Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Niceguy17, I think you have many thoughtful points to make but I take exception to your position on Mayor Barry's leadership in building the metro system. Before Barry, Walter Washington did not make the construction of the metro subway a priority. The push really came from the federal gov't. Most of the progress and actual building, took place in the late 70s and early 80s with Barry providing strong support and leadership. The federal gov't encouraged but refused to provide all funding to build the metro. Private funds were indeed included in the building of many stops where developers agreed to build atop or adjacent to planned subway stops.
Others here choose to dwell on Barry's one downfall with the drug conviction. I believe he was entrapped into smoking whatever was in that pipe, which was never proven, by the way. Do you have any idea how many thousands of prominent business leaders, politicians, and celebrities have regularly engaged in using cocaine? Should they all be universally condemned too? I refuse to impose a double standard against Mayor Barry. I look at the whole person and all of his accomplishments, not just an isolated personal failing that could well have been contrived with millions of dollars of federal money.
Marion Barry was one of the greatest mayors, politicians, and civil rights leaders this country has ever known. It is a fact that historically and institutionally, our great country has engaged in deliberate efforts to marginalize great black men. That is not just my opinion - it is a fact. Some misguided people attempt to marginalize Marion Barry by playing the "corruption" card. It is also a fact that the United States government spent well over $10 million (in 1980 and 1990 dollars) in an effort to pin some kind of corruption charge on him. No corruption was ever found in all the years of his political campaigning. That is a fact.
Marion Barry's phenomenal work in revitalizing D.C. and leaving a legacy of balanced budgets is unparalleled by city mayors during that time period. His work with Jeffrey Cohen, Oliver Carr, and many others (all white, by the way) in redeveloping Pennsylvania Avenue, Adams Morgan, the Convention Center, Ward 8, and many DC neighborhoods was without precedent. He spearheaded the funding of the DC metro subway system largely with private funds. He had great relations with Jack Kent Cooke to keep the Redskins in D.C. He gave unemployed black youth summer jobs. He fed the hungry and housed the homeless. Indeed, his tireless efforts helped revitalize the entire DC metropolitan area.
Unfortunately, he was victimized in the crack cocaine entrapment operation by the FBI because they could get nothing else on him. Any lawyer will tell you it was entrapment because they used his former girlfriend to encourage him to smoke the pipe when he declined to do so, on tape, twice. Why was this sting operation perpetrated against him at a time when it was well known that U.S. Congressmen were openly having sex with their pages who were below the age of 16? If you want to paint someone with the brush of "corruption," why not spend time talking about the actual cases of corruption that were proven? Two months ago there was a historic corruption trial involving the governor of Virginia and I don't hear a peep about that from the naysayers on this site.
Have an ounce of decency. Pay respects to the man and his life at this time. The petty little criticisms that you have of him can wait until he is at least laid to rest.
If that's how you wish to remember this corrupt addict who ran our city into the ground, then all the power to you.
If that's how you wish to remember this corrupt addict who ran our city into the ground, then all the power to you.
+ 1
The man was an opportunist with the morals of a viper. The only thing more pathetic than his legacy are the rubes who continue to worship him like North Koreans at a political rally.
"Oh he had one misstep" goes the narrative. Fine. By those standards or lack thereof, we should also venerate Richard Nixon, George Wallace, John Gotti.
Only thing I can say about this is, imagine what he put his wife through when he got arrest? He was married four times, and they're all wonderful ladies, now passed away (rest in peace). I can understand that as a man, that must of put a lot of personal strain on him as his ex-wives passed away, and three divorces, it's a hard thing for anyone to go through. But as someone who is in public office, he should of been stronger and avoided the temptation of drugs, or any sort of corruption.
What all that did was just ruin his legacy. I don't think it's race either. You have that Canadian mayor (no idea why we're bringing up a Canadian Mayor because I don't know what Canada's government operate like), but he's white, and everyone thinks he messed up big time, and want him to get out (I guess it's more polite there than here - must be the good healthcare, everyone is happier in Canada than here), but it doesn't excuse him from "getting away" with it just because he is white.
My point is this. You shouldn't glorify someone who does illegal activities. This is just like celebrities, but more important, because they speak for us for better life. We need someone who can get things done without smoking crack cocaine, cheat the IRS, and stalk people. Black, yellow, red, purple, white, brown, transgender, gay, straight, whatever. Nobody judges a mayor that does a good job, no matter how different of a lifestyle they live, as long as they can get their job done right, and keep their words.
This is how it is today.
But if you want me to mourn for a man passing away, I'd say, rest in peace. I hope god you trust in has guided you to comfort now, where you have no worries. And I hope you are happier without bunch of critics like me judging you on data, because I never had the chance to actually get to know you.
RIP to an AA icon, he was more than just some Mayor. He was the creator of modern DC ,(Chocolate City) he loved us and we loved him. He ushered in an unprecedented era of AA affluence and prosperity in DC proper and the region. As I travel the country and I look at the plight of AA's in many of these other cities. I am so thankful that Black DC had a visionary like Marion Barry to lead us. He enriched many people but not himself, he took care of the poor, the seniors and the disenfranchised. As I think about Mayor Barry, I smile because I know that certain people might remember him as some crackhead Mayor; but all you need to do is look at downtown DC and at the large AA enclaves in PGC to see that his real legacy is much much more than that and will live on well beyond his death.
RIP to an AA icon, he was more than just some Mayor. He was the creator of modern DC ,(Chocolate City) he loved us and we loved him. He ushered in an unprecedented era of AA affluence and prosperity in DC proper and the region. As I travel the country and I look at the plight of AA's in many of these other cities. I am so thankful that Black DC had a visionary like Marion Barry to lead us. He enriched many people but not himself, he took care of the poor, the seniors and the disenfranchised. As I think about Mayor Barry, I smile because I know that certain people might remember him as some crackhead Mayor; but all you need to do is look at downtown DC and at the large AA enclaves in PGC to see that his real legacy is much much more than that and will live on well beyond his death.
RIP Mayor for Life you will be greatly missed!!!!
"and prosperity in DC" Unless you did work for the mayor's office.
I know several people who did work for them and NEVER got paid.
RIP to an AA icon, he was more than just some Mayor. He was the creator of modern DC ,(Chocolate City) he loved us and we loved him. He ushered in an unprecedented era of AA affluence and prosperity in DC proper and the region. As I travel the country and I look at the plight of AA's in many of these other cities. I am so thankful that Black DC had a visionary like Marion Barry to lead us. He enriched many people but not himself, he took care of the poor, the seniors and the disenfranchised. As I think about Mayor Barry, I smile because I know that certain people might remember him as some crackhead Mayor; but all you need to do is look at downtown DC and at the large AA enclaves in PGC to see that his real legacy is much much more than that and will live on well beyond his death.
RIP Mayor for Life you will be greatly missed!!!!
Sums up why Barry is loved and endeared for all the wrong reasons. Fortunately his record of lying, mismanagement, cronyism, promoting incompetent people, trading jobs for votes, bloating the DC bureaucracy, and spending the city into near bankruptcy is all a well-established public record. That will be his ultimate legacy, which is sad because he was once a young visionary with the potential to do great things. Even more sad is that so much of our city has been and continues to be willing to forgive him for all his horrendous choices simply because of his skin color.
Anyone wants to know the result of Marion Barry's regime? Look at your the average person, crime rate, and education level in any neighborhood between the Anacostia River and the Beltway.
I, as a black DC native, see Barry in the same way many Cubans who fled to Miami see Fidel Castro. Definitely not cheering about his death, but I'm damn sure not shedding a tear neither. And I'm sure many other DC native blacks who have since relocated to Montgomery County, Northern VA, and beyond, would agree more than not. I could give a damn about what he did personally, as it doesn't effect me. And you really don't even need to go to his personal life to criticize Barry. Just look at the fruit of his works. As far as I'm concerned, Barry is one of the biggest reasons why the black DC Natives embrace a pro-ghetto, anti-intellectual, criminal-sympathizing, poverty-embracing subculture. And for anyone who wants to use your played-out ad-hominem attacks, go on ahead and prove my point.
Anyone wants to know the result of Marion Barry's regime? Look at your the average person, crime rate, and education level in any neighborhood between the Anacostia River and the Beltway.
I, as a black DC native, see Barry in the same way many Cubans who fled to Miami see Fidel Castro. Definitely not cheering about his death, but I'm damn sure not shedding a tear neither. And I'm sure many other DC native blacks who have since relocated to Montgomery County, Northern VA, and beyond, would agree more than not. I could give a damn about what he did personally, as it doesn't effect me. And you really don't even need to go to his personal life to criticize Barry. Just look at the fruit of his works. As far as I'm concerned, Barry is one of the biggest reasons why the black DC Natives embrace a pro-ghetto, anti-intellectual, criminal-sympathizing, poverty-embracing subculture. And for anyone who wants to use your played-out ad-hominem attacks, go on ahead and prove my point.
You as black native to DC? Are you so blind to see what other races are going through?
You as a black native to DC should understand the other native sorrows. What is the fruit of his work? What is that mean? There isn't anything in your writing that shows what he did, but just your personal opinion.
Let's just take the race out and say everyone in the history is grey. Everyone in this forum is grey colored. Then you can judge people by their achievement. That's how I try to make sure the discrimination that I hear, see, and feel everyday isn't just my own everyday.
Did he do illegal drugs? Would he helped other people in his community if everyone was grey colored? Could he, as a major public figure to make a difference to the community of grey people?
You know what the answer is, yet you still deny the facts. You know what that does? Make more people who rant about Islam Black brotherhood rants about hate crime near Chinatown Metro every Friday. If you want to join them, go ahead.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
