Opinion

Letter: A Light on a Promise

To the Editor: It has come to my attention that those who oppose stadium lights at T.C. Williams High School are being described as “racially motivated” by some proponents of the lights. The implication is that lighting opponents are wary of people of various ancestries playing on the field after dark, something that would be possible with a lighted stadium.

Letter: Sound and Light Show on Seminary Hill

To the Editor: Once again the “fear of change” putdown is being wielded by a small group of contentious promoters who want stadium lights installed permanently at T.C. Williams’ large athletic stadium. They propose that the sound and lights would be fully amplified and lit for a variety of year-round night activities, led by football. As this is a local election year, the timing is impeccable, and our mayor is gaining some press, while once again aggravating the people who vote … throughout the city.

Letter: Sickening Obstacles

To the Editor: Gov. Terry McAuliffe did the right thing with his line-item veto of the obstacles in the budget that legislators put in his way regarding Medicaid expansion. The idea that these legislators, who are probably quite well-insured, deny Medicaid coverage to low-income working people is — well, it is sickening.

Covert Matters: World's Still A Mess

The idea that every nation and peoples of the world should be like the United States has gotten out of hand a bit. It is unnerving the nation’s able diplomats and military men and women should try to enforce such nation building. This is somewhat foolhardy.

Letter: Election Indigestion?

To the Editor: I have monitored the proposal for a meals tax which apparently was initiated by Supervisor Hyland. The Board of Supervisors (BOS) organized a committee chaired by past Chairmen Tom Davis and Kate Hanley to provide the BOS the recommendation as to whether to seek a voter referendum. The committee provided the BOS its report which did not include any recommendation regarding whether to conduct a voter referendum but provided comments intended to guide the BOS in its deliberations.

Letter: Students Need Sleep, Not SLEEP

Letter to the Editor

Column: Preventing Gun Violence

The total number of people killed by guns, suicide and accidental deaths between Newtown and December 2013 is 12,042.

Letter: Protecting Great Falls Trees

I commend the Great Falls Connection for doing everything to protect and expand the White Oaks in Great Falls [Protecting the White Oak, Great Falls Connection, June 18-24, 2014].

Column: Gov. McAuliffe—Please, Not the Richmond Way

Let’s hope that this rare potential hero figure in a leadership role isn’t expanding health care mainly for insurance industry profit and vetoing ethics legislation only to kill sorely needed reform just so that he can somehow fit in down there by doing things “the Richmond way”!

Opinion: Small Acts of Kindness

Evidence of the long-lasting effects of kindness to others in daily life.

A foster child alumni recently told me that what helps her to keep moving forward are the happy memories she has stored in her heart. Curious, I asked if she would share a few with me.

Letter: Investing in Communities

We are fortunate to live in a community that places such a high priority on ensuring that our children have the tools they need to succeed in school and in life.

Letter: Later Start Times Can Benefit Community

To set the record straight, there is nothing worse for traffic than a car crash, and sleepy teen drivers are like drunk drivers in terms of performance behind the wheel. Later high school start times are safer for teens and also for the rest of us as they have been shown to significantly decrease car crashes in young drivers.

Talking and planning are the best safety measures; SoberRide offers a safety net.

Independence Day is a national celebration, and for many, that celebration includes alcohol. The summer overall and July 4 in particular are times of greater risk for drinking and driving.

The Connection