Charlemagne Institute
"For most of his life, my friend John, 60, has lived near Richmond, Virginia. Much of that time his home was about 75 yards from the city limits, but for the last few years he has rented an apartment in Henrico County, still less than two miles from the city. He attended a private school in Richmond, used its doctors and hospitals, frequented its restaurants and bars, and attended various public events there.
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| Who in this crowd is there of their own convictions and not someone else's? |
"And now he’s done.
“ 'I’ve given money to Richmond all my life,” he said to me over the phone. “And I’m finished.' ” . . .
. . .
"For years, John has watched his beloved city fall apart under its local and state government. “Richmond is broke,” he says. “The streets and public schools are a disgrace. There are entire neighborhoods where I can’t walk safely in broad daylight.”
"What capped off John’s disgust with the place of his birth were the recent riots and the ongoing destruction of statues on Monument Avenue.
“ 'I’m not paying money to anyone who abuses what I think America should be.”
"John is also carrying his one-man rebellion beyond Virginia’s capitol city. He vows to see no more movies starring actors who have bad-mouthed the country, he’s canceling his T-Mobile account because of its campaign against Fox’s Tucker Carlson, and he gave up watching the basketball games played by the University of Virginia, his alma mater, when its 2019 championship team refused an invitation to the White House.
“ 'I don’t encourage people to visit Richmond anymore,” John says. “Some people come for the beer and breweries, but you can get beer anywhere. Some come to tour the Civil War museums and Monument Avenue, but setting foot in those places now qualifies you as a racist.' ” . . .
“ 'I’ve given money to Richmond all my life,” he said to me over the phone. “And I’m finished.' ” . . .
. . .
"For years, John has watched his beloved city fall apart under its local and state government. “Richmond is broke,” he says. “The streets and public schools are a disgrace. There are entire neighborhoods where I can’t walk safely in broad daylight.”
"What capped off John’s disgust with the place of his birth were the recent riots and the ongoing destruction of statues on Monument Avenue.
“ 'I’m not paying money to anyone who abuses what I think America should be.”
"John is also carrying his one-man rebellion beyond Virginia’s capitol city. He vows to see no more movies starring actors who have bad-mouthed the country, he’s canceling his T-Mobile account because of its campaign against Fox’s Tucker Carlson, and he gave up watching the basketball games played by the University of Virginia, his alma mater, when its 2019 championship team refused an invitation to the White House.
“ 'I don’t encourage people to visit Richmond anymore,” John says. “Some people come for the beer and breweries, but you can get beer anywhere. Some come to tour the Civil War museums and Monument Avenue, but setting foot in those places now qualifies you as a racist.' ” . . .
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