By Brad Swanson and Karen Kirk: After more than two years and almost 400 articles, this is the last story that we will post as editors of The Blue View. We’ve reached almost 80,000 of you in northern Virginia, and covered topics as diverse as you are — immigration, education, labor, environment, criminal justice, culture, history… Oh, and a bit…
By Bob Leggett: It is well documented that the current Republican administration is more corrupt and incompetent than any administration in our lifetime. What is harder to understand is why. What are the reasons that high-ranking members of the Republican party betray the ideals they once stood for? In a recent article in the Atlantic magazine, titled “History Will Judge…
By Diane Burkley Alejandro: Starting July 1, Fairfax Sheriff Stacey Kincaid is taking another step toward non-cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As permitted by a new Virginia law, she says she will no longer collect citizenship and immigration status information for persons booked for misdemeanors.
Many of us have asked ourselves if there is something wrong with Donald Trump’s mental state, seeing his behavior stray so far from the norms set by his predecessors in the White House. Now we have a chance to discuss that important issue with an expert, literally the person who wrote the book on the subject: “The Dangerous Case of…
By Bill Brazier: Like most Americans, I am disturbed by the abuse of Black Americans by police, and want to do something about it. One opportunity came earlier this month in the form of a vigil at the Fairfax County Police Department headquarters, which was not just a protest but also delivered a precise agenda for action. The event was…
By Billy Bates: The author is a rising senior at Fairfax High School and president of the school’s Young Democrats chapter The year was 2016. I had just woken up and was preparing to leave for school when my mom told me that Donald Trump had won the election. A lump started forming in my throat. How had this happened?…
By Abby Block: Protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police have spread across the nation, not just in big cities but also in small communities — like our own Mason District here in Fairfax County — that don’t typically respond in organized fashion to events far outside their boundaries. Hundred joined in on Mon.,…
It’s time for Democratic voters in Fairfax County to decide who will carry the party’s standard at the polls in November for US representative in the 11th Congressional district. To help voters decide, The Blue View asked both candidates – incumbent Gerry Connolly and challenger Zainab Mohsini – to answer the same four questions on critical topics facing our nation…
By Karen Kirk: “I believe we’re on a trajectory for a big win in November because Trump has shown himself to be an incompetent fool and a narcissistic figure,” U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) said Wednesday during an online Hunter Mill District Democratic Committee meeting. Connolly said we will have a chance to rebuild America in a more progressive way…
By Susan Laume: Va. Lt Gov. Justin Fairfax was on hand to address protesters at the Beyond the Wall March for Justice in the Gum Springs community in Mount Vernon on June 9. The United Methodist Church event was planned in coordination with civic leaders and drew approximately 500 citizens to the peaceful demonstration. Fairfax told the racially diverse crowd…
By Marcus R. Motta: The Fairfax County NAACP drew an estimated 1,000 vehicles to a rally recently designed to demonstrate that large protests can be safely mounted during the pandemic. The event, Justice for Black Lives Car Rally, was staged in the Fairfax County Government Center parking lot on Wed., June 3. Attendees, who had reserved parking spaces earlier through…
By Brad Swanson: My son’s text decided me. “If you wanted to go, I would say today’s the day.” The previous night, he had been caught in the unprovoked rush of police out of Lafayette Square to clear a space for Trump’s photo op at St. John’s Church. He had not been injured but shared the outrage of millions at…
By Abby Block: Many of the nearly 73,000 Fairfax County residents who applied for unemployment insurance between mid-March and mid-May have most likely lost their employer-supplied insurance or were already uninsured and are facing hardship paying premiums. What are the options available for them, and all uninsured residents? First, regarding coronavirus, testing and treatment is available free or based on…
By Bill Brazier: Virginia Democrats should be proud of the legislation passed to lessen gun violence and control deadly weapons, thanks to new Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate. But the proposed bans on assault weapons and large magazines remain on the agenda for the next session, starting in Jan. 2021, and all reasonable people should fight for…