through this one more time. A small stick with an American flag could be used as a dangerous weapon and is banned but a handgun or assault rifle apparently doesn't cause the same level of concern about possible use as a dangerous weapon....right....thanks for straightening that out. I feel much better about who's in charge now.

 

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The problem with Democrats

 

Every person has a right to practice their religion without interference from the state or others. Every person has the right to be protected from the practice of your religion. Herein lies the problem with marriage equality laws. The problem with Republicans is they want the government out of our lives unless we're talking about bedrooms. The problem with Democrats is they don't know how to pick the right fight. It didn't take Mark Herring long to shake things up in Richmond. With his announcement that he wouldn't defend Virginia's ban on gay marriage, he started a mini firestorm. Not only is he not defending the ban, he will join those challenging the ban in court. Now while I agree with Herring, I disagree with his timing and approach. Herring has opened himself to charges of being an activist attorney general more interested in pushing a personal and moral agenda than in doing his job. It's also a kind of "in your face" action directed at a republican controlled legislature. Maybe it's just me, but I think he could have waited, allowing current court challenges to make their way through the process. Instead, he's contributing to the divisiveness that abounds in Richmond already.

 

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The war on women that isn't

Do Republican's even here themselves when they speak? This is meant to be serious? If it weren't Mike Huckabee speaking you would think this is satire, but unfortunately this is what passes for a serious Republican.....how's that rebranding thing working out?


"If the Democrats want to insult the women of America by making them believe that they are helpless without Uncle Sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of government then so be it! Let us take that discussion all across America because women are far more than the Democrats have played them to be," Huckabee said.