City officials to blame for teens running wild
Re: “Youth facility uprising leaves jurisdictional mess,” June 22
The District’s New Beginnings juvenile facility was supported by Mayor Adrian Fenty, Council Chairman Vincent Gray, public safety committee Chairman Phil Mendelson and other council members, including the normally sensible David Catania.
The fundamental problem is a zeitgeist infecting the city hall crowd that is unlikely to change no matter who is in office a year from now. They and the “experts” have decided that if they let the “juvies” occasionally run wild, fewer of them will grow up to be hardened criminals. They claim they have the social science research data to back up this hypothesis.
However, to us common folk, it looks like juveniles are just learning that they get away with disobeying the law because no one is serious about enforcing it. It’s gotten to the point where those in charge don’t even know who has legal jurisdiction over something as basic and foreseeable as an offender attacking a staff member. These “experts” are so wrapped up in their theories, they’re incapable of seeing the obvious.
Frankly, if D.C. wants to beat its breast about “local autonomy” and “home rule” (home misrule in practice), it needs to relocate its juvenile facility within city limits so when the juvies run wild, there is no doubt about who has legal jurisdiction.
Dino Drudi
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Oil production should, and will, continue
Re: “Virginia cannot allow offshore oil drilling,” from readers, June 22
Kellen Lauer is misguided in opting to support so-called clean energy in lieu of oil. Citing the Gulf disaster only furthers this point.
The technology behind clean energy is still developing. Furthermore, the energy transformation for many “green” sources is so low that they are not yet economically viable. For example, solar power converts less than 10 percent of the energy it receives into a usable power source.
I agree that we must continue to develop renewable energy sources. But until they meet or exceed the power output of oil, we must continue to find sources of oil as well. We don’t stop driving cars because we see accidents every day. Neither should we stop drilling because of an oil spill.
Mike Soh
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Private school students not taught to respect women
Re: “Landon School scrambles to contain ‘slampigs’ scandal,” June 11
Landon School (from which I graduated in 1981) is simply a country club. Even 30 years ago, this kind of behavior was winked at during school meetings.
I’m totally ashamed and embarrassed to say that I attended this school. Unfortunately, Landon has not taught its students how to honor, cherish or treat the young women they are growing up with.
Perhaps the past two situations prove that the single-sex model of education is outmoded and is doing these kids more harm than good.
Jeffrey Peikin
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