They Get Letters

Virginia's News Leader, the paper of the Central Shenandoah Valley prints letters to the editor:

Congressman Bob Goodlatte wants to "run these Democrats right out of town" (by sundown?), according to Saturday's News Leader. I don't know what town Goodlatte has in mind, but if it's Staunton, he'll have a hard time. Half the folks here vote Democratic — in other words, if Goodlatte doesn't mean to run you out of town, it's the guy next to you. And he's supposed to represent us all?

Actually, the only person run out of Staunton lately appears to be junior Sen. George Allen.

Allen was scheduled to visit Staunton Friday to meet economic development officials and businesspeople. He never showed his face on Beverley Street.

His spokesman said, "There wasn't anyone specific he was meeting." Tell that to Staunton's mayor, city officials and business leaders who were standing on the steps of City Hall. Tell that to merchants who had been told he would visit their stores.

Readers can safely blow off the spin from the Allen party about schedule delays and "crowds" elsewhere — the word on the street from the media, a member of the official greeting party, and a small band of Allen supporters was that Allen didn't come because of a group of demonstrators.

There were six costumed demonstrators peacefully assembled along Beverley Street, four depicting key issues (minimum wage, affordable health care, political contributions by Big Oil, and the Iraq war) and a giant monkey and a giant banana decrying racism. The junior senator who tells us how he stands up against Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, and Iran's Ahmadinejad won't walk the same street with six (not 60 or 600) peaceful demonstrators? Just maybe we need to think about getting a new junior senator.

Reportedly, Allen will be back in October. I hope he'll bring Sundown Bob and they'll be willing to talk with all the people they represent. Maybe Allen will feel safer if he rides his horse, but city ordinances require that he clean up his manure after him.

Staunton

RAYMOND FIREHOCK


Originally published August 29, 2006