People’s History: Roger Williams Arrives in Boston
Roger Williams, the godfather of church/state separation and the founder of Rhode Island, arrives in the New World on this day in 1631. Sometimes called the world’s first abolitionist, the Ocean State inventor is world famous for pretty much inventing the concept of secular government. He was just 29 when he arrived in Boston and [...]
RI’s Charter First To Codify Religious Freedom
A “lively experiment” indeed. Rhode Island’s colonial charter, which celebrates its 350 anniversary this June, “holds a unique place in the evolution of human rights in the modern world,” says Rhode Island College emeritus professor Dr. Stanley Lemons. “When King Charles II approved the Charter in July 1663,” Lemons writes, “it marked the first time [...]
Roger Williams Would Be… Roger Williams
The political opinions collected at GoLocalProv have always been a bit of a mystery to me. A lot of it doesn’t seem to reflect the city that I know, which is a pretty nice cosmopolitan city with a number of issues. Don Roach, a Brown University grad, fine. Travis Rowley always seems to inhabit a [...]
Population Decline and Progressive Witchcraft
There’s an oft repeated falsehood told in Rhode Island that is repeated enough that those parroting it no longer feel the need to justify the logic of it. This factoid goes something like this, people are leaving the Rhode Island, which proves something is dreadfully wrong (and certainly the fault of Democrats, progressives, unions, fisher [...]
Progress Report: RI Tops Region in Food Insecurity; Pension Compromise Talk; Roger Williams and Thanksgiving
We’re now the number one state in New England for food insecurity, reports the ProJo this morning. 15 percent of households in the state can’t afford the food it needs. This is a crisis of epic proportions that goes largely unaddressed because the influential class doesn’t tend to know many people that are affected by [...]
Twitter in Politics; Cicilline Responds to Tweets Today
There’s no deficit of copy dedicated to how Twitter is changing politics, such as this New York Times story from Sunday about how the micro-blogging social network platform has spawned “a revolution of sorts” in Saudi Arabia. Twitter helped me to point out to WPRO morning host Andrew Gobeil that he neglected to mention the [...]
Progress Report: Even More Riley Lies; KKK History in Smithfield; Mortgage Gordian Knot; Roger Williams
First Mike Riley was telling lies about Congressman Jim Langevin in TV commercials. Now, we’re pretty certain he’s telling lies about RI Future to other reporters. Or, it’s just another example of why Mike “McCarthyism” Riley is totally unfit to represent Rhode Island in Congress (we’ll offer more evidence of as much a little later [...]
Have You Seen the New Freedom From Religion Foundation Billboard?
The Madison, WI-based Freedom From Religion Foundation has put up a 14 by 48 foot billboard on Interstate 295 at Route 2 in Warwick. This is the first billboard by the organization in Rhode Island, but the 695th in 61 cities since 2007. Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-president, said it’s fitting that the campaign has expanded [...]
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