By Mary Alexander and Nancy Hall: It was cold and overcast this past Martin Luther King Day morning, but that didn’t stop Fairfax County Democrats from coming together (safely distancing themselves) to clean up Jones Point Park at the southeastern tip of old town Alexandria. The Biden Inaugural Committee challenged Virginians to participate in a Day of Service on that…
By Susan Laume: Virginia law has been enacted to protect and monitor treatment of dogs and cats in pet shops with regulations and inspections. During the 2020 Virginia General Assembly, Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37th) sponsored SB 891 which was passed the Senate by a vote of 38-2, in the House by 64-35, and signed by Gov. Ralph Northam. Most provisions go…
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 Karen Kirk: At first the memes were amusing, sort of. Then they started being somewhat irritating. Now, calling white women behaving a certain way “Karen” is meandering toward dangerous. A Tweet calling the woman who lied to police, saying that an innocent African-American man was threatening her, did just that in an intro to a video: “Oh, when Karens take…
By Susan Laume: (Editor’s Note: This is the first of an occasional series on Virginia’s 2020 animal legislation.) Companion animal advocates are among those with reason to celebrate the new Democratic majority in 2020’s Virginia General Assembly. This year, grassroots progressives saw nearly a dozen bills pass related to long fought for animal care and humane treatment. With major changes…
By Olivia Henry: Pandemics are hard for anyone to deal with, let alone students who relied on school for their support system. For students already struggling with mental illness or in emotionally abusive households, this pandemic has intensified an already stressful situation. Without the structure of school, students’ lives are entirely upended. Many have lost their coping mechanisms, whether that’s going…
By Susan Boggs: Some of you may know me from my Thursday morning shifts at the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. Others of you have handed out sample ballots and back-to-school-night literature with me. I’d like you to see my other side—that of a former Foreign Service spouse. I spent 14 years living in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal with my…
By Susan Laume: Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Fairfax) announced Virginia’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) on Monday, Jan. 27. In her official statement, she said, “We stand today on the shoulders of the thousands of women — and men — who have fought for the last 97 years to secure the ERA’s ratification. Finally, women have a…
By Susan Laume: Buoyed by camaraderie and recent election results, the mood was decidedly upbeat as the Springfield and Hunter Mill District Democratic Committees celebrated a great year this weekend. The Springfield Volunteer Celebration was held Friday night at Clifton Town Hall to thank campaign and poll workers. It drew several Springfield area elected officials who thanked volunteers for their…
By Karen Kirk: It was time for FCDC members to party on Saturday, to celebrate the holidays and the great victories of 2018, but it was clear that a new election was on the horizon. Chair Dan Lagana reminded everyone that after the holidays, “it’s time to get to work.” Next year will be a very important election year, said…
By Karen Kirk: Winning the decades-long fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is in Virginia’s court, or actually its General Assembly. And the push is on to finally get it passed in 2019 in both Virginia’s Senate, where it has passed five times, and its House of Delegates, where it has languished in committee year after year. In 2018,…
By Karen Kirk: The fight for women’s rights is urgent. Who better to discuss it with than 203-year-old Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the famous suffragist leader? While Elizabeth is long gone, the next best thing is right here in Vienna, Va., where Leigh Kitcher brings her to life frequently at afternoon teas, a women’s rights editorial cartoon exhibit and other events…
Sunday was a beautiful day to get together with neighbors, knock on doors and encourage people to vote for Democrats in November. It was the kick off of Mason District’s new “Neighbor-to-Neighbor” civic engagement campaign designed for neighbors to talk with each other about the importance of the 2018 election and listen to their concerns. Dan Lagana, Chair of the Fairfax County Democratic…
By Karen Kirk: In the march to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, there were few dissenting voices. Most of the news leading up to the war was about the Bush administration’s false claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that Saddam Hussein could unleash on us at any time. But at the Knight Ridder Washington Bureau, there were a…