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For anyone that's interested there's a decent documentary about Barry up on Netflix Instant. I watched it the other night because I was curious about him and how he's managed to maintain such support from his constituents. It gives a good historical overview of his life in public office beginning in the late 50's and 60's.
I can answer your question! Lately he hasn't done anything positive in my eyes but rewind back 40 years ago, Barry came along when there was a lot of racial tension as blacks looked to gain equal footing with whites in a multitude of industries, government as well as the private sector.
Barry empowered a lot of black people in the city and he also helped a lot of black businesses by ethical and unethical means. Some of the same things the "good ole boys club" was doing in politics, Barry was able to do with minorities. He was a voice when a lot of people didn't have a voice. Is he a crook? By all means yes, but at one time, he represented so much more to DC.
The older generation loves him because they remember the good times. My generation (30-40's) remembers summer youth jobs for everyone but he we also remember the drug scandals and poor city services and the Control Board oversight. I can keep going on and on. In the end, he was more of a thorn to progress in the city. Thank god, Anthony Williams came along to set the ship straight.
Thank you for answering the question. I think that puts things in perspective.
I can't google your opinion. That's what the answer is based on. Everybody will have different answer or none at all. So for the third time let me ask you, what do you think he has done for the city?
^ he gave kids summer jobs as well as jobs to many adults when he was mayor.
he helped black businesses stay in dc. he cut the budget. he made the
goverment work more efficient. he created a 13 million dollar surplus during his first term. he is
a stand up guy. his rights overweigh his wrongs tenfold at least. that's why people keep putting him on the city council because of his competence i guess.
you could say he tarnished dc too because of all the scandals
and the drug problems, if you want to focus on negative things
about him only. other than that, I don't see what is so bad about
him. he's never sold out washingtonians.
^ he gave kids summer jobs as well as jobs to many adults when he was mayor.
he helped black businesses stay in dc. he cut the budget. he made the
goverment work more efficient. he created a 13 million dollar surplus during his first term. he is
a stand up guy. his rights overweigh his wrongs tenfold at least. that's why people keep putting him on the city council because of his competence i guess.
you could say he tarnished dc too because of all the scandals
and the drug problems, if you want to focus on negative things
about him only. other than that, I don't see what is so bad about
him. he's never sold out washingtonians.
Thank you for finally answering the question. I can understand some of your points especially with getting people jobs, but isn't that what he was elected to do? How can the good things outweigh the bad when he was simply doing what he was hired to do? If he didn't bring jobs or any of those things, most people would say that he didn't do his job, right? Also do you not think that elected officials should be held to a higher standard? How do you expect them to govern people to follow the laws if they aren't following them, themselves?
I know a few people that partied with Barry back in the 80's. These people are around my mother's age and are mostly females. They always told me that drugs and alcohol were present at his parties and Barry was very charismatic as well as a complete womanizer. He was also very loyal and insecure because he wasn't a born and bred Washingtonian. Even though he was mayor and a part of the in crowd, he always felt like the people (elite AA's) here viewed him as a bumpkin because he was from down south. So Barry went above and beyond to prove that he belonged but deep down, he was always insecure. Still is. He wears it like a badge of honor.
^2 i don't expect any politician or public servant to be perfect. The media seems to always over-sensationalize the morality issue. It doesn't surprise me if they fall below the bar sometimes, but it does not make them total pariahs. they should be answering to their spouses about their morals really, because I kind of thought some sort of power, influence and pleasure came with the job really lol.
I know a few people that partied with Barry back in the 80's. These people are around my mother's age and are mostly females. They always told me that drugs and alcohol were present at his parties and Barry was very charismatic as well as a complete womanizer. He was also very loyal and insecure because he wasn't a born and bred Washingtonian. Even though he was mayor and a part of the in crowd, he always felt like the people (elite AA's) here viewed him as a bumpkin because he was from down south. So Barry went above and beyond to prove that he belonged but deep down, he was always insecure. Still is. He wears it like a badge of honor.
This jibes with what I often hear from many old school AA Washingtonians who loathe Barry. Barry wasn't Boule, Morehouse or Howard. And yes, he was dark skinned. Some of this ire also seems to be driven by the notion that when Barry was in office, everybody BUT elite AA's benefited from his largess, including "downtown" white developers.
I know a few people that partied with Barry back in the 80's. These people are around my mother's age and are mostly females. They always told me that drugs and alcohol were present at his parties and Barry was very charismatic as well as a complete womanizer. He was also very loyal and insecure because he wasn't a born and bred Washingtonian. Even though he was mayor and a part of the in crowd, he always felt like the people (elite AA's) here viewed him as a bumpkin because he was from down south. So Barry went above and beyond to prove that he belonged but deep down, he was always insecure. Still is. He wears it like a badge of honor.
Marion Barry is insecure? I would have a hard time believing that. The man is a cult of personality. He's more famous than the people in the Boule, Morehouse/Howard crowd. If im well known enough that someone would post a city-data discussion on me, i would care less what the so-called black elites think.
Marion Barry is insecure? I would have a hard time believing that. The man is a cult of personality. He's more famous than the people in the Boule, Morehouse/Howard crowd. If im well known enough that someone would post a city-data discussion on me, i would care less what the so-called black elites think.
Halle Berry is insecure too. Popularity has nothing to do with how someone views themselves. Some of the most popular people in the world are insecure.
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