Opinion

Those who gave all

Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

They left behind mothers and fathers and siblings, husbands and wives, daughters and sons. Their families continue to mourn this Memorial Day, a holiday set aside to remember those who died in combat while fighting for the freedoms and ideals of the United States of America.

Honoring a son and a father for Memorial Day

Sun, 27 May 2012 05:18:44 -0400

By Rusty E. McGuire I remember my father's struggle when I told him I had volunteered to serve in Iraq. His memory of friends who did not return from Vietnam consumed his thoughts, but he simply supported me. Now, as a father myself, I understand it is not that simple.

'All she did was say yes!'

Sun, 27 May 2012 05:18:39 -0400

By Jacey Eckhart Before Air Force 2nd Lt. John Avrett and fiancÃ©e Meghan Kinney ever won the "Salute To Love" dream wedding contest, the fairy tale elements of the story were already in place. Danielle Steel and Nicholas Sparks together could not have dreamed up a story this good if they were locked in a Hallmark shop.

The nature of political campaigns

Sun, 27 May 2012 05:18:29 -0400

Civility plays a critical role in good, effective government, but historically, it's not often found in campaigns. That's been clear since at least 1800, when President John Adams' supporters smeared his challenger, Thomas Jefferson, as a radical, immoral atheist. Jefferson's supporters countered with claims that Adams was a tyrant looking to reunite with the British.

Fixing our forgettableness

Sun, 27 May 2012 05:18:15 -0400

Words mean something. So do names. "Hampton Roads," no matter how we try, just doesn't. Not outside of this region. Not yet. The question, as we spasm through one more identity crisis, is whether it ever will. And if this region can't agree on a simple thing like a name, what hope is there for agreement on the tough stuff?

Gay marriage: Make it legal

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

How much government do Americans want? Like so much in our public life, the answer is complex and often founded not on principles but on petty politics. That's too bad, because the answer should guide much of our public lives. Instead, America's policy debates hinge on logical and philosophical pretzeling.

War can claim veterans who make it home safely, too

Sat, 26 May 2012 20:31:16 -0400

I first saw her at my grandmother's funeral. Tall, plain, dressed in black, she stood by herself at the rear of the cemetery throng.

Needless tangle over school videos

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400

In their eagerness to ensure they're abiding by privacy laws, Chesapeake school officials are unnecessarily complicating efforts to protect students and staff.

On our existential beach

Fri, 25 May 2012 21:36:03 -0400

Riiing. Riiing. Riiing. "Jean-Paul Sartre Marketing and Public Relations. 'We bring nothingness to being.' Al Camus, speaking. How may I help you?" "I'm calling from the Hampton Roads Regional Task Force Partnership and Coalition to Rename Hampton Roads Again." "You've called us before?" "No. Why do you ask?"

Retail business blasts classical music at loiterers

Fri, 25 May 2012 21:34:09 -0400

Rarely are we treated in public to music by Beethoven, Mozart or Liszt - not for free, anyway. The artistry of such classical composers tends to be a staple of public radio, high-brow opera houses or intimate gatherings. Until now.