Dear friends,
 
We have a very important anniversary starting this year that will roll into next year!

It’s the 250th birthday of the USA and there will be ceremonies noting every great event and sacrifice that led to the creation of the most successful nation in the history of mankind.

Virginians were the thinkers and leaders and fighters who brought about this great experiment in freedom and self-governance and it's important that our ancestors and their role be front and center as this anniversary arrives.

It’s also important that this anniversary be an actual celebration and not a leftist lamentation.

The people who want to ruin America and take it over always use events to focus on shortcomings and negatives. It’s not intellectual objectivity and open mindedness that drives this negativity- it’s a deliberate psychology to soften the connection to tradition and pride and make a take-over easier.

I want to warn against the movement to demean America on what should be a great and grand celebration that reminds our people why we are here and what’s worth fighting for.

At our upcoming Virginia Council meeting on Thursday, March 6th, we will hear from Cheryl Wilson, one of the key figures in planning the celebrations all across Virginia. Please RSVP for free here to join us.

I’m excited to look back on our great and successful journey to that fabled “more perfect union” and work and aspire for an even better society in the next century.

And also, please get your tickets to hear Mike Emanuel the Chief Washington Correspondent from FOX News at our Virginia Forum on March 20th! Tickets are available here.

God Bless America!
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John Reid
Founder of The Virginia Council

Get your tickets today for our next event! 
Mike Emanuel
March 20, 2025
at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center
VIP Reception begins at 5:45pm
Program Begins at 7pm with doors opening at 6:15pm for General Admission ticket holders.
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Want to know more about Mike Emanuel??
 
Mike Emanuel currently serves as chief Washington correspondent for FOX News
Channel (FNC). He joined FNC in 1997 as a Los Angeles-based correspondent.
Emanuel also anchors FOX NEWS LIVE on Sunday afternoons at 1pm and was in
the chair during an historic moment in the 2024 campaign. It was Sunday, July 21st
when President Biden suddenly dropped out of the campaign and Emanuel had it
first on Fox.
Previously, Emanuel provided the latest breaking election news from Washington,
DC during FNC’s Democracy 2020 election coverage.
Additionally, Emanuel has covered both the House and Senate proceedings
surrounding both impeachments of President Donald Trump, lawmakers passing
tax reform, the confirmation hearings for the Trump and Biden Cabinets, and the
confirmation hearings for President Trump’s three Supreme Court nominees.
He also covered Secretary Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. In his
role, Emanuel has reported on key congressional races, the IRS scandal, the
hearings surrounding the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya attacks and President
Barack Obama’s 2012-2016 State of the Union addresses from Capitol Hill, among
other events. 
Come hear him speak about how the Washington D.C. press will cover the exciting and historic second term of President Trump in 2025!

Virginia Election Updates:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Virginia Assembly, Senate & Governor updates:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Humpty Dumpty’s Theorem and
Lessons in Political Demagoguery
By Scott Daniels, PhD
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In a scene from Lewis Carroll’s fairy tale, Through the Looking-Glass,[i] Alice and Humpty Dumpty have a sophisticated exchange on the role of language. Their exchange captures much of what has been called, “our contemporary moral confusion,”[ii] especially in the realm of political argument. Humpty Dumpty declares that the meaning of words in everyday language rests with the speaker’s arbitrary and unaccountable use:  
“‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.’
‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’ 
‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master – that's all.’”

Let’s call Humpty’s manipulative use of language “Humpty Dumpty’s Theorem.” Lines like these tempt us to think that Carroll was a political satirist. He wasn’t.  But who could resist the parallels to today’s polarized political jungle, especially to hear the Democrats wail against a fairy tale legislation of their own making?
The purpose of the Veterans War Memorial Protection Act is to prescribe a peaceful and more democratic approach to removing a veteran war memorial.  Not surprisingly, anti-confederate opposition to this proposal purposefully misrepresented the purpose.  A consensus objection emerged to desecrating the Confederate War memorials during 2020-2021 directed more narrowly at the militant means of their destruction.  Moral outrage was palpable on all sides.  But the multicultural protagonists’ irreverent disposal, more so than the removal itself, galvanized the focus of criticism against their desecration. It is the legal condition that made possible the destruction of Monument Avenue by the left – like the provocations from the extreme right leading to the destruction of the Lee monument in Charlottesville – that we sought to address in the proposed legislation.
The Virginia Council supported legislation to address the removal of veteran war memorials (monuments and markers) of all 15 wars identified in The Code of Virginia (Code).  It did not address deliberation for erecting war monuments, nor the particular significance of the monuments regarding their symbolism of personal or social ideals.  More recent memorials could have a 40-year life.   Memorials older than 40 years (e.g. Revolutionary or Civil Wars) as is the case for all memorials evaluated for removal would be subject to a mandatory referendum requiring a favorable motion from two-thirds of the voters. Local leadership could affirm or reject the election with a two-thirds majority.
Not surprisingly, the proposal did not survive committee support in either chamber of the General Assembly. Democrats were hostile, and Republicans appeared disinterested. However, we are deeply appreciative that Sen. Sturtevant (SB1429) and Del. Williams (HB1884) sponsored the proposal. The Democrats demagogued the bill. Moreover, there is a remarkable pattern to their oral criticism. Let’s consider them briefly by clicking here to read the entire op-ed.
 
[i]Carroll, Lewis.  Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There (Philadelphia: Henry Alters Company, 1897), p. 123.  Access at Google Books, 8/22/2018.
[ii]Mitchell, Basil. Morality: Religious and Secular: the Dilemma of the Traditional Conscience. Oxford : Clarendon Press ; New York : Oxford University Press, (1980).

The next Virginia Council monthly meeting will be on THURSDAY, March 6 at Park Lane Tavern.  
Cheryl Wilson, who serves as the Executive Director for the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, will join us to discuss the exciting celebration planned for 2026.
The Commission, which was created by the General Assembly for the purpose of planning for and commemorating the 250th anniversary of Virginia's participation in American independence will be active through 2031.
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The next Virginia Council monthly meeting will be on THURSDAY, March 6 at 12 noon at Park Lane Tavern.  
 
Cheryl Wilson serves as the Executive Director for the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission.  The Commission is composed of legislative leaders, tourism and economic development officials, historians, and experts across a wide spectrum.
Cheryl's background in planning and executing historic celebrations in the Commonwealth is unsurpassed. She served as the Executive Director of the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission From its creation in 2006 to its culmination in 2015.
 
Please join us for a very special update from Cheryl Wilson on Thursday, March 6 at noon. 
 
The VA250 Commission has chosen “To Form a More Perfect Union” as its theme. Our overarching goals are:
  • to educate Americans, including our students, about our history, our founding ideals, and our system of government;
  • to engage with every community and every Virginia locality in events that tell a complete story; and
  • to inspire us all to commit to the values inherent in American citizenship.

Articles, News, & Quotes: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Interviews of Interest

The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Liberty
 
 
 
 
 
(9) EKO on X: "THE 1776 PROPHECY" / X "As we approach the 250th anniversary of our independence," the report challenged, "we must resolve to teach future generations an accurate history of our country so that we all learn and cherish our founding principles once again."
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The Virginia Council has been blessed with unwavering support from the community since its founding a few years ago. And we decided to add some new ways to thank you for your ongoing assistance in our efforts to educate and inform Virginians.
 
"Announcing The Virginia Council membership reward program. 
Sign up today on our website for the various levels of support!"
 
  • Member level: Simple membership is free when you sign up for our email newsletter or attend a monthly meeting.
  • Liberty level: For an annual contribution of $100 you get the newsletter, access to our monthly meetings and a commemorative Virginia Council lapel pin.
  • Patriot level: When you step up to make an annual contribution of $250 you receive first access to tickets to our annual Christmas and Patriot Parties, the commemorative Virginia Council pin, and the newsletter and monthly meeting access.
  • President's Council level: For a commitment of $1000 you receive the newsletter, access to our monthly meetings, 2 lapel pins, 2 invitations to both of our annual parties, and 2 VIP tickets to one Virginia Forum lecture of your choice.
  • We hope you'll find these rewards an added incentive to help fund our efforts to restore a full view of Virginia's history, monuments & role that government plays in our lives.
We appreciate all your support and encouragement and look forward to bringing you more compelling voices of liberty, freedom, and conscience over the next year. 
To become a Liberty, Patriot, or President's Council member, please make a contribution here.
 
To volunteer, click here.
 
The Executive Board of the Virginia Council
 
If you are interested in donating appreciated securities, we now have an account to make it easy for you (see the information below). 
Contact us HERE for more details.
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The Virginia Council
Preserving Virginia’s history and creating a more prosperous future for all Virginians. 
 

Stay Hopeful. Stay Connected.

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P. O. Box 5
Manakin-Sabot, VA 23103, United States