Council members not to blame for Southeast shootings
Re: “Hypocrites dismiss law to prevent crime,” April 9
Harry Jaffe’s April 9 column, in which he singled out four African American council members who voted against the civil gang injunction, is repugnant and disturbing. We were not alone in our disapproval of the measure; our ranks included non-African American members as well.
Mr. Jaffe’s linkage of the recent shootings in Southeast to the council’s failure to ratify the injunction is unwarranted. It would not have removed the perpetrators from the streets; it would only have added suspected gang members to a list.
The Southeast shootings do not appear to be gang-related, illustrating why Mr. Jaffe’s commentary is so disconcerting.
Moreover, basing intrusive legislation in the District on precedents from California and Texas is misdirected. Our jurisdictions have completely different demographics and gang cultures. This legislation brands youth by race, class and gender. It would have been arbitrary and capricious, much like Mr. Jaffe’s article.
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District’s annual visitors are welcome any day
Re: “Flocks of spring visitors descend on D.C.,” April 8
Apparently, those “neo-natives” you talked to have very short memories. Otherwise they would remember 9/11 and what happened to tourists after that: They stopped coming.
Unemployment in the service industry rose to around 36 percent. Hotels closed off half their floors. Restaurants closed because there were not enough customers. Attendance at plays and cultural events was about half the normal number.
Thank God that in 2004, the tourists started coming back. Anyone who says bad things about our visitors should just move someplace else.
Donald Flanders
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