By Holly Hazard: NEW ORLEANS — “You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people,” said Sen. Cory Booker in his keynote speech Friday at the Netroots Nation Conference in New Orleans. He had this challenge to conservative values: “People talk about patriotism. You can’t be patriotic if you don’t love the people in the country you’re in.” The…
Category: Social Issues
Time to vote for politicians who support gun safety
By Karen Kirk: “VOTE THEM OUT” was the rallying cry of speakers and protesters as more than 100 people gathered outside of the NRA Headquarters in Fairfax Saturday in support of gun safety. “This nation breathes the oxygen that is the promise of liberty and right now, our people are suffocating,” said speaker Micaela Lattimer, a 17-year-old Latina from Maryland.…
Fairfax County struggles with high level of hoarding
By Susan Laume: Imagine sitting on your porch enjoying the gentle breeze of a pleasant summer evening… then being driven inside by odors when your neighbor opens his garage door… He’s a hoarder. What can be done? That’s a difficult question, but state Del. Mark Keam (D – 35) is committed to finding an answer. Americans are curious about hoarding,…
Fairfax NAACP Recognized as Best Branch in USA
By M. J. O’Brien: The Fairfax County NAACP has been named the top branch in the country by the national organization. The branch will receive the prestigious Thalheimer Award, given annually to the branch with the most outstanding achievements, next week at the NAACP’s Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas. “Fairfax County is the home of the best branch in the…
Photo Essay: Thousands rally to bring families together
Tens of Thousands of demonstrators rallied Saturday in Washington, D.C. to protest the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy and separating children from their parents. On a sweltering day in the capital, the crowd gathered at Lafayette Square across from the White House to protest separating thousands of children from their parents at the border and the new plan to detain families…
It’s cruel but not unusual for Virginia to execute the seriously mentally ill
By Paul O’Shea: The last person executed in Virginia was mentally ill. Yet Virginia, which has executed more people than any state except Texas, has no law protecting the mentally disabled from capital punishment. It’s time to change that. When Virginia completed the task of executing William Morva at 9:15 p.m. on July 6, 2017, it had killed a disturbed…
School Board votes on sex ed changes June 14 amid controversy
By Robert Rigby, Jr.: The Fairfax County School Board meets on Thursday June 14 to vote on changes to the Family Life Education curriculum that are more inclusive of transgender students—and have attracted a national media campaign of opposition from outside, right wing groups. The changes – which also include informing students of ways to prevent HIV infection – were…
Fairfax County could cut immigrant arrests by 90% say experts
By Brad Swanson: Fairfax County could cut the arrests of undocumented immigrants from its jail by more than 90% by refusing to cooperate with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a panel of immigration experts who spoke Wednesday night at a public forum. The experts noted that Fairfax County police and Sheriff’s Office are not legally required…
ICE deportations are up dramatically in Fairfax County
By Diane Burkley Alejandro: Under the Trump Administration, detention for suspected immigration violations has increased dramatically – not just nationally but right here in Fairfax County. Most deportations are due to Fairfax County law enforcement’s initial detention of these individuals on local charges, mostly for minor offenses. Fortunately, local law enforcement can limit the damage to immigrants by ending its…
School Board weighs changing sex ed to make it more LGBTQ inclusive
By Karen Kirk: The Fairfax County School board heard spirited comments both for and against changing the public school sex education curriculum to make it more LGBTQ inclusive at its regular meeting Thursday, May 24. The discussion was a precursor to the vote on June 14 on changing wording in the Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum. The proposed changes include…
Candidate Question Time: Should undocumented aliens have a path to citizenship?
Each week until the Va-10 congressional district Democratic Party primary election on June 12, The Blue View will ask all six candidates to respond to a key question on an important issue in 100 words or less. This week’s question: Should undocumented aliens have a path to citizenship? Answers below from candidates, in alphabetical order: Yes! The simple question is this: what makes…
Immigrants have been a big part of Virginia’s success
By Karen Kirk: Immigration has helped Virginia rise from poverty to affluence, notes Sen. Tim Kaine. Kaine does the numbers: In 1968, only 1% of Virginians were immigrants and the state ranked 38th in income per person. Today, immigrants make up 11% and we have shot up to become the 12th richest state in terms of per capita income. Although correlation is…
Candidate Question Time: How would you respond to the opioid crisis?
Each week until the Va-10 congressional district Democratic Party primary election on June 12, The Blue View will ask all six candidates to respond to a key question on an important issue in 100 words or less. This week’s question: How should Congress, with you as a member, respond to the opioid crisis? Answers below from candidates, in alphabetical order: Forty percent of opioid…
Civilian Panel Targets Abuse by Fairfax County Police
By Jim O’Connell: Steve Descano goes out night after night looking for trouble. Not trying to start some, he’s trying to resolve it. Descano is a member of the Fairfax County Police Civilian Review Panel, which reviews complaints of abuse or unprofessional conduct by officers. With 1,400 officers in a county of more than a million people where more than…