Anyone been here since the 80s / early 90s? How did smart locals react to Marion Barry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Been here since 96. White, upper class female. Barry was a fucking corrupt asshole. He and his cronies ran this city into the ground. Control board and mayor Williams best tbing to Happen to dc.

Amen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a "smart local"?

Someone who sells you the house you bought in Logan for $1,730,000 that they paid $190,000 for in 1988.

That's me. A smart local.

Care to guess what we call you?

Dead wood?

[Anonymous]

Almost forgot: remember when Barry was shot by the Hanafi Muslims during their seige of the District Building and the B'nai Brith building. Those were the days!

[Anonymous]

Everyone needs to read Dream City by Tom Sherwood/Harry Jaffe. Barry played this town like a fiddle.

[Anonymous]

He was a corrupt racist asshat whose policies ravaged the District. Just look at the MPD during the Barry years, can anyone say thugs in uniform? Let's not get into the fact that under Barry basic city services in general were completely dysfunctional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I grew up in MoCo and have lived in DC since the early 1990s. I agree with much of this statement. Understood within the context of newly-granted Home Rule, Barry's first years were exciting and liberating for African Americans in DC. However, the short-term political gain of employment for a large number of city residents came at the expense of those on the receiving end of city services such as students, the elderly, children in the welfare system, the mentally ill, the sick, etc. I don't believe that Barry ever set out to harm his constituents but that, indeed, was the end result and we are still grappling with its lasting impact on residents today.

Thank you. Now let's ask why OP is even asking. Profound curiosity as to the decades-old opinions of DC's mysterious "smart locals?" Researching a book on corrupt mayors of places with "smart locals?" https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/09/11-other-us-mayors-who-did-decided-to-resign/419910/

Hmmmm. Or could it be someone looking for false equivalence of Barry and Lee statues and evidence of "reverse racism" to throw in the faces of snowflake libtard family and colleagues at holiday parties?

While I regret taking the troll bait and posting to this thread, I'm a DC "local" who is sick and tired of people making veiled references to how stupid poor black people are.

STFU and move to Reston or Frederick or wherever the heck the politicians are pure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's a "smart local"?

My thought too. Marion Barry was a very smart local as were many of his cronies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He was a corrupt racist asshat whose policies ravaged the District. Just look at the MPD during the Barry years, can anyone say thugs in uniform? Let's not get into the fact that under Barry basic city services in general were completely dysfunctional.

+100

[Anonymous]

I have family members who are addicts and they destroy their families. Addicts should never be in charge of an entire city!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Almost forgot: remember when Barry was shot by the Hanafi Muslims during their seige of the District Building and the B'nai Brith building. Those were the days!

An innocent, 24-year old radio reporter was killed that day. I am no Barry fan, but you should be absolutely ashamed of yourself for making light of that horrible event.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a "smart local"?

Someone who sells you the house you bought in Logan for $1,730,000 that they paid $190,000 for in 1988.

That's me. A smart local.

Care to guess what we call you?

Dead wood?

Trust fund babies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Almost forgot: remember when Barry was shot by the Hanafi Muslims during their seige of the District Building and the B'nai Brith building. Those were the days!

An innocent, 24-year old radio reporter was killed that day. I am no Barry fan, but you should be absolutely ashamed of yourself for making light of that horrible event.

Unclench. No one made fun of the takeover. Barry's dysfunctional city was responsible for many deaths. All the badly trained cops, firemen, and ambulance paramedics who didn't know the difference between NE and NW caused many deaths. Your relative was collateral damage.

[Anonymous]

Rolled their eyes and cast a futile vote for the other candidates.

[Anonymous]

He was extremely smart and old school politician, personable and tough.

I remember a very liberal white female board member with those crazy Elizabeth Warren eyes and voice going off on some loony policy she insisted on and he said " what are you trying to achieve ?" And she was silent because it was a stupid idea that was only apparent when you looked at the big picture.

[Anonymous]

Apologies - I've not read the entire thread but I'll just answer the question:
My family, white, upper middle, moderate conservatives, native Washingtonians:
We thought Marion Barry was the real deal in the beginning - and he did make good on many promises, so I can't deny him that. But tale as old as time, like many who gain fame and power, he mishandled it - and there were those who would vote him in, again and again, no matter his transgressions - and he seemed to expect it.

Do I think he was a terrible man? Not over-all. He made many bad choices and did some pretty low things but I think he was intelligent, charming and in the end, more insightful. Do I think he "deserves" a statue? No more or less than those already standing or recently removed - You can't rewrite history whether a statue remains standing, is newly erected or torn down. No matter the figure, there will be supporters and detractors.

But no matter one's opinion of The Mayor for Life, He will ALWAYS be a polarizing figure.