Antics, stunts and other poor behavior
Dick Black has some integrity issues.
Black's new career direction: Telepathic drama critic
After hearing a rumor that a Loudoun County high school drama club production concerned a young man's realization that he was gay, Dick Black sent (from Richmond and without having seen the play) an action alert asking "thousands" of supporters to tell the school board that "it is inappropriate to promote homosexuality in our public schools." Black characterized a staged kiss between two male actors as "a homoerotic sex act," and suggested that school personnel should be fired over the incident. The alert included school board chairman John Andrews' work phone number, but Black didn't even extend Andrews the courtesy of a call informing him of this action.
In fact, the one-act play "Offsides" was written and produced entirely by students as an extra-curricular club activity, the theme of the play was tolerance and the pain caused by rejection, and the description of its contents by Black was shockingly inaccurate. The play had been reviewed by the principal of the school and found to be a mature and sensitive treatment of a difficult topic. When outraged students and parents ridiculed his comments, pointing out the many factual errors in his alert, and derided him for attacking a play that he hadn't even seen, Black backpedaled. He had an aide send a reply to critics claiming that he had no direct involvement in the action alert that came from his office. That original alert was dated February 6, 2005. In a February 9 reply to a student who was involved in the production of "Offsides", his aide claims that he "did not write . . or take credit for the alert/letter." She further claims that his concern was based on a quote by school board member Bob Ohneiser in the Leesburg Today - which was published on February 8th. We're not buying it either.
Sources: Leesburg Today, Feb. 8, 2005, Washington Post, Feb. 9, 2005, Loudoun Times-Mirror, Feb. 9, 2005, Loudoun Connection, Feb. 10, 2005, Leesburg Today, Feb. 10, 2005, Loudoun Connection, Feb. 17, 2005, Loudoun Easterner, Feb. 9, 2005, Loudoun Times-Mirror, Feb. 16, 2005
Black tries to bully GMU, again
When a student group announced plans for a sexuality and health fair on the George Mason University campus, Dick Black and a few of his extremist friends went ballistic. Since he was successful last year in forcing the cancellation of a speech by provocative film maker Michael Moore, he tried the same tactic of intimidation, demanding that the administration "put a stop to this." A spokesman for GMU president Alan Merton responded that legislators could complain all they liked, but the school wasn't canceling the event.
GMU officials and student organizers explained that a wide variety of perspectives and organizations would be represented. Participating groups included Planned Parenthood, Peer Health Educators, Campus Catholic Ministries, Student Health Services, GMU Students for Life and Men Can Stop Rape; films, speakers and written material provided information on contraception, safer sex, abstinence, sexual assault, health screening for cancer, and adoption. "I'm absolutely disgusted that GMU would be permitting that kind of thing to go on," said Black. According to a University spokesperson, no parents have complained, and they have no plans to respond to Black and his friends, saying "We support what the students have organized and have been pleased with how this has turned out . . they have done a great job at organizing this event in an inclusive way. They were very responsible." Black did not attend the event, which drew over 500 students.
Sources: WUSA News, April 26, 2005, Washington Post, April 22, 2005, Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 26, 2005, Fairfax Times, April 27, 2005, Burke Connection, April 28, 2005
Black says his Senate colleagues are "aligned with elements of vice"
The day that his bill to prohibit gay and lesbian Virginians from adopting was to be voted on in the Senate, Dick Black held a press conference in Richmond with his star witness, Paul Cameron. Cameron is a completely discredited "researcher" who was expelled from the American Psychological Association in 1984 for ethical violations and has been censured by other professional organizations for misrepresenting research. Although he calls himself a sociologist, he has no professional credentials and no standing in medicine or science. The American Sociological Association had this to say about him: "The American Sociological Association officially and publicly states that Paul Cameron is not a sociologist, and condemns his consistent misrepresentation of sociological research." No legitimate peer reviewed journal will publish his work, and he has even been reprimanded by a federal court for testimony filled with "fraud and misrepresentation."
Black presented this known fraud as a legitimate expert before the Virginia Senate and the public, and continues to cite his "research" findings as if they have some basis in fact. Black also repeated Cameron's patently false claims about sexual abuse by gay and lesbian parents on the floor of the House. By making this assertion on the third reading of his bill, Black deliberately violated House rules in order to avoid a challenge to his untruthful statements.
The Senate Committee that reviewed this testimony was not fooled, and told Black that his witness had no credibility before voting to kill his bill. Black, for his part, insists that his colleagues in the Senate "tend to be aligned with various elements of vice, and so forth."
Sources: HB 2921, Paul Cameron Bio, Baker v. Wade, U.S. District Court, interview with Concerned Women for America, Feb. 15, 2005 (audio file), Daily Press, Feb. 17, 2005, Roanoke Times, Feb. 17, 2005, Daily Progress, Feb. 17, 2005, American Psychological Association
Black exposes public library patrons and employees to pornography
In spite of an overwhelming rebuke by the courts, Dick Black continued to insist that his internet filtering policy was constitutional, portraying First Amendment advocates as "proponents of pornography". In a letter to the editor (Eastern Loudoun Times, August 27, 1998), he claimed that his opponents wished to "compel our government to disseminate their vile images of rape, bestiality, and obscenity through our public schools and libraries."
Unable to demonstrate this to be true of any actual library patrons or free speech advocates, Dick Black did it himself. In order to illustrate his view that adults should be treated like children, he accessed illegal material (showing the "most extreme sexual violence imaginable") on a public library computer and walked away, leaving the material in view of library patrons. A librarian had to order him to close the site.
As part of the current Loudoun County public library internet policy, adult patrons who choose unfiltered access are required to sign an "acceptable use" agreement, stating that they will not access illegal material. Although Black signed this agreement, he may be the only patron known to have violated it.
A majority of Library Board of Trustees issued a statement in response to Black's internet porn stunt. The statement in part said that the trustees are
". . deeply saddened that Delegate Richard Black has demonstrated an irresponsible lack of concern for the very public he purports to protect by using a Loudoun County Library Internet terminal to access a site, selected solely for its shock value, as part of a staged media event . .. . It is ironic that Black, a delegate of the Virginia House campaigning for re-election, has taken the very action he warns we can expect from predators intent on harming library staff, women, and children."
Sources: The Ethical Spectacle, Mainstream Loudoun, Wired News, July 28, 1997, Washington Post, July 22, 1997
Black sends thoughtful gifts to his colleagues
In February 2003, Dick Black earned a "thumbs down" from the Loudoun Times-Mirror for sending each of his colleagues in the Senate a pink plastic replica of a fetus, along with a note containing graphic descriptions of abortion procedures and urging votes against reproductive freedom: "[Black] offended many in both parties by enclosing a small plastic fetus. Such showmanship may go well with backers, but it leads to poor representation for his constituents when he seeks support from legislative colleagues on other issues." According to the Washington Post, Republican leaders are concerned that the stunt and the focus on abortion bills has given an impression of the party as consumed by this single issue.
Black described the plastic fetus as a "little Barbie doll baby", and said that he gives them out to people all the time at his office. Other legislators didn't quite see it that way. Senate Minority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax) said it was one of the most inappropriate things he has seen in his 23 years in the Senate, House Speaker William Howell (R-Stafford) said it was "a bad idea", and even fellow ultra conservative Delegate Bob Marshall remarked that Dick Black was making him look moderate. Black went "way beyond the realm of acceptable behavior for the General Assembly," said Kenneth Stolle (R-Virginia Beach). "There will be an effort to try to send a message that there's certain norms of behavior up here and he crossed the line."
One Senator's legislative aide, who was still mourning a recent miscarriage, had the experience, thanks to Dick Black, of having the "doll baby" fall into her lap as she opened the mail.
Sources: Loudoun Times-Mirror, Feb. 12, 2003, Leesburg Today, Feb 12, 2003, The Daily Press, Feb. 5, 2003, Washington Post, Feb. 9, 2003
Black rubs salt in Virginia's Civil War wounds
Apparently pandering to his extreme right social base, Dick Black joined with the Sons of Confederate Veterans to lead a neo-Confederate movement in opposition to a planned statue of Abraham Lincoln in Richmond. This head-scratcher of a campaign included lawsuits based on obscure law "about mixing Union and Confederate monuments", allegations of fraud, and slanderous websites. An opinion from Attorney General Jerry Kilgore (R) rejected the Confederate sympathizers' opposition, with Kilgore calling them "rebels without a cause".
The statue of Lincoln was a small part of a much larger project, according to Richmond Delegate Viola Baskerville (D), which was intended "to tell the complete story of the Union and the Confederacy and the African-American story. This is a concerted effort by a lot of citizens for reconciliation in the City of Richmond." Kilgore agreed in principle, saying "I am of the belief that you cannot have a significant discussion of the history of the war without presenting all sides. Unfortunately, passions have clouded a reasoned and tolerant discussion of this era and the war."
Dick Black just gives Delegate Baskerville "heartburn." She continues, "Here is this coming from a member of the Republican Party, the Party of Lincoln . . and we have the opportunity to have a statue of Lincoln in a city that is 58% African American -- I see hypocrisy in that." Former Loudoun County Supervisor Eleanore Towe (D-Blue Ridge) had this to say: "I expect there's a darker side to the debate. We have come too far in this country to turn back to the inequities of the past. There should not be a single place where a statue of Abraham Lincoln and his words of wisdom aren't welcome."
Sources: Office of the Attorney General, Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 12, 2004, Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 28, 2004, Loudoun Times-Mirror, Jan. 14, 2003, Leesburg Today, Jan. 17, 2003, Washington Times, Jan. 31, 2003, Loudoun Connection Jan. 23, 2003
Black has tantrum over unflattering photograph
During the 2001 House race, Dick Black claimed that a photograph of him used by his opponent was deliberately distorted to make him appear as an "evil looney." The photo shows him grimacing, with a glare on his eyeglasses.
Taking his displeasure into the legislative arena, Black announced that he would introduce a bill in the next General Assembly to make it a crime for any candidate for political office to knowingly falsify a photograph. (In response, his opponent said he couldn't help it if Black was ugly.)
Source: Leesburg Today, July 22, 2001
Even "Pro-life" groups think Black makes a mockery of them
According to the group Pro Life America, "Ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran Del. Richard H. Black has made a name for himself by supporting stupid causes, and this year is no different. Last year, Black's bill to require anesthesia for fetuses prior to abortion was stopped in committee, but he plans to reintroduce it this year."
Source: Pro Life America, January 13, 2005
Black brags about manipulating his evangelical base
Dick Black's opponents have charged him with rounding up sympathetic voters with the use of dubious voter guides in evangelical churches, and even going so far as to provide transportation to the polls, accusations he has denied to reporters. However, at a Sterling party following his 1998 victory in that year's special election, Black illustrated theatrically how he won. Relying on a well-known children's nursery rhyme and hand game, he said, "Here's the church, here's the steeple. Open the doors and out come the people."
The Christian Coalition, a right wing group Black was instrumental in founding, had inserted voter guides in the church bulletins of large evangelical churches in the area, and the pastors of those churches gave their congregations carefully worded instructions similar to this one: "I do not have to tell you how to vote this morning. You know what is right. You can make your decision based on the information that you have."
Sources: Church and State Magazine, Jan 1, 1999, Leesburg Today, July 22, 2001
Black uses his position to silence speakers he doesn't like
Angered by a scheduled appearance by film-maker Michael Moore at George Mason University, Dick Black led fellow conservatives in a letter writing campaign to GMU President Alan Merton; the university backed down and cancelled the evening, for which the non-university public would have been charged admission to offset the speaker's fee they planned to give Moore. Black claimed in his open letter that the event amounted to "a get-out-the-vote effort for the Democratic Party."
A GMU spokesman explained that the school often hosts "provocative" speakers because of the university's mission to help students develop critical, analytical, and imaginative thinking. Other speakers have included controversial scholar Cornell West, conservative U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, and Margaret Thatcher.
Yet Black was silent in 2003 when state university William & Mary invited Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, to speak at a free public event. The event was cancelled due to weather. Based on Gingrich's payment to speak at a 2003 local Republican committee fundraiser, his speaker's fee for this event would have been at least $12,000.
Sources: Washington Times, Sept. 30, 2004, FreeRepublic.com, Washington Post, Oct. 1, 2004, William & Mary News
- extreme. ineffective. dick black.