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"“The key to keeping this city black is jobs, jobs, jobs for black people so they can have a better quality of life in neighborhoods in the city."
-Marion Barry
I don't know that you can blame him. Something I credit him with is knowing his constituency. His flaws aside, I think he's an astute politician, and he can even surprise you now and again.
When he and councilwoman Alexander introduced a bill that would end DC's welfare for life policy a few months ago, I was impressed.
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Originally Posted by (-)
if salt lake city utah were of all a sudden change from 80% white/mormon to 60% black/baptist, what do you think the elected officials and long time locals would say? i'll tell you, they'd say the same thing that they said when blacks started moving into cities like Baltimore and Washington...
I think you're discounting how ridiculously polite mormons are and they already experienced a collapse of the LDS population in SLC.
Your point is taken though. Obviously discrimination of any kind is not appropriate, but it does rear its ugly head in many circumstances when a population feels threatened by a percieved 'other'.
Last edited by KStreetQB; 03-25-2011 at 12:10 PM..
Location: Standing outside of heaven, wating for God to come and get me.
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Marion Barry did some great things for the city, he did some bad things for the city. His first two terms were pretty good. His third was getting out of control. He had no power during his fourth.
Overall, he is still a smart guy but those years of drug abuse have taken a toll on his body and mind. Right now, he is more of a hindrance to his constituents than a help. He needs to gracefully bow out. If you pay close attention, you will notice that a lot of the educated constituency and young professionals in Ward 8, want him gone.
If Marion had never gotten on drugs, his legacy would be sooo much better. He would still be polarizing to a degree, (which is needed to a point) but he would have more legitimacy. He is correct about jobs though.
Location: Standing outside of heaven, wating for God to come and get me.
1,382 posts, read 3,721,032 times
Reputation: 537
Interesting Quotes
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Barry, the four-term mayor who emerged from the civil rights movement, also faulted Congress for overturning a residency requirement for local government workers in 1988. That, he said, helped build up what he called “Ward 9,” referring to Prince George’s County.
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Anthony A. Williams said that, during his two terms as mayor, he made a concerted effort to attract new residents and businesses to pay taxes and generate revenue for a city in decline.
“When you’re the mayor, you’re not God,” Williams said. “It’s very frustrating. When you’re in public service, you’re there to promote diversity and harmony, but on the other hand, you want to help your city economically. Sometimes, they come at cross purposes.”
You just proved my point. They'd have to tiptoe because they'd be crucified if they said what Barry said but replace "black" with "white".
I love the way you Pavlovically accused me of racism. Quelle surprise, but that doesn't work on me. IDGAF. When you've lived in as many countries as I have and have a tri-racial background, the race card doesn't stick too well. Try it on a 20 something college girl if you want results.
you don't play race cards my friend, you play the hand you are dealt. marion barry's statement is no more racist than the white voters who proudly exclaim "we want our country back" ala Sarah Palin, Rush, Hannity, Beck, and so on and so forth. are they racist? would i be "playing a race card" if i called them to task on their statements? is it racist for middle aged white guys to walk around with t-shirts on that read "speak english, or go home"? my friend, i know this might shock you, i being a black guy who grew up poor and all, but i've lived in quite a few countries myself, in fact i own quite a few properties in other countries. we could all be one race and we'd still find something to argue about. the blue eyes vs. the brown eyes or the short vs. the tall. sometimes i think it's just human nature to hate. i've read some of your post and some of your comments and all of that tri-racial we are all one stuff you are typing now definitely doesn't fall in line with some of the things i've seen you post previously. again, i don't play the race card i play the cards i'm dealt. you sir, played yourself by making a very unintelligent statement. good day.
Marion Barry did some great things for the city, he did some bad things for the city. His first two terms were pretty good. His third was getting out of control. He had no power during his fourth.
Overall, he is still a smart guy but those years of drug abuse have taken a toll on his body and mind. Right now, he is more of a hindrance to his constituents than a help. He needs to gracefully bow out. If you pay close attention, you will notice that a lot of the educated constituency and young professionals in Ward 8, want him gone.
If Marion had never gotten on drugs, his legacy would be sooo much better. He would still be polarizing to a degree, (which is needed to a point) but he would have more legitimacy. He is correct about jobs though.
one thing i credit barry for is that he made developers and city officials acknowledge the constituency they inherited. prior to barry, blacks and black owned businesses in dc were treated as 2nd class. there are literally thousands of grown men and women who got their start in local government due to barry's teen work initiative. again, you have to acknowledge the good with the bad when talking about barry.
marion barry's statement is no more racist than the white voters who proudly exclaim "we want our country back" ala Sarah Palin, Rush, Hannity, Beck, and so on and so forth. are they racist?
So let me get this straight, people who want to reduce government spending are racist because NAM (non-asian minorities) happen to be on the public dole at a higher rate? Really? If that's not your logic, what is?
Oh, because saying "We want our country back" (from the big government politicians, and yeah, GWB was one of them) is racist because the president happens to be black? It's such a shame so many in the black community have been trained to reactively scream raaaaaaaaaacism without a second thought. I don't care for conservative talking heads because I find them generally unintellectual (and the lefties are just as dumb, even though they pretend otherwise). That being said, I dislike race-pandering and identity politics even more.
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is it racist for middle aged white guys to walk around with t-shirts on that read "speak english, or go home"?
No, but it could be considered culture-ist or xenophobic. I actually agree with that sentiment, anyways, unless you're here on a visa. You shouldn't be granted citizenship if you cannot speak intelligible English.
So it's not a black vs. white mentality in my experience; it's DC black vs. everyone. The Ethiopian residents in my neighborhood, who are generally super nice and great neighbors, get more static than I do as a white boy in a 70% black neighborhood.
From the mayoral election to issues at the local anc meetings I go to, issues get held hostage until there is preferential and protectionist treatment given to DC's black community (my ethiopian neighbors need not apply).
New Orleans culture certainly had tense racial undercurrents that you could argue are just as, or more, socially damaging, but I've never lived in a community with more overt racism before. People tiptoe around it because DC's political deck is stacked with race cards, but it's messed up.
Hate to burst your bubble, but blacks who refuse handouts, don't ask for preferential treatment, and lift themselves by their own boots get the worse end of the deal in the city as they're seen by native blacks as uppity Uncle Toms and seen by gentrifying whites as ghetto scum or "threats" to their position. It becomes a lot worse when you're a DC native who has done the aforementiioned. Thosee individuals are truly men (and women) without a country.
you don't play race cards my friend, you play the hand you are dealt. marion barry's statement is no more racist than the white voters who proudly exclaim "we want our country back" ala Sarah Palin, Rush, Hannity, Beck, and so on and so forth. are they racist? would i be "playing a race card" if i called them to task on their statements? is it racist for middle aged white guys to walk around with t-shirts on that read "speak english, or go home"? my friend, i know this might shock you, i being a black guy who grew up poor and all, but i've lived in quite a few countries myself, in fact i own quite a few properties in other countries. we could all be one race and we'd still find something to argue about. the blue eyes vs. the brown eyes or the short vs. the tall. sometimes i think it's just human nature to hate. i've read some of your post and some of your comments and all of that tri-racial we are all one stuff you are typing now definitely doesn't fall in line with some of the things i've seen you post previously. again, i don't play the race card i play the cards i'm dealt. you sir, played yourself by making a very unintelligent statement. good day.
That was a nice tu quoque there, but how does it change whether Barry's comment is racist or not? Just because one side does it, that makes it ok? Additionally, I would point out that the elements of the tea party that spout these things tend to get called to task on them and are often called racist. I've heard them referred to as rednecks as well.
If a white Southern politician made comments stating that too many blacks are moving into the county and we need to keep the county white, we would call them a racist, correct? Please explain how this is any different.
My opinion of Marion Barry is mixed. I think that he did some good for the city in the past, but that he time has passed and that he has turned into a caricature of what he used to be.
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