Michael R. Shannon's Past Articles

215 articles

Penn State: A Season in Purgatory

published: July 22, 2012

On Saturday, September 8th, the University of Virginia has a once–in–a–lifetime opportunity to demonstrate how an institution obeys the same honor code that governs its students. ...

Participants Revolt Against The Derecho Project

published: July 15, 2012

It’s unfortunate The Derecho Project — the largest urban global warming mitigation experiment in history — has proven to be an abject failure. Really a shame, too since the projec...

Refresh My Memory; Is Justice Kennedy the Wobbly One?

published: July 09, 2012

Last Thursday dawned bright and clear. It was shaping up to be a great day for conservatives. More than one observer — waiting for the Obamacare decision outside the Supreme Court — not...

Please, Don’t Let Another Congressional Staffer Go to Bed Hungry

published: July 04, 2012

In some corners of elite opinion working on Capital Hill means one is laboring in the political equivalent of Wal–Mart. Hill workers have their pity while toiling in a crowded ideologyshop fo...

All Massachusetts People Look Alike to Me

published: July 03, 2012

When I first read that Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (D–Noblesse Oblige) had been recruited to play the opponent during practice presidential debates, I considered it an inspired choice. The...

South of the Border, Down Washington Way

published: July 01, 2012

Here’s an outrage: sleazy government officials approach a major business interest and want to enter into “negotiations.” The officials casually mention, “You’ve got a ...

Wisconsin Police: Volunteering for Defeat

published: June 24, 2012

There has been much discussion of winners, losers and the effect on public employee unions elsewhere in the US after the failure to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. But there has been little com...

Do You Hear a Droning Sound?

published: June 17, 2012

When Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell casually mentioned during a radio interview that he supported the use of “military–style” drones by law enforcement it sparked an immediate uproar...

Unelected, Unaccountable Boards Like Spending Your Money

published: June 10, 2012

It’s been a rough few weeks for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority that manages airports in the Washington, DC area and coordinates board member travel to luxury destinations. MW...

Democrats Undermining Defense for Over 200 Years

published: June 03, 2012

Stephen Budiansky — author of Perilous Fight: America’s Intrepid War with Britain on the High Seas, 1812–1815 ­— has written an excellent book that inadvertently reveals...

Nine out of ten journalists say, “Guilty!”

published: May 30, 2012

Good news for Neighborhood Watch celebrity, George Zimmerman. The Associated Press reports that in 23 years only 2,000 people have been exonerated after being wrongly convicted of a serious felony....

Two Grooms Does Not a Marriage Make

published: May 21, 2012

John Hawkins, proprietor of Right Wing News, recently selected his favorite quotes from C. S. Lewis. One has a great deal of relevance with regard to President Obama’s recent embrace of homos...

Clogged traffic arteries are genetic

published: May 13, 2012

Police in Prince William County, VA just released a list of the most dangerous intersections and I discovered that on a single trip to Chantilly I managed to drive through the most dangerous inters...

Obama’s end zone dance

published: May 07, 2012

It’s not often I agree with Sen. John McCain (R–Ego), but his description of Obama’s Osama commercial is apt. “No one disputes that the president deserves credit for orderin...

Is this house big enough to hold my ego?

published: May 02, 2012

Even a property–rights conservative must admit it’s always an ominous sign when a prospective neighbor decides to give his soon–to–be–constructed house a name. There&r...;

Next Stop: The White Elephant’s Graveyard

published: April 22, 2012

Virginia just avoided a state–sized version of the popular “government shutdown” crisis. Democrats had twice defeated the budget in Senate votes and it looked like the usual hosta...

Mike Wallace in the hot seat

published: April 15, 2012

The journalism establishment exemplified, by the MSM (mainstream media), does not believe in American exceptionalism. That’s reserved for the rubes in flyover country. Their admiration is res...

Teachers suffering from paycheck ADHD

published: April 11, 2012

There’s been a great deal of upheaval involving teacher’s unions over the last year. There was and is great drama in Wisconsin where teacher’s and their Democrat lackeys in the le...

The only thing George Zimmerman didn’t do is play lacrosse.

published: April 02, 2012

Neighborhood Watch celebrity George Zimmerman graduated from a high school not too far from where I live in Virginia. I certainly hope he made it to the 10–year reunion of the Osbourn Park Cl...

Preacher Goes Wild in Virginia Beach

published: March 23, 2012

Periodically there’s an eruption in Virginia Beach that catches us off guard. Much like a dormant volcano will occasionally demand attention, Pat Robertson grabs headlines by making an off&nd...;

Teachers Suffering from Memory Loss

published: March 18, 2012

It’s been a busy week on the education front in Virginia. The General Assembly, concerned about academics and discipline, defeated the “Tebow” bill that would have allowed homesch...

Democrats vote to keep a minority in the shadows

published: March 11, 2012

There is an underground society in today’s America. These invisible people pay taxes just like the rest of us, but are ostracized because of their background. The promise of America is denied...

Smile, you’re on vaginal camera

published: March 02, 2012

Virginia Senate Democrats are still complaining about their loss of power after last year’s election resulted in a 20 to 20 tie. This gave control to Republicans since Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling c...

Republicans: still searching for a fight they can win.

published: February 24, 2012

Rep. Frank Wolf (R–VA) and I disagree on term limits. I’m a firm believer in 12 years and you’re out — while Wolf is an advocate of the 30 years and counting philosophy. (Un...

Judging Presidential Timber at CPAC

published: February 19, 2012

Friday’s session of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was crucial for Republican presidential candidates, but it started with an audition for Vice President. Our own Gov. B...