Hero or Zero?
September 22ND
Welcome to Progress Virginia’s Zero or Hero, a weekly, unapologetically progressive take on this week’s heroes and zeros in Virginia politics. Check out this space every Friday, and Tweet us or post to our Facebook to nominate your own heroes and zeros.
Like this? Please share!
Hero: Anonymous Heroes at the Capitol
What would you do when confronted by Confederate flags on your way to the State Capitol? For one woman, she wasn’t about to let them just stand there without getting an earful.
This November 7th, there’s an election—the Governor and the House of Delegates will influence the monuments throughout the Commonwealth, and also the “non-bronze monuments”—like systemic wage inequality, police profiling and brutality, and institutionalized racism. Are you registered to vote?
Zero: Clara. Belle. Wheeler.
Clara Belle Wheeler is the vice chairwoman for the Virginia State Board of Elections—but hopefully not for much longer. Recently, The Winchester Star reported some rather alarming things Wheeler said about everyone’s right to a free and fair election—namely, that not everyone should have that right.
She reportedly actively engaged in partisan politicking at a recent Republican Women’s Club meeting, advocating for the election of members of one political party over another.
This doesn’t seem like the impartiality that someone who is responsible for overseeing free and fair elections throughout the Commonwealth should have. Um, conflict of interest anyone??
Clara Belle Wheeler is our Zero this week because we—like you—actually believe in free and fair elections.