Bob Marshall - Resign Now!

Sign the Bob Marshall - Resign Now petition. Then take one more step and contact him directly and let him know his comments were disgusting and, instead of blaming the media, he should apologize and resign from office. Bob Marshall is a embarrassment to not only his district, but the entire state. More details and contact information is here.

Tell Bob Marshall to resign

By the time I got this post up, the news is old, but the disgust only grows deeper and the stomach churns with bile. In case you are one of the few who hasn't heard, Delegate Bob Marshall, R-Manassas, stated at a press conference where he opposed funding for Planned Parenthood:

The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children... in the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There's a special punishment Christians would suggest.

An absurd and cruel statement that lays bare his dark heart, Delegate Marshall should immediately resign his office. As a truly classless individual, he won't do that without some encouragement. Perhaps we can provide some:

• Marshall's legislative email address is: DelBMarshall@house.virginia.gov
• His Richmond office phone is: 804-698-1013
• His cell # is 703-853-4213
• Take the elevator and find him in Room 809 of the General Assembly Bldg.
• His district office address is PO Box 421, Manassas, VA 20108 and the phone/fax is 703-361-541
• Contact page on his website: http://delegatebob.com/contact
• Contact Pat Mullins, chair of the Virginia GOP at 804-780-0111, fax 804-343-1060, or visit the contact page of their website: http://www.rpv.org/about/page/contact-us-form
• Contact Governor Bob McDonnell and let him know how disgusted you are with his friend and ally. The Governor's contact info is here: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Contact.cfm

Bob Marshall has been one of the most out-of-touch and reactionary legislators in the General Assembly - an embarrassment to not only to his district, but the entire Commonwealth. It is past time for him to go.

Private birds

Governor Tim Kaine has signed HB 1587 (Marshall) and SB 1431 (Cuccinelli) that prohibit the state from complying with provisions of the federal Real ID Act that compromises individual privacy rights by collecting biometric and financial data from citizens. Virginia is the 22nd state to pass legislation rejecting parts of Real ID. This law requires states to issue IDs, approved by the U.S. Government, for any person wishing to board commercial aircraft or go into federal facilities. The confidential and personal info required for the ID would be stored in a federal data base - we'd be vulnerable to identity theft and other invasions of personal privacy.

The sponsors, Delegate Marshall and Senator Cuccinelli, are two of the most conservative members of the General Assembly. This issue has united Americans of all stripes - conservative, liberal, and moderate. It is interesting to this bird that Marshall and Cuccinelli probably can't find "privacy" in the United States Constitution, they DO find privacy rights important in this instance. However, ask them about privacy rights when it comes to reproductive rights!!

But, back to Real ID. For more information about Real ID and its "Big Brother" consequences, check out the ACLU's Press Release. To thank Governor Kaine for signing the bill, click here.

In a related story, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles announced it is changing drivers licenses to include enhanced security features required by Real ID. Among the changes are black & white laser engraved photos, raised lettering, shades of various colors, and a hologram of the official seal of the Commonwealth that can can only be seen under a black light. The new security features are supposed to make licenses tamper-proof and help prevent forgeries. Where did I read that the bad guys are always two steps ahead of the government?