Assemblyman Steve Hawley is announcing his annual Patriot Trip to Washington, D.C., taking place from Sept. 16 to 19, where veterans and their family members are hosted on a tour throughout the area to visit several historical sites and landmarks.

This year’s tour will feature stops at war memorials throughout the D.C. area including Arlington National Cemetery. The first day includes a stop at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Previous tours have included stops at the White House, the Capitol Building, Mt. Vernon, the Annapolis Naval Academy and various museums.

Participation in the trip is open to all military veterans and their family members and will cost $475 per person (includes all food, accommodation, travel, and other expenses). Those interested in participating in this year’s trip are encouraged to reach out to Assemblyman Hawley’s district office at (585) 589-5780.

“The Patriot Trip has been an important way of giving back to our veterans for years now, so after having to cancel last year’s trip, I’m elated to be able to resume the trips this year,” said Hawley. “This year will be our 14th trip, so I encourage all interested veterans to reach out to my office and join us on a trip to remember!”

“I fully support peaceful protest as allowed by our constitution and condemn any form of unlawful violence or destruction of property. I understand that many in the country are frustrated, but there are safe and legal ways to address a grievance in our system and government.

"Forcing your way into the Capitol building is the wrong way to go about it. We don’t always have to agree with each other but we should learn to get along with and respect each other. Hopefully as a nation we can learn from this and strive to do better.”

"We have our First Amendment for a reason, violence is never acceptable regardless of what you believe politically. We are a people of one nation, regardless of political beliefs."

Not so today.

We received a news release from a fellow from Buffalo, representing another fellow from Washington, D.C. They wrote to us to inform us of the up-and-coming modern Whig party.

From the release:

Founded by veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Modern Whig Party has quickly attracted 20,000 members to go along with 25 state chapters. On the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, this grassroots political movement will announce the official modern revival of the historic Whig Party. Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, with Presidents' Day officially celebrated February 16, 2009.

The Whig Party is intimately intertwined with Lincoln's legacy. This vaunted president helped build the Whigs into a mainstream, common-sense movement and in fact served as a Whig legislator. While Lincoln joined the newly formed Republican Party after the demise of the Whigs, he always maintained the rational mentality of his longtime party.
Through the hard work and motivation of recently deployed service members, the Modern Whig Party was organized to be a home for those voters who place common-sense, rational thought ahead of ideology. Like the original party of Lincoln, the Modern Whigs cater to those who subscribe to mainstream values across the political spectrum.

During the organization phase of this movement, the Modern Whig Party already is recognized as the fastest-growing mainstream political movement in the country. Thousands of moderate Republicans and Democrats have signed on. With an executive committee and national headquarters in Washington, DC, the Modern Whig Party is recapturing the longtime ideals of Lincoln as they build toward being a true party for the rest of us.

Contact: Mike Lebowitz — 571-251-1490, chairman@modernwhig.org

The Modern Whig Party
2141 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite C-2
Washington, DC 20191

For a little bit of background, here's a nugget of info from Wikipedia on the original Whig party:

Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from 1833 to 1856, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party. In particular, the Whigs supported the supremacy of Congress over the executive branch and favored a program of modernization and economic protectionism. This name was chosen to echo the American Whigs of 1776, who fought for independence, and because "Whig" was then a widely recognized label of choice for people who saw themselves as opposing autocratic rule.

My dictionary tells me that the word "Whig" is likely a truncation of the Scottish term: "Whiggamore," which was the nickname given to a band of 17th century Scottish rebels who fought against British hegemony. Cool.