Lawd, Lawd, Sunday is supposed to be a day of peace and tranquility but Ive been fighting since 2:30 a.m. Thats when I found out that Marion Barry passed and the vile, hateful, inappropriate remarks began filling my news feed. Marion Barry was no saint; nor did he ever claim to be one. His vices were well-known and the cause of a significant blot on his legacy, which cannot be denied. But his moral flaws are not what this man should be judged by. Nor is it appropriate to use his downfall as the lead into a story on his death. Prior to Barrys election, Washington, D.C., was a colonial, southern outpost which just happened to be the Nations capital. It was governed by a board of commissioners until the riots and then we were given an appointed mayor, Walter Washington, an honorable man, who did exactly what he was put in place for. And then along came the community organizer, civic activist, who began a small organization, PRIDE, Inc. Washington was never the same. Under Barry, Washingtons political arena, city landscape, and economy changed, grew, and prospered. K Street, as you know it today, did not exist. Thank Marion Barry. His summer jobs programs for the youth and improved services for the elderly are legendary. Minority contractors were able to successfully gain entry into a field which had been closed in perpetuity to them. Washingtonians know this. The nation only knows his flaws. The remarks from the bumpkins are infuriating, particularly when so many have fled their hometowns to enjoy the benefits of and quality of life in D.C., which Barry worked so very hard to deliver. Take a moment to educate yourself on his service. Ill be here, fighting for the rest of the day, while you bring yourself up to speed. To Marion and his family, Your life was not in vain.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 21:05:44 +0000
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