Marion Barry Rant about Tom Sherwood

[jsteele]

Marion Barry just launched an epic tirade on Twitter against Tom Sherwood as a result of Sherwood's being a consultant on an HBO film about Barry. Barry apparently doesn't like the film, which is directed by Spike Lee:

https://twitter.com/marionbarryjr/

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Marion Barry just launched an epic tirade on Twitter against Tom Sherwood as a result of Sherwood's being a consultant on an HBO film about Barry. Barry apparently doesn't like the film, which is directed by Spike Lee:

https://twitter.com/marionbarryjr/

Apparently Marion is unhappy about how he thinks he'll be portrayed in the upcoming HBO movie. To Marion I solemnly say...oh well, tough break bruh. Suck it up and save your vitriol for after the movie comes out Marion. Personally, I don't know what he's so pissed about. First of all, HBO already hooked Barry up with what I thought was a great documentary in 2009 with The Nine Lives of Marion Barry. I think that production poignantly explored Barry's personal history though archival footage of him as a young activist in the '60s and rising African-American political star in the '70s, ultimately chronicling his resugence on the D.C. political scene in 2004. Second and more importantly, lol...bruh...c'mon dawg...the whole damn country saw you taking two long drags from that crack pipe in a room at the Vista Hotel back in 1990 - it ain't like Tom Sherwood is making that shit up or just now bringing it to the public's attention. Lawd...

[Anonymous]

Marion Barry is a loony old racist embarrassment to Washington DC. They booted Sterling from the NBA. It's high time that the Council censured and removed Barry from office. Lord knows all of Barry's criminal conduct, tax fraud, corrupt conduct and repeated racist rants.

[Anonymous]

The more Barry rants, the more eager I am to see it.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Marion Barry is a loony old racist embarrassment to Washington DC. They booted Sterling from the NBA. It's high time that the Council censured and removed Barry from office. Lord knows all of Barry's criminal conduct, tax fraud, corrupt conduct and repeated racist rants.

There is a lot more to Barry than this caricature. For better or worse, his history and DC's history are intricately linked. While Barry is certainly worthy of criticism, there is a lot in his life deserving of praise. I think it is important to get beyond a single dimension in how he is viewed.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Marion Barry is a loony old racist embarrassment to Washington DC. They booted Sterling from the NBA. It's high time that the Council censured and removed Barry from office. Lord knows all of Barry's criminal conduct, tax fraud, corrupt conduct and repeated racist rants.

There is a lot more to Barry than this caricature. For better or worse, his history and DC's history are intricately linked. While Barry is certainly worthy of criticism, there is a lot in his life deserving of praise. I think it is important to get beyond a single dimension in how he is viewed.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Marion Barry is a loony old racist embarrassment to Washington DC. They booted Sterling from the NBA. It's high time that the Council censured and removed Barry from office. Lord knows all of Barry's criminal conduct, tax fraud, corrupt conduct and repeated racist rants.

Unlike Sterlings racist rant, Barry's racist comments are criminally actionable in D.C.

D.C. has laws against saying or writing anything racist.

Does anyone in D.C. Have the balls to file a criminal complaint against a bigot?

[Anonymous]

D.C. has laws against saying or writing anything racist.

What in the what now?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Marion Barry is a loony old racist embarrassment to Washington DC. They booted Sterling from the NBA. It's high time that the Council censured and removed Barry from office. Lord knows all of Barry's criminal conduct, tax fraud, corrupt conduct and repeated racist rants.

There is a lot more to Barry than this caricature. For better or worse, his history and DC's history are intricately linked. While Barry is certainly worthy of criticism, there is a lot in his life deserving of praise. I think it is important to get beyond a single dimension in how he is viewed.

What has Barry done that is deserving of praise? And far from a "single dimension" his sorry record of criminal and ethical misconduct stretches across decades. The infamous crack arrest was the tip of the iceberg, but then he did everything from bring a prostitute into a jail, get stopped by the police for drugs in his car, repeatedly fail to pay his federal taxes (even after having been given the benefit of a plea agreement to avoid more jail time), arrange city contracts for a girlfriend, get involved in altercations with girlfirends in DC and other cities in which the police got involved, racially slur Asians, Philippinos, whites, you name it. All the while, what has he done, other than mismanaging the city and bloating its bureaucracy while mayor, which required a federal board to seize control? What major legislation has he passed on the council? What has he really done to improve life in his ward? What did he do for the city, other than turn DC into the butt of jokes and grow a political culture of cronyism and corruption that sadly continues to this day?

I do agree with you that Barry's history and DC's history are inextricably linked -- just not at all in a good way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

D.C. has laws against saying or writing anything racist.

What in the what now?

Why don't you look at PAGE 2 of this thread:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/358336.page#4616841

It states DCs hate speech law that you are apparently unaware of.

Yet another Barry crime - just this week. And again, anyone have the balls to fight racism and bigotry in D.C. ??

I doubt it. Not when it comes to doing the right thing in D.C.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Marion Barry is a loony old racist embarrassment to Washington DC. They booted Sterling from the NBA. It's high time that the Council censured and removed Barry from office. Lord knows all of Barry's criminal conduct, tax fraud, corrupt conduct and repeated racist rants.

There is a lot more to Barry than this caricature. For better or worse, his history and DC's history are intricately linked. While Barry is certainly worthy of criticism, there is a lot in his life deserving of praise. I think it is important to get beyond a single dimension in how he is viewed.

Oh, please educate us heathen non-progressives on the ways Marion Barry should be praised!

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Marion Barry is a loony old racist embarrassment to Washington DC. They booted Sterling from the NBA. It's high time that the Council censured and removed Barry from office. Lord knows all of Barry's criminal conduct, tax fraud, corrupt conduct and repeated racist rants.

There is a lot more to Barry than this caricature. For better or worse, his history and DC's history are intricately linked. While Barry is certainly worthy of criticism, there is a lot in his life deserving of praise. I think it is important to get beyond a single dimension in how he is viewed.

What has Barry done that is deserving of praise? And far from a "single dimension" his sorry record of criminal and ethical misconduct stretches across decades. The infamous crack arrest was the tip of the iceberg, but then he did everything from bring a prostitute into a jail, get stopped by the police for drugs in his car, repeatedly fail to pay his federal taxes (even after having been given the benefit of a plea agreement to avoid more jail time), arrange city contracts for a girlfriend, get involved in altercations with girlfirends in DC and other cities in which the police got involved, racially slur Asians, Philippinos, whites, you name it. All the while, what has he done, other than mismanaging the city and bloating its bureaucracy while mayor, which required a federal board to seize control? What major legislation has he passed on the council? What has he really done to improve life in his ward? What did he do for the city, other than turn DC into the butt of jokes and grow a political culture of cronyism and corruption that sadly continues to this day?

I do agree with you that Barry's history and DC's history are inextricably linked -- just not at all in a good way.

Everything you cite occurred in the last 24 years of the life of a 78 year old man. Do you have any idea what happened during the first 54?

At least take the time to read his Wikipedia page.

Also, I assume you have no understanding of the absolute racist situation faced by DC's black residents prior to home rule. Those were the circumstances in which Barry rose to power. Certainly not an easy achievement.

[Anonymous]

I guess that makes up for all his bigotry, corruption, criminal conduct, tax evasion, xenophobic statements, and racism, doesn't it?

Sounds more like hipocracy to me.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Marion Barry is a loony old racist embarrassment to Washington DC. They booted Sterling from the NBA. It's high time that the Council censured and removed Barry from office. Lord knows all of Barry's criminal conduct, tax fraud, corrupt conduct and repeated racist rants.

There is a lot more to Barry than this caricature. For better or worse, his history and DC's history are intricately linked. While Barry is certainly worthy of criticism, there is a lot in his life deserving of praise. I think it is important to get beyond a single dimension in how he is viewed.

What has Barry done that is deserving of praise? And far from a "single dimension" his sorry record of criminal and ethical misconduct stretches across decades. The infamous crack arrest was the tip of the iceberg, but then he did everything from bring a prostitute into a jail, get stopped by the police for drugs in his car, repeatedly fail to pay his federal taxes (even after having been given the benefit of a plea agreement to avoid more jail time), arrange city contracts for a girlfriend, get involved in altercations with girlfirends in DC and other cities in which the police got involved, racially slur Asians, Philippinos, whites, you name it. All the while, what has he done, other than mismanaging the city and bloating its bureaucracy while mayor, which required a federal board to seize control? What major legislation has he passed on the council? What has he really done to improve life in his ward? What did he do for the city, other than turn DC into the butt of jokes and grow a political culture of cronyism and corruption that sadly continues to this day?

I do agree with you that Barry's history and DC's history are inextricably linked -- just not at all in a good way.

Everything you cite occurred in the last 24 years of the life of a 78 year old man. Do you have any idea what happened during the first 54?

At least take the time to read his Wikipedia page.

Also, I assume you have no understanding of the absolute racist situation faced by DC's black residents prior to home rule. Those were the circumstances in which Barry rose to power. Certainly not an easy achievement.

The last 24 are what is critical, because they show he lost moral value. If that was reversed, you might have a point

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I guess that makes up for all his bigotry, corruption, criminal conduct, tax evasion, xenophobic statements, and racism, doesn't it?

Sounds more like hipocracy to me.

You have your question reversed. The achievements of his first 54 years cannot make up for something that came later. You can only make up for something after the fact, not before. The question is whether everything he previously achieved should be ignored because of later misdeeds. I don't think so. Nobody deserves to have their past -- particularly one full of achievement -- stricken from history.