Tag Archives: Virginia

Gun Rights, States Rights

GOP State Senator to Propose Defunding Va. Gov. McAuliffe’s Armed Guards

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In retaliation for Democratic Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s recent push for tougher gun control laws, State Senator Bill Carrico (R-Dist. 40) says he intends to introduce a budget amendment in the next session that would strip the governor of his armed State Police executive protection unit.

Sen. Carrico told The Bristol Herald Courier, “A lot of the governor’s power is deferred to the General Assembly at that point and I’ll be getting with my colleagues to circumvent everything this governor has done on this point. I have a budget amendment that I’m looking at to take away his executive protection unit. If he’s so afraid of guns, then I’m not going to surround him with armed state policemen.”

He added in comments to Fox News, “It’s easy for someone who is surrounded by armed state policemen to tell someone else they can’t carry a weapon to protect themselves. It’s just equal treatment, that’s all I’m saying.”

[RELATED: New California Law Allows Seizure of Legal Guns Without Notice in 2016]

McAuliffe’s administration drew ire with Republicans by resorting to executive action to implement gun control measures, including a ban on firearms in state buildings. The issue reached a fever-pitch when Va. Attorney General Mark Herring announced that the state would no longer honor concealed carry permits from 25 states, including neighbors North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee, placing concealed carriers in border towns like Bristol, Tenn. under threat of being arrested, jailed for up to 12 months, and issued a fine of up to $2,500 if they carry concealed in the wrong part of town.

“I think it’s a crock. I think this is a political play that will have a greater impact on Bristol, Tennessee residents than Virginia residents. If a Tennessee resident has a conceal-carry permit and has their firearm they won’t even be able to cross the street,” said Virginia resident Rob Culberson.

Attorney General Herring says those 25 states have weaker restrictions on concealed carriers that do not meet Virginia’s standards.

“Strong, consistent enforcement of Virginia’s laws and safety standards can prevent disqualified people who may be dangerous or irresponsible from utilizing a concealed handgun permit, and it’s what the law requires,” he said.

Sen. Carrico argued, “I absolutely think it’s absurd. I think it’s a threat to the people of Virginia that have concealed carry handgun permit reciprocity from other states. … This is all political and I hope people see that.”

Virginia’s concealed carriers will no longer benefit from handgun permit reciprocity in 6 of the 25 affected states, which require reciprocity as a condition of accepting another state’s permit.

Republicans in the GOP-led Virginia General Assembly are working on a bill that would reverse Herring’s policy shift on concealed carry permits from other states.

Election, Featured, Politics

Jim Webb Withdraws from Democratic Primary, is Considering Independent Run

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Former U.S. Senator from Virginia Jim Webb announced today at the National Press Club in Washington that he has withdrawn from the Democratic primary for president of the United States. However, he says that he is considering launching an independent bid for the presidency in 2016 instead.

“I fully accept that my views on many issues are not compatible with the power structure and nominating base of the Democratic Party. That party is filled with millions of dedicated, hard-working Americans, but its hierarchy is not comfortable with many of the policies that I have laid forth, and, frankly, I’m not that comfortable with many of theirs. For this reason, I’m withdrawing from any consideration of being the Democratic Party’s nominee for the presidency,” said Webb in the above-embedded CNN video.

[RELATED: Jim Webb Accuses CNN of Rigging Democratic Debate to Benefit Sanders, Clinton]

Webb added, “This does not reduce in any way my concerns for the challenges facing our country, my belief that I can provide the best leadership in order to meet these challenges, or my intentions to remain fully engaged in the debates that are facing us. How I remain as a voice will depend on what kind of support I am shown in the coming weeks as I meet with people from all sides of America’s political landscape — and I intend to do that.”

NPR notes that Webb said, “Poll after poll shows that a strong plurality of Americans is neither Republican nor Democrat. Overwhelmingly they’re independents. Our political candidates are being pulled to the extremes. They are increasingly out of step with the people they are supposed to serve.”

Webb, who stated that other people say that he often comes across as a “Republican in a room full of Democrats or a Democrat in a room full of Republicans,” answered a reporter’s question as to whether he still considers himself a Democrat by saying, “We will think about that.”

According to CNN, Webb said, “The very nature of our democracy is under siege due to the power structure and the money that finances both political parties.”

He called for “a new Declaration of Independence — not from an outside power but from the paralysis of a federal system that no longer serves the interests of the vast majority of the American people.”

Commenting on Webb’s shift from the Democratic primary to a possible independent presidential bid, 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told The Boston Herald, “I think he should, I’d love to see him as an independent. He’d be wonderful as an independent. He’d be a lot better as an independent than he would as a Democrat because I watched (the first Democratic primary debate) the other night and he was not registering as a Democrat.”

Trump added, “I hope he has a lot of money, because it’s a very expensive process.”

Describing a private conversation that he reportedly had with Webb over the weekend in comments to CNN, the former U.S. Senator’s friend and informal adviser Mudcat Saunders said, “We were just b—-ing about the way our party has moved. They have given up on the South, they have given up on the heartland, on rural America. It is a math game and the math is not going to work. It might work once and it might work twice. We just don’t like the Democratic Party’s strategy.”

[RELATED: POLL: Do You Think Jim Webb Should Run as an Independent?]

The Truth in Media Project recently released a Consider This video highlighting the fact that independent voters now outnumber Republicans and Democrats. Watch in the below-embedded video player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf26DKntwzM

For more election coverage, click here.

Featured, US, Videos

VIDEO: Journalists murdered on live TV during interview, suspect identified

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MONETA, Va., A bone-chilling interview broadcast on live TV captured the screams of two WDBJ7 journalists as they were shot to death on location early Wednesday morning.

(This video may be disturbing for some viewers.)

Shortly after the shooting, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe took to Twitter to announce that a former employee is the suspected killer of Reporter Alison Parker, 24, and photographer Adam Ward, 27. However, no arrest has yet been made.

UPDATE: WHSV News reports that the shooting suspect has been identified as Vester Lee Flanagan:

UPDATE: Police say that Flanagan shot himself in an attempted suicide. He is in critical condition.

For updated information about the shooting, click here.

Follow Michael Lotfi on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

Politics, US

Supreme Court refuses to act on same-sex marriage issue

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While more people are showing support for same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court made the decision Monday to not get involved with any appeals court decisions over same-sex marriage and allow these courts to decide how their states should move forward.

As a result of their refusal to get involved, five additional states have been added to the list of 19 others who allow same-sex marriage.  These five new states are Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin, according to Reuters.  The appeals courts who rule over these states have already ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in the past.

Six other states, who fall under the jurisdiction of those appeals courts, may also be affected by this decision and they may see same-sex marriage soon.  These six are Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

“The court’s letting stand these victories means that gay couples will soon share in the freedom to marry in 30 states,” said president of the Freedom to Marry organization, Evan Wolfson, according to USA Today.  “But we are one country, with one Constitution, and the court’s delay in affirming the freedom to marry nationwide prolongs the patchwork of state-to-state discrimination and the harms and indignity that the denial of marriage still inflicts on too many couples in too many places.”

Chad Griffin, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, said, according to the BBC, “Today is a joyous day for thousands of couples across America who will immediately feel the impact of today’s Supreme Court action.”

This is not the first time the Supreme Court has made a decision which has suggested support for same-sex marriage.  Last year, the Supreme Court invalidated parts of a law which denied legally married same-sex partners spousal benefits.

All of the small victories for those in support of same-sex marriage make many believe the Supreme Court will soon make a decision which will tackle the issue nationwide.

Election, Politics, US

100,000 Voters Affected by New Law in Virginia that Requires Photo I.D.

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On Thursday, the Virginia State Board of Elections announced that approximately 100,000 Virginia voters might be unable to cast a vote in the November midterm elections, due to the fact that they do not have the proper identification.

According to the Washington Post, a new law that went into effect in Virginia this year stated that, “Virginia voters must present a driver’s license or some other form of photo identification at their polling stations before they cast a vote.”

While voters can fill out provisional ballots on November 4, election officials hope the new law will convince citizens to pursue a form of state-issued identification, such as a driver’s license.

The Help America Vote Act requires identification for all first-time voters in the United States who register by mail. Eighteen states require no further identification, other than a registered voter’s card. While other states have various rules about the type of identification they require at the polls, Virginia is one of 34 states that require a photo ID issued by either the state or the federal government.

According to the Virginia State board, 457,931 residents in the state do not have a state-issued driver’s license, which is the most common form of identification.

The campaign manager for Fairfax County’s Supervisor Democrat John W. Foust, Shaun Daniels, said that the number of voters who wouldn’t be able to cast their vote was “definitely an issue.”

Daniels added, “You can tell the motivations by who is working to solve this and trying to educate people and who is not.”

According to a state attorney at Fair Elections Legal Network, Courtney Mills, the number of voters without a driver’s license is approximately 300,000 in Wisconsin, 500,000 in Pennsylvania, and 700,000 in Texas.

The Washington Post reported that the new laws in Virginia have generated “criticism from groups that argue that the laws unfairly target immigrants and low-income voters who are less likely to have a driver’s license or other form of photo ID,” and that out of the 34 states that have passed laws requiring voters identification, “Virginia has among the strictest rules.”

Politics, US

Former Virginia political candidate indicted on murder charges

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Charles Severance, a resident of Alexandria, Virginia who had ran for political office in Virginia in the 1990’s and 2000’s, has been indicted on ten charges, including murder and weapons related charges.

The killings in question date back to 2003 when real estate agent Nancy Dunning was found murdered in the Alexandria area.  There were other murders in the surrounding neighborhoods in the following years, one as recent as February.  These killings have sparked fears of a possible serial killer in Alexandria and the encompassing areas.

Ballistics experts had found similarities between the weapons used in all three murders, according to ABC News.

Severance, 53, was identified by a caregiver, who had survived the February slaying, with the help of forensic sketch artists.  When police contacted Severance in March, he left the state but was later arrested in a Wheeling, W. Va. library, according to the Washington Post.

Severance was initially arrested on a weapons related charge since he is a felon and therefore not allowed to carry a firearm.  He had previously pleaded guilty to a 2005 felony gun possession charge.

In 1996 and 2000, Severance made a run for mayor of Alexandria, but his odd and erratic behavior caused officials to take notice.  Police at the time conducted a routine investigation after tips were passed off to them pointing to Severance in connection with the 2003 homicide, according to the Washington Times.  After the investigation, police concluded Severance was not a suspect at the time.

Prosecutors for the case say they are not planning to pursue the death penalty.  The maximum sentence Severance could therefore face is life in prison if he is convicted of the murder charges.

“This has been a complex and time-consuming investigation that has spanned almost 11 years,” said the Alexandria police in a statement.

Politics, US

VA Court Issues Warrant Requiring Teen to Pose for Explicit Photos

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According to The Washington Post, an already-shocking and controversial Virginia teen sexting case just took an even-more outrageous turn.

A 17-year-old male Manassas City, Virginia teen is facing two felony charges for creating and distributing child pornography after he was caught sexting with his 15-year-old girlfriend. Jessica Harbeson Foster, the teen’s lawyer, says that the controversy began when the teen’s girlfriend sent him an explicit photo, which he responded to by creating and sending back an explicit video of himself. His girlfriend’s mother reported the text to police, and prosecutors charged the teenage boy with creating and distributing child pornography, a charge intended for hardcore pornographers who abuse minor children. If convicted, the teen would be placed on the state’s sex offender registry, possibly for life, and could spend up to four years in jail.

The teen was arrested by police and taken to a juvenile detention center, where police forcibly took photos of his genitalia. The Washington Post reported that the teen’s court-appointed guardian ad litem, Carlos Flores Laboy, questioned the legality of police creating what he characterized as child pornography in an effort to prosecute the teen for sexting. Said Laboy, “They’re using a statute that was designed to protect children from being exploited in a sexual manner to take a picture of this young man in a sexually explicit manner. The irony is incredible. As a parent myself, I was floored. It’s child abuse. We’re wasting thousands of dollars and resources and man hours on a sexting case. That’s what we’re doing.”

However, prosecutors and police decided that the photos that they took were inadequate, as the intended purpose was to compare them with the video he sent to his girlfriend. Foster, the teen’s lawyer, indicated that Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Claiborne Richardson, representing the prosecutors in the case, demanded that the teen either plead guilty to the charges or another search warrant would be obtained for “pictures of his erect penis.” The teen refused to plead guilty to the charges, and the search warrant was issued by a court magistrate. Foster asked officials how it would be possible for police to obtain pictures of the teen in an aroused state, and it was indicated that the teen would be forcibly injected with an erection-inducing drug. An official reportedly told Foster, “We just take him down to the hospital, give him a shot and then take the pictures that we need.” Foster also indicated that a detective told her that special software would then be used to compare pictures of the genitalia.

Foster, in an effort to buy time to prevent the teen from being forced to comply with the bizarre warrant, attained permission from the judge for the teen to leave town to visit family. The judge allowed him to leave town prior to complying with the warrant, much to the dismay of prosecutors. However, Foster’s legal maneuver only hit the pause button on the invasive warrant, as the teen is due back in court on July 15.

This case has serious implications for Virginia teens. According to a recent study noted by Time, 54 percent of teens polled admitted to having engaged in sexting, which, in some jurisdictions, could result in children facing life-ruining child pornography charges. Furthermore, if Manassas City officials get their way, future teens accused of sexting could also be forced to take erection-inducing drugs and pose for explicit photos.

UPDATED 7/10, 6:00 PM CST: The Associated Press is reporting that, due to a groundswell of public outrage that arose in response to media coverage on this story, Manassas City Police Lieutenant Brian Larkin has indicated that his department is canceling its plan to take the second round of explicit photos and will allow the warrant to expire without being served.

US

Libertarian Candidate Makes Ballot, Not Debate

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The Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia will be on the ballot this fall, but Robert Sarvis is not invited to debate next month when the other two contenders face-off.

According to PilotOnline.com, Virginia State Board of Elections official said Thursday that Sarvis has been certified to be on the Nov. 4 ballot along with U.S. Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, and Ed Gillespie, the Republican challenger.
Organizers of the debate, the Virginia Bar Association, decided to only invite Warner and Gillespie to the first debate scheduled for July 26 at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.
“They are the only candidates who qualify under our criteria for invitations,” association President John L. Walker III said in an email to PilotOnline.

The group’s debate rules include only candidates that “have a reasonable chance of being elected.”
Sarvis was also excluded from the debate for governor last year. He received 145,762 votes, 6.5 percent of votes cast

Sarvis said that now that he’s on the ballot, he’ll ask the bar association to reconsider.
“I have to ask: Is 145,000 votes not significant to them? How many people watched their debate?” he said.

Featured, Politics, US

Dave Brat a Libertarian? His 23-year-old campaign manager is, and the media isn’t happy

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VIRGINIA, June 12, 2014– Was former House Leader Eric Cantor beat by a Libertarian? If you don’t know who David Brat is by now, then you are either dead, or simply pay no mind to politics. After defeating House Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Washington’s second most powerful Republican, the media wanted to know— Just who helped pull off this stunning defeat?

As it turns out, 23-year-old, Haverford graduate Zachary Werrell was the chief architect of the Brat campaign. Oh, and he’s definitely a Libertarian. Werrell just graduated Haverford last year, and this is only his second paid job in the political arena. Werrell also worked closely with Morton Blackwell’s Leadership Institute, a libertarian leaning political training power-house located just outside of Washington DC. With the campaign’s astonishing success, Werrell’s future success has been guaranteed.

However, the media isn’t too thrilled with Brat and Werrell’s victory, so they went on the attack. In a dreadful hit piece, Yahoo News accuses Werrell of making “provocative remarks” on social media.

What were these provocative remarks? One such remark:

“Should sections of States be allowed to secede from a State if they feel they are un/underrepresented in the State Government?” Werrell asked. “I say yes. I derive that opinion from our first foundational document – the Declaration of Independence. What say you?”

Well, the Declaration of Independence is a founding document, and does indeed declare that newly freed Americans maintain the right…

“That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

Yahoo then goes on to attempt to paint Warrell in a negative light for working on Congressman Ron Paul’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, being a student and fan of Austrian economics, following authors such as Lew Rockwell and quoting Barry Goldwater…

The hit piece reads:

Werrell served as a volunteer and canvasser for Ron Pauls’ presidential primary campaigns in 2008 and 2012, according to his Facebook bio, which also lists under “favorite quotations” Barry Goldwater’s famous statement: “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”

In 2012, also while he was a college student, Werrell promoted Austrian economic theory and the “sound money” policies popular in such circles. “Heck, even if this doesn’t persuade you on the merits of sound money (as opposed to a Federal Reserve Fiat Paper Money System), then at least use it as intelligent long run investing advice,” he wrote over a graphic showing the value of “Paper vs. Silver: 1996 – Today.” In his current Twitter profile, Werrell describes himself as an “Austrian Economics geek.”

Yahoo also hits Werrell for his pro-life beliefs and for questioning the existence of the FDA.

If the old adage, “You are the company you keep,” holds true, then Brat may hold many of his campaign manager’s beliefs. Although Brat has made some not-so-libertarian remarks since the victory, many of his public statements show an inner Libertarian. As to not rock the boat too quickly, it is probably safe to assume that Brat is now moderating many of his comments. Also, if anyone knows anything about Ron Paul supporters, it is that they (Werrell) are incredibly loyal to their philosophical principles and are not likely to support candidates that do not pass their litmus test.

If not a full-blown Libertarian, Brat certainly seems to be a strong conservative with a Libertarian lean. That’s good news for lawmakers like Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) who will likely rally at his side

Follow Michael Lotfi On Facebook & Twitter.

Featured, Opinion, US

Who is Dave Brat? Economics Professor, Tenth Amendment Supporter, Tea Party’s Brat Defeats Eric Cantor

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VIRGINIA, June 10, 2014– An earthquake just struck establishment Republicans in Washington DC, and no one saw it coming. The GOP’s second most powerful lawmaker, Eric Cantor (R-Va.) was just defeated by David Brat.

A few bullet-points on Brat:

  • Brat is an economics professor and has been teaching at Randolph-Macon College since 1996. The Constitution’s chief architect James Madison served on the board at Randolph-Macon College.
  • Channeling his inner James Madison, Brat says he is a huge proponent of the Tenth Amendment and returning power back to the states in order to fight Washington DC.  Madison and Thomas Jefferson both championed nullification of unconstitutional federal usurpation of power and historically referred to the Tenth Amendment as the “foundation of the Constitution.”
  • Brat first ran for Virginia House of Delegates in 2011 and lost.
  • Brat is married with two children.
  • Brat earned his bachelor’s in business from Hope College. He also attended Princeton Seminary and has a Ph.D. in Economics.


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Politics

Virginia DMV to Uber, Lyft: ‘Cease and Desist’

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With gas prices on the rise and a jobs crisis choking the economy, the popular, new, and innovative rideshare companies Uber and Lyft have been battling back against these economic issues by rapidly expanding to new markets, offering jobs with flexible scheduling to out-of-work folks with reliable cars, and introducing more transportation options for individuals in need of a ride. Since consumers can easily match up with local drivers through these services using a convenient smartphone app, rideshare companies also increase the number of sober rides available to people out drinking at bars, helping to reduce drunk driving fatalities.

However, Uber and Lyft have completely new business models that rely on technology that didn’t exist when most livery regulations were developed. As a result, the companies have had to battle onerous and antiquated regulations on a state-by-state and city-by-city level. In most jurisdictions, the companies have prevailed, but recent battles with Virginia’s state government have escalated and taken a turn for the worse. The Virginian-Pilot is reporting that, on Thursday, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles sent cease-and-desist letters to Uber and Lyft, asserting that the companies’ business models are out-of-step with state regulations. According to regulators, all drivers offering rides to the public must attain authorization from the state, except for in the case of rideshares. However, state law disallows rideshares from turning a profit in exchange for their activities.

Last April, the Virginia DMV issued a $9,000 penalty to Lyft and a $26,000 penalty to Uber for profiting on rideshares in violation of state law. The companies chose to appeal the fines and continue operating in the state. However, this new cease-and-desist order comes with a heavy-handed new threat: the DMV will expand its fines from targeting the companies in question to additionally targeting their largely cash-strapped drivers, who have been relying on income from the service to cover bills and feed their families.

Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Lane said of Uber and Lyft, “I actually like their business model in terms of giving more flexibility to the public, but there are some issues they need to work on and some laws that we need to change,” pointing out the need for policy changes to get state laws in line with rapidly changing trends in technology. However, these companies are already doing business in the state. Many Virginians are currently gainfully employed through them. Also, Uber and Lyft customers in the state have expressed concerns that too few taxis are available to deal with the community’s transportation needs.

According to NBC Washington, Uber representative Natalia Montalvo said of the order, “This decision is not in the best interest of Uber partners, who have been using the technology to make a living, create new jobs and contribute to the economy – or residents who rely on Uber for access to affordable, reliable transportation alternatives. We look forward to continuing to work with the Virginia DMV to find a permanent home for ride-sharing in the Commonwealth.” Lyft representative Chelsea Wilson noted, “Many of the current regulations surrounding taxis and limos were created before anything like Lyft’s peer-to-peer model was ever imagined.”

According to The Washington Post, both Uber and Lyft will continue operating in the state in defiance of the order. Virginia’s state government is conducting a study on web-based rideshare services and plans to publish a report sometime next year. However, this does little good for the companies’ current drivers, who already rely on rideshare income for survival.

Watch the below video for NBC Washington‘s video coverage on the issue.

US

Libertarian Party has recruited candidates for each of the state’s 11 congressional districts

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For the first time in history, the Libertarian Party in Virginia has recruited candidates for each of the state’s 11 congressional districts.

In addition to the candidates for U.S. Congress, there is also a libertarian candidate for the at-large U.S. Senate seat.

On the other hand, Virginia democrats are struggling to find candidates in the 7th congressional district to oppose House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and in the 5th congressional district to oppose republican Robert Hurt.

The Libertarian Party candidates still have to collect the minimum of 1,000 registered voters signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The deadline is Tuesday, June 10, which is the same day as the primary election. According to Virginia the liberty blog Bearing Drift, none of the candidates have finished the ballot qualification process.

Libertarian Allen Knapp told Benswann’s Joshua Cook, “You’re never going to find a candidate that you agree with 100 percent, but there is one thing that I do like about being apart of the Libertarian Party and that is what we believe in, we stick to our guns. We’re not going to say one thing, get elected and then flip flop on it. Because we can’t. It’s just not the way we are. And the way the whole two-party system has been, what’s to hold them accountable? If you’re a Republican, do you vote for the Republican candidate, and he wins, and then he flip flops. What are you going to do next election? Vote for a Democrat? No. You’re going to stick with a Republican. That’s why I like the option of a third party and look for a third party being in these races. It gives you another option, and it will hold those that are going through the election accountable for what they say.”

The 11 Libertarian Party of Virginia candidates for U.S. Congress include

1st District: Xavian Draper

2nd District: Allen Knapp

3rd District: Justin Upshaw

4th District: Bo Brown

5th District: Paul Jones

6th District: Will Hammer

7th District: James Carr

8th District: Jeffrey Carson

9th District: Matthew Edwards

10th District: Bill Redpath

11th District: Marc Harrold

Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Robert Sarvis spearheaded the recruitment initiative.

Sarvis and Redpath are the only ones who have previously sought public office. In addition to running for governor last year, Sarvis ran (as a Republican) for the state senate in 2011. Redpath, who has served as state and national Libertarian Party chairman, ran for Virginia governor in 2001 and for the U.S. Senate in 2008. The other ten are first-time candidates.

US

Breaking: Virginia Senator Stabbed By Son Who Then Commits Suicide

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Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds (D) was reportedly stabbed by his son Gus multiple times in the back and head this morning. Gus Deeds, 24-years-old, turned a gun on himself after stabbing his father in the bath. Gus was found dead at the scene. Senator Deeds is in critical condition and undergoing extensive surgery at the moment. Senator Deeds ran against former Governor Bob McDonnell (R) in 2009.

Follow Michael Lotfi On Twitter: @MichaelLotfi

Politics, US

Is The Virginia Gov. Libertarian Candidate Even A Libertarian?

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Sarvis

Robert Sarvis, the Virginia gubernatorial libertarian candidate, has been making headlines recently. Ben Swann recently reported on how Sarvis is not being allowed to appear in the Gubernatorial debate with his opponents Ken Cuccinelli (R) and Terry McAuliffe (D). This is certainly a tragedy. With Sarvis polling at 12%, those who support him certainly deserve to have their man on stage.

However, is Sarvis actually even a libertarian?

It probably depends on how you define libertarian. However, there are certain comments recently made by Sarvis that seem to offer a contrary party affiliation.

During an interview with Chuck Todd, libertarians who are concerned over Obamacare raised their eyebrows at Sarvis. With regards to the medicaid expansion under Obamacare, Sarvis says that he’d like to see the state have more policy freedom before expanding medicaid. He does not rule out the expansion of medicaid. In fact, it seems that under a Sarvis governorship, he would plan to expand the program. This is contradictory to what Sarvis’ campaign website says his position on federal healthcare expansion is. States do have the option on whether or not to expand the program under Obamacare.

According to Politico, a spokesperson for Cuccinelli says that he would not expand.“It is not a good course to expand such a tenuous system, particularly when it would require tax increases under virtually all circumstances,” said Cuccinelli spokeswoman Anna Nix. “Instead, reforms must be put into place to improve the system and ensure the quality of care in measurable outcomes for those who need it most.” The same report cites that McAuliffe would not respond.

In the same interview with Chuck Todd, Sarvis was reluctant to answer whether or not he would cut taxes in Virginia. He danced around the question and only answered that there were ways to “reduce spending”. However, Sarvis’ campaign website does state that he would cut multiple taxes.

Libertarians are huge on Austrian economics. It is perhaps one of the strongest paradigms of the party. However, when Reason questioned Sarvis about his economic perspective, he responded, “I’m not into the whole Austrian type, strongly libertarian economics. I like more mainstream economics…” He would later clarify that he feels there are many principles in Austrian economics, which serve contrary to sound policy. In addition, he feels that the school has not produced any new advances, and that others schools have provided newer, exciting theories. Perhaps Sarvis is not so far off base here. After all, economics is a science, and science must continue to advance in an advancing society.

Sarvis’ campaign website does offer a lot for those with a libertarian flavor. However, his recent comments during interviews seem to muddy the waters as to just how libertarian Sarvis is had there been a litmus test.

Regardless, the Libertarian Party of Virginia’s website promotes Sarvis as their candidate. Does it really matter? After all, Governor Gary Johnson (R) was the Libertarian Party’s official nominee last year after he bowed out of the republican nominee campaign.

Education, Politics, US

Student Faces Possible Year-Long Suspension From School For Playing With Toy Guns At Home

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Image Credit: WAVY-TV
Image Credit: WAVY-TV

Kahlid Caraballo is a 12-year-old, seventh-grade student living in Virginia Beach, VA. Kahlid and his friend, Aidan, were both playing with an airsoft gun in his yard while they waited for the school bus to arrive.

The two boys “shot” two other friends, and the school is now charging the two boys with “possession, use and handling of a firearm”.

The two young boys have been suspended from school since the incident occurred. Later this afternoon their parents are supposed to be informed whether or not they will remain suspended until next school year.

Kahlid tells reporters at Wavy-TV that he and his friends were not even at they bus-stop. “We were in our yard. This had nothing to do with school,” says Kahlid.

Tim Cook, Aidan’s father, told reporters that the toy never left private property and that what happened to his son lacks common sense.

Are toy guns firearms? Is it the school’s responsibility to probe into what children do in their own home?  Let us know below-