Colonial Beach, Virginia-- on Virginia's Northern Neck-- is closer to DC than it is to Richmond and people can commute to DC to work. It's part of the solidly red first congressional district, which went for McCain and Romney and in 2016 gave Trump a 53.6% to 41.2%% win over Hillary. The district PVI is a daunting R+8. Colonial Beach was founded-- as Monrovia in 1650-- by the great, great grandfather of James Monroe and George Washington was born just outside the town. It's a small town, with a median income of $31,711, and just over 3,500 inhabitants.It's part of Westmoreland County, which has its own newspaper, the Westmoreland News, which decided to report on how KKK recruitment flyers and DVDs had started appearing in Colonial Beach. And now the paper is in trouble-- well not in real trouble, but in small town trouble. Some of the readers are upset because the paper ran a Klan recruitment flyer-- racist language and all-- on the front page. It was an illustration for the story but... you know what a trigger warning? There wasn't one... and not everyone understands the difference between running a Klan flyer as advocacy and running a Klan flyer as exposure.Some residents considered it giving the KKK and its heinous ideas free ad space. "It even had the number on flyer to contact the head of the KKK," complained one reader. But the “Westmoreland News ran a disclaimer saying it "in no way condones or supports the content or message of this flyer, nor does it condone or support any branch of the Loyal White Knights, or the KKK." That wasn't enough for some, who are on Facebook calling for a boycott.
“When I look into a newspaper from my community, I expect to be informed about the happenings of my local atmosphere. I don't expect to feel threatened, belittled, and unwanted,” Facebook user J Lemar Smith wrote. “There is no problem with making the locals aware of the events surrounding these advertisements, but submitting a free advertisement on the front page is unacceptable.”Jeremy Edouard Whitfield added: “This story could have been told without promoting these lunatics. Them and any other racially biased hate group have no business on the front page of any paper. Or any page for that matter. It is utterly ridiculous that you would print something like this without thinking of the repercussions.”Colonial Beach Police Chief Danny Plott was also unhappy with the paper after admitting he was the one who handed them the flyer to help cover the story, not expecting to see it on the front page.Plott told WTVR he called the paper’s editor, Brittlynn Powell, demanding an explanation. “She explained that she wanted to put it in to show people that those of us in Colonial Beach who may think there’s not racism…I think she didn’t expect for this to blow up the way it did,” Plott said.
The congressman from the area, since 2007, is Rob Wittman, who's never had a serious opponent. Although there are 3 Democrats vying for the nomination to go up against him, none are raising enough money to mount a competitive campaign. The likeliest to win the primary is John Suddarth who's running on a progressive platform:
• "I believe single payer healthcare insurance—Medicare for all—is the best and most efficient solution"• Ban on assault weapons• "Accepting climate change and taking action to mitigate it essentially means reducing carbon emissions and preparing the infrastructure for more intense storms and a more severe climate."• "I will work diligently with both Democratic and Republican colleagues in Congress who will work in good faith want to reduce the overwhelming influence of money in politics."• "I and other progressive Democrats want to raise the minimum wage over time to $15 per hour. Someone working 40 hours per week should be able to earn a living."
