JOHN LUCAS: A Tale of Two Rallies. “This weekend I attended two rallies in Richmond, Virginia. Both claimed to support freedom for the Iranian people. But, to borrow further from Charles Dickens’ contrasting images of Two Cities, one stood for darkness with a platform of hatred, anarchy and antisemitism. The other symbolized light, even wisdom. One exuded despair; the other marked an unprecedented alliance that bore hope for the future.”