He has been a near permanent fixture in the “Park of the Birds” at 16th Street and Columbia Road NW. For years, he waved an American flag as he pulled huge pieces of luggage, no doubt stuffed with his worldly possessions. He talked out loud to people who weren’t there. Sometimes, the agitation in his voice prompted me to glance around, assuring myself there wasn’t anyone else with whom he was speaking.
Walk the District’s sidewalks or visit any park — Franklin Square, Lafayette, Dupont Circle, “Malcolm X” — and hundreds of mentally ill people can be found. Some with flailing arms, or menacing looks, and voices calibrated at high decibels appear violent. Passers-by, sensing danger, have been seen trying to negotiate a safe path around such individuals.
