Thursday, December 12Hampton Roads Weekly
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Politics

Krissy Unger-  Civil Discourse

Krissy Unger- Civil Discourse

Headlines, Politics
Director of Operations for Hampton Roads Weekly MPS Political Management While many will blame my millennial generation for the lack of civil discourse, they are certainly not the only generation to blame.  With the rising use of technology in our lives, it has prompted many individuals to hide behind screens.  People feel much more powerful when they can “hide” behind their computer screens.  Comments and discussion threads online have become sets of personal attacks on others.  People are more willing to speak their mind through an online post, rather than having an open conversation, face-to-face, in real life.  These viral arguers do not feel threatened or show any remorse when posting their negative opinions online.   There has been a fine line crea...
Dr. Kara Coe – Civil Discourse

Dr. Kara Coe – Civil Discourse

Headlines, Politics
Dr. Kara Coe MA, PsyD, MS Licensed Clinical Psychologist, CSOTP, CGS, CSAC, GS Fellowship/Post-Doc Training at Harvard Medical School-Dept. of Psychology Owner, The Bishopsgate Department Store Without other recourse, the American media has recently focused its lazy eye on human morality in response to many of President Trump’s decisions. A cursory Google search of “has America lost its moral compass” provides an arsenal of scathing interpretations. In an article from The Daily Caller, Christine Dolan posits “America sold its soul to fame, power, money, and celebrity long ago,” citing the Kardashian Empire as an example of our moral compass. Similarly, in The Washington Times, Cheryl Chumley writes “President Trump’s decision making, and behavior exhibit…amoral(ity)” wit...
Suzy Kelly, CEO of Jo-Kell Inc and Fmr. Vice  Mayor of Chesapeake – Civil Discourse

Suzy Kelly, CEO of Jo-Kell Inc and Fmr. Vice Mayor of Chesapeake – Civil Discourse

Headlines, Politics
When Barack Obama was campaigning for president, he said, in no uncertain terms, that he would transform this country. This made me extremely nervous as I thought America was the land of equal opportunity but not necessarily equal outcomes.  Obama’s positions on public policies, especially healthcare, were very troubling to me.  And, as a business owner, expensive!  His policies would have a significant impact on my business and our company’s bottom line.   While Obama was President, I did the best I could with the policies, taxes, and regulations imposed by his administration.  I had to come to realize that whether I liked it or not, Obama was the President.  And, yes, he was my president.  To me, it was going to be a long four years.  I had no i...
Delceno C. Miles, President, The Miles Agency – Civil Discourse

Delceno C. Miles, President, The Miles Agency – Civil Discourse

Headlines, Politics
According to definitions.net, “civil discourse is engagement in discourse intended to enhance understanding.” Kenneth J. Gergen describes civil discourse as “the language of dispassionate objectivity,” and suggests that it requires respect of the other participants, such as the reader. “It neither diminishes the other’s moral worth, nor questions their good judgment; it avoids hostility, direct antagonism, or excessive persuasion; it requires modesty and an appreciation for the other participant’s experiences.” (www.definitions.net, 8/4/19). Social media is anything but social. It has encouraged anonymous posts that are full of anger, disrespect, rancor and ignorance. Let’s have a conversation begin with sincere listening to one another’s side of the issue. Let’s thoughtfully point out ...
Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer – Civil Discourse

Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer – Civil Discourse

Headlines, Politics, Uncategorized
HRW was able to sit down for a chat with the Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer “One of the biggest problems that we have in our country is a lack of civility and a lack of respectful and effective communication.  We have become smitten with social media to the point where people don’t talk to one another anymore; they have more comfort in texting.  We have certainly lost the human touch.    I also attribute the lack of civility to social media, since this is where people feel that they can say anything online, regardless of whether or not they hurt someone else’s feelings.  We have become desensitized and ineffective communicators.   In terms of politics, people don’t trust government anymore and they feel they can say or do whatever they want in the pu...
Former Governor Bob McDonnell – Civil Discourse

Former Governor Bob McDonnell – Civil Discourse

Headlines, Politics
At age 16, Washington had hand copied 110 rules on civility and decent behavior, originally attributed to a 12-year-old boy. While some might be relegated to the arcane and silly, the spirit of the majority of the rules was the code of politeness and respect for other people. It is the essence of the Golden Rule; to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  In the words of Scripture, the second great commandment, is to love thy neighbor as thy self.   Where is this virtue in our culture and political discourse today? While it is alive and well in our churches and synagogues on Saturday and Sunday, it is possibly being administered the last rights in the civil discourse of our national politics, the media coverage, and the streets of America.  Most of us deser...
Guiding Principles for Our Nation

Guiding Principles for Our Nation

Politics
By Former Governor George Allen - -  As Americans we are blessed to live in a country that is an aspirational meritocracy where every person has an equal opportunity in life. Our forefathers fought hard to establish the basis of a free and just society based on the ideal that a democratic republic would protect our rights, deriving its just powers from the consent of the people. Many Americans are unaware that American democracy was born 400 years ago in Virginia, a full year before the “pilgrims” arrived at Plymouth Rock. This year, the Commonwealth of Virginia is working to present accurate history — sharing its authentic, inclusive history. Our complex history as Americans cannot be fully understood without examining several pivotal events in the course of human events — incl...
The Historic Virginia Beach Recount

The Historic Virginia Beach Recount

Politics
The Historic Virginia Beach Recount –  a lesson in organized chaos By Bruce Meyer The November 6 th , 2018 Election was not just about control of Congress. It was also the date citizens of Virginia Beach went to the polls to elect a new Mayor, 7 members of City Council and 6 members of School Board. When the dust settled, there were some upsets and three Council races were within a 530 vote margin out of a total of 171,361 people who voted! Not everyone voted in each race (we will get to that in little bit). At the end of the night, it looked like Brad Martin had upset the longtime incumbent, Louis Jones in the Bayside Borough. Dee Oliver looked like she had beaten incumbent John Moss for an At-large Seat and David Nygaard had upset incumbent John Uhrin in the Beach Boroug...
Legislative Update – By Senator Bill Desteph

Legislative Update – By Senator Bill Desteph

Politics
Legislative Update By Senator Bill Desteph The 2019 General Assembly is off to a fast start, as is expected of a short legislative session. A lot is accomplished in 45 days. Week 3 saw record crowds, with visitors, committee meetings, and legislative receptions adding to the excitement. It is important to stress the air of enthusiasm and camaraderie in Richmond. We are there to work together to accomplish good things for the Commonwealth.  The General Assembly provides an opportunity to go on the record, to take a stand, to do what’s right. It’s not all about the legislation we pass – it’s also about the legislation that we prevent from getting out of committee. I am proud to play a role in which laws affect the citizens of my district. There are many significant issues cu...
Legislative Update – By Delegate Glenn Davis

Legislative Update – By Delegate Glenn Davis

Politics
Legislative Update By Delegate Glenn Davis While the federal government had been shut down, our State Capitol has been open and I continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that Virginia remains open for business. This session, I have introduced fifteen bills and am the chief co-patron of seven others. This legislation covers a wide range of issues including advanced diplomas for high school vocational curricula, public charter schools, incentives for small businesses, increasing access to medical CBD treatments, health insurance protocols, and coverage for the treatment of autism. These are commonsense measures to move Virginia forward while ensuring no one gets left behind. They are consistent with my priorities as well as our shared Republican values. House Bill 2126 forces ...