Ok, here is the scenario.  A gentleman is offered a judgeship in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  So far, so good.  This guy has it all.  He was a Navy officer and fighter pilot.  He left the Navy 20 years ago and has been serving the public since as a prosecutor for the state.  He is also openly gay.

His name is Tracy Thorne-Begland.  His nomination was killed by the openly antagonistic Virginia House of Delegates last night.  One of the loudest voices raised against the nomination was Republican Delegate Robert Marshall.  Delegate Marshall’s nicest words were that the “… country was cheated out of the investment in him” when Mr. Thorne-Begland was in the Navy.  And those are the nicest words.  Those of us with long memories, remember Delegate Marshall being against everything from immigration in Prince William County, the vaginal inspection of women requesting an abortion, and the theory of personhood in Virginia.

The Honorable Delegate has done Virginians a favor by being as strident on this issue.  We all knew that Virginia never stopped fighting the Civil War.  See,  http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/lee-jackson-day-and-the-souths-continuing-confederate-fetish

Virginia is not alone in hating change and people who do not match what the State values.  Racism, hatred of homosexuals, throwing caltrops in front of women trying to get abortions are all a part of the game folks.

And all of these are just wrong.