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Just when you think you’ve heard it all By Melody Kinser Managing Editor hen it comes to West Virginia politics, nothing surprises me. Well, that was until Gov. Jim Justice and Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. invited Virginia counties that are against proposed gun laws to secede and become part of the Mountain State. Without having done any polling, I’m pretty confident that Democrats taking control of our state sparked some outrage in other states. There was a time, however, when Democrat was “the” party of West Virginia. I was born and raised in West Virginia and remained there until I was almost 49. Democrats were in control when I headed to Virginia. The tide turned in 2016 when Donald Trump
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rolled through the Mountain State to victory. At the time, coal miners wanted to believe the industry could be revived (still hasn’t happened), so they put their trust in Trump. So, let’s get back to the secession proposal. With a Republican-led Legislature (House of Delegates and Senate) in Charleston and Falwell leading a university based in Lynchburg, Justice and Liberty’s leader put out the welcome mat for Virginians, especially those with concerns about the Second Amendment and pro-lifers. I am not anti-gun. As I’ve written before, I grew up in a house with handguns and rifles. My father was a decorated marksman in the military. Yet, the discussion about making Virginia safer merits our attention. Too many innocent children are being killed. Contact your senators and delegates, as well as the governor, with your opinions.
Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I try to look toward compromise. It seems Frederick County found its way onto the radar, but apparently there was no enthusiasm for becoming part of West Virginia. Having worked at The Winchester Star for three years before arriving in Hanover County, I’m very familiar with Frederick County. I don’t see any benefit for that county to head into West Virginia territory. I’ll admit West Virginia was an OK place to grow up -- but that has changed significantly. Crime, drug use, unemployment, illiteracy. I could go on regarding the sad aspects of life in West Virginia. The reality is that Virginia is a better state with development and opportunities. As a matter of fact, Hanover County is a shining example of those positives.
In the cold days of winter, my mind wanders south By Jim Ridolphi Contributing Columnist Daphne Du Maurier once wrote, “We can never go back again, that much is certain.” The obscure quote immediately jars memories of the places, people or things to which I’ve pledged a return, a promise mostly unfulfilled as a lifetime passed and presented new challenges.
How many times have you been in the perfect spot on the perfect vacation and thought: “I’d like to return to this place someday”. At the moment of utterance, it seemed impossible that you could live decades and not return to that location that provided respite, peace, tranquility that represented an escape from the rigors of everyday life. But, how many of those places
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The Mechanicsville Local
February 12, 2020
got that return visit, and how many of those memories are just reminders of a place or time when life seemed almost perfect? In actuality, most of these experiences are one offs, and a second trip to your most beloved spots or moments is usually more akin to a dream, or a slot on the proverbial bucket list. So, given the opportunity, what
place or time would you revisit if given the opportunity? Can you remember that one moment, or day, that captured perfection and filled one with a joy or tranquility that for the years that followed, seemed illusive or lost. Most of those memories for me involve years past when the Florida Keys provided that lost sense of parasee SOUTH, pg. 8
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Inclusion education should be simple in our schools Contributing Columnist Jim Ridolphi wrote an excellent editorial on inclusion (1/29/2020) at a time when Hanover County needs to hear the message. His discussion of the research as well as his personal story about the benefits of inclusive education should be received as what is achievable when inclusion is a mindset and not a place. If I had to challenge Jim, it would be his statement that “... the real benefits of the innovative programs are the students who leave school with a better understanding of how the world actually works ....” Inclusive education is not a program. We cannot buy an inclusion package and have all students leave our schools better citizens. “Inclusion is simple” (and right) in concept, yes, but our culture of education is such that it is far from simply existing in our schools, and, therefore, our communities. I am the parent of a student with a disability who sometimes exhibits challenging behaviors. I also am employed in the county as a substitute teacher and instructional assistant. I understand the concerns that teachers and parents of students in this county are witnessing in some classroom environments. I have seen them first-hand. But, because all behavior is communication of some sort, I also know that not all students are fully understood either (whether disabled, dealing with mental health issues, trauma, bullying, challenging home environments, etc.). How are we investing in these young lives that are going to allow them to see their skills, their abilities, their value? We learn from being in commusee LETTERS, pg. 8
