David J. Toscano

Attorney at Law

Blog

Delegate David Toscano

Pittsburgh, Kentucky, and Beyond

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As I sat quietly last Sunday evening during the Tree of Life memorial ceremony at Congregation Beth Israel, the only synagogue in the City of Charlottesville, my mind was flooded with images of so many incidents that preceded what occurred in Pittsburgh last week.  All mass shootings — Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Parkland, and more — are terrible tragedies, but too many of the most recent shootings, such as the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando, the massacre of a prayer group at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, the deliberate shooting of two African-Americans shopping for groceries in Kentucky last week, and the assault on Jewish worshipers in the Tree of Life synagogue, are distinguished by one additional factor.  The people killed and injured in these events were targeted because of their religion, race, or sexual orientation.

The rise in hate-related attacks in America is deeply troubling.  For example, the Anti-Defamation League reported a 57% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in 2017 over 2016, the largest spike in more than 50 years.  This sends shivers down the spines of those of us who witnessed neo-Nazis in Charlottesville in 2017 chanting “Jews will not replace us.”  The Southern Poverty Law Center reports a 22% increase in neo-Nazi groups in 2017.  Hate seems to be on the rise in America, emboldened by xenophobic rhetoric coming from Washington, DC,  and endorsed by conspiracy theorists of the internet. [Read more…]

Kavanaugh, Due Process, And Legislative Impasse In Richmond

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Few Washington events have rivaled the spectacle and drama of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. Once thought a shoe-in for the U.S. Supreme Court, the conservative judge is now embroiled in a maelstrom of accusations that include attempted sexual assault, prolific drinking, possible lying to Congress, and an insufficiently judicial temperament, all of which may eventually sink his nomination and may even threaten his standing as a sitting judge on the D.C. federal appeals court. [Read more…]

24 Words For Equality — Adopt the ERA

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Ten days ago, my wife and I attended a screening of “Iron Jawed Angels” in celebration of Women’s Equality Day. Filmed in Virginia in 2004, it tells the story of Alice Paul and her efforts to gain universal suffrage for American women in the early decades of the 20th century. Americans often see the suffragettes as privileged women in white dresses and great hats. The reality was more complex; many of these women endured considerable hardship and abuse. Women of color were involved in the fight, though the racial divisions of the day diminished their role in the historical record. The film chronicles Paul’s imprisonment and forced feeding during a hunger strike. Ultimately, Paul and her allies prevailed, and the nation added the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920, guaranteeing women the right to vote.

David Toscano with Megan Tracy, Creigh Deeds, and Alisa Hefner

At the showing of “Iron Jawed Angels,” about the effort to gain universal suffrage for American women. From left to right: Megan Tracy (board member of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters), Delegate David Toscano, State Senator Creigh Deeds, and Alisa Hefner (co-chair of the local ERA Task Force).

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Reflections on Immigration, Race, and the Week of the 4th of July.

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Almost every year since I arrived in Charlottesville in 1981, my wife Nancy and I have attended the annual July 4th naturalization ceremony at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Last week, another 67 people born in countries as diverse as Iraq and Ghana took the oath of U.S. citizenship, pledging to protect and defend our Constitution, and also renouncing “all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty….” Over the years, we have heard thoughtful or insightful speeches discussing Jefferson and his role in the founding of the country, and celebrating countless people from foreign shores who decided to take the oath and become American citizens. It is among the most inspiring events that an American can attend, largely because it links the power of Jefferson’s words with the promise of so many seeking a better life.

This week continued with two other significant events in Charlottesville, one to memorialize and remember the horrific lynching of John Henry James in 1898 as part of the Charlottesville Pilgrimage for Justice, and the following day, the LatinX picnic and Harmonia music benefit for migrant families in our area. Placing these alongside the Monticello celebration draws attention to critical fissures in our society and the work of citizens to address them.

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The Beginning of the End?

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The master of cynical obfuscation and deflection is at it again. After the disaster of the G-7 meeting in Canada, the tepid response to the North Korea Summit, and faced with continuing revelations about his allies meeting with Russians during the 2016 campaign to obtain dirt on Hillary Clinton, Trump has done it again. When in doubt, deflect attention, and the best way to do that is by exploiting an issue that galvanizes your base — immigration. Trump’s problem, however, is that he has massively miscalculated the public’s outrage about separating children from their parents at the border. [Read more…]

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123 E. Main Street
8th Floor
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Email: davidjtoscano@gmail.com
Phone: 434-960-7171

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 501
Charlottesville, VA 22902

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