Another middle aged person here and I agree with you. For much of my life I have considered myself a liberal democrat. And I have become very cynical and beaten down by the lawlessness. |
Would you consider voting for Middle ground candidates, including republicans for local government? |
I've lived here for over twenty years and while gun violence is definitely up, in general the city is much better place to live than it used to be. I am not afraid, not looking over my shoulder at all times - both myself and my teens are street smart and spend plenty of time out and about and I don't buy this vision of our city as a mad max style hellscape. This incident at the library was awful for those involved, but what exactly do you want your city to DO about it other than provide space and services to those who are most vulnerable among us? For reference, I do not live in upper northwestia ward three, but in Shaw. I am more afraid of being hit by a car blowing through a red light, something that happens at nearly every traffic light I pass than I am worried about violent crime. |
| I think there is serious mental illness involved and we need to go back to a time where the city and police had more leeway to institutionalize persons refusing mental care or medicine. |
Oh, is this happening? why don't we change that to "mandate". Then we might be closer to the better place to live that you describe |
You are statistically more likely to be a victim of violent crime than traffic violence. |
And if the attacker hadn't previously shown himself to be a danger to himself or others then you'd what? Preemptively lock up everyone who you think might be? |
Why? |
California has taken steps in this direction. DC should follow. When McPherson park was cleared, the majority refused help and services from the city. It was detailed in a Post article. The murder last night was a result of an interpersonal conflict over bad drugs the victim purportedly had sold the stabber, which caused him to OD. The stabber had previously burned the victim's tent in retaliation. One or both may suffer from untreated mental illness in addition to drug use. Current street drugs often cause mental illness and/or brain damage, The Atlantic did a great piece on it. Acting like housing is the sole issue has led to the safety issues at Sedgewick Garden and in buildings in upper NW, The Post has written about it as has The Forest Hills Connect. The root causes need to be addressed. Not just for public safety but because the human toll of not doing so is just too high. Addicts and the mentally ill lack insight as part of their disease. https://twitter.com/maustermuhle/status/1631754263226466304 |
Is it bad enough yet to sallow your pride, and vote R? Or will you keep voting D to keep getting more of the same, and worse? |
Just accept an R can't win in DC any time in the near future. Best we can do is centrists. |
| Reagan is the president who closed all the mental hospitals and put people on the street, so that kind of R? |
Grow up already and stop blaming someone who died decades ago. |
DC has no centrist Democrats with the guts to do anything effective. I grew up in DC, so it’s especially tragic personally. |
Actually, it was a process started by Kennedy. Look it up. |