My latest op-ed, with the title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Wednesday. Since I wrote this blog post, the response of the Virginia NAACP"s executive director was made public and he was interviewed on TV. The discussion of Sen. Webb's op-ed continues, both online and off. (Just ran across this post last night.) I suspect … Continue reading Sen. Webb’s diversity diversion
Category: Race
Webb’s curious op-ed
Virginia Senator Jim Webb started a firestorm when his op-ed, “Diversity and the Myth of White Privilege,” appeared in the Wall Street Journal. What Webb said is nothing new. His is a nuanced argument: that affirmative action, under the umbrella of diversity, has benefitted groups of people that it never was intended to benefit, and … Continue reading Webb’s curious op-ed
A sad state of affairs
Gotcha politics took center stage over the past couple of days in the case of Shirley Sherrod. A good run down of events can be found here. After that post was written, the full video of Sherrod's statement was made available by the NAACP, who retracted their earlier condemnation of her. This morning, there are … Continue reading A sad state of affairs
Upsides and downsides
When I started this blog more than four years ago, it was because I had something to say and felt like my opinion was not one of those being voiced elsewhere. Whether anyone read it or not wasn't an issue; it was just me putting it out there. As time has passed, I've learned an … Continue reading Upsides and downsides
Sometimes, it’s not about race
In an editorial Sunday, The Virginian-Pilot called for the recall of Portsmouth Mayor James Holley, who faces such an election for the second time Tuesday. In an op-ed a few pages later, writer Nathan McCall says the mayor should be allowed to finish the remaining two years of his term and then go quietly into … Continue reading Sometimes, it’s not about race
What happened in Stafford?
Until someone emailed me the story, I had not heard about the case of Neli Latson, an 18-year old with Asperger Syndrome. The cascade of missteps that led to the arrest suggest a combination of public racial profiling and the over reaction of law enforcement officers who are unfamiliar with autistic behavior. The story details … Continue reading What happened in Stafford?
Commemorate Juneteenth
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers notified the people of Texas that the Civil War had ended and slaves were free. According to this history, no one is really sure of why there was a delay; after all, the effective date of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was January 1, 1863, some 2 1/2 years earlier. … Continue reading Commemorate Juneteenth
Slaves and the U.S. Capitol
Next week, a plaque will be placed at the U.S. Capitol, honoring those slaves who built it. How different this response is from the last time I visited the Capitol about this issue. In June 2001, I along with a number of others involved with Connecting Communities, went to Washington. Our mission was a simple … Continue reading Slaves and the U.S. Capitol
127 points not good enough for VHSL
Stuff like this just makes my blood boil. Morris’ contribution: 127 points. His total shot attempts are lost to history, but Morris made 57 field goals, a bucket about every 30 seconds. He was 13 for 21 from the foul line, shooting underhanded “granny-style,” as required by coach Smith. [...] Morris’ point total still stands … Continue reading 127 points not good enough for VHSL
The part-time city council
There is a reason campaign season is sometimes called "silly season." Because during the run to Election Day, candidates come up with silly stuff, hoping that the voters won't notice. This year, one theme has emerged from candidates across the region that falls into that category: "I'll be a full time member of council." Hogwash. … Continue reading The part-time city council
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 