Open Campus: The debate over the use of Howard's campus by neighbors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Black DC resident and dog owner here. So apparently, not one white person on this thread grasps what the issue is here. It’s not just about dog poop.

Then they need to not take federal funds.

Are you trying to say they don’t want any white people walking through?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Black DC resident and dog owner here. So apparently, not one white person on this thread grasps what the issue is here. It’s not just about dog poop.

Then they need to not take federal funds.

Are you trying to say they don’t want any white people walking through?

NP here, no what he/she seems to say is that dogs shouldn’t be on the campus and this forum doesn’t only have white people on it. They can take federal funds and still have rules. Your argument is flawed, it’s like saying a neighborhood watch shouldn’t take local funds from a city if they enact a rule which states no loud parties after midnight.

People like you need to stop making this about race and more about respectability. It’s a said day when the morals of transplants and those who are new residents (less than 20 years) cannot understand why students are upset about a dog free zone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Howard was founded in 1867. The issue is that dog owners many whom are new to DC want to be able to take over a campus in which they have no direct ties. The students want to preserve their historically pet free space which is their absolute right. Pets are a personal privilege not a community responsibility. The campus is a safe space for students. The other issue is that historically dogs were used during slavery and civil rights movements to antagonize ADOS (American Descendants of Slaves). Today ADOS (American Descendants of Slaves) have the right to argue that they don’t feel comfortable with people, particularly white people on a campus with their large, pooping dog whom may or may not have a leash.

Here’s what DCUM and the neighborhood surrounding Howard forget——Howard has strong political ties within the region and across the country. Native born DC locals (not the transplants) will back Howard along with Council members EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. The neighbors had better tread carefully and keep quiet or risk an internet dragging fest across social media via memes and gifs. No one wants their face on a meme or gif for entitlement over a silly issue.

Wow.

2 paragraphs full of dogsh!t and apparent intimidation.

Go home, little bully.

Learn how, to get respect, you need to offer respect.

And that obviously applies to both groups involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Black DC resident and dog owner here. So apparently, not one white person on this thread grasps what the issue is here. It’s not just about dog poop.

No, some of us “get” the issue. We understand subtext.

If they don’t want white people to be traipsing through campus, then they need to not be an “open” campus. They need to install gates, fences and walls. People, including neighbors, will walk through an open campus; it’s supposed to work that way.

Yup

[Anonymous]

Howard students should host events on neighbors lawn who argue that they are apart of the Howard campus community, since their argument is that they are apart of the community. Let’s see how quickly that “community” argument lasts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Black DC resident and dog owner here. So apparently, not one white person on this thread grasps what the issue is here. It’s not just about dog poop.

Yup. Based on the students’ letter to the community (“Dear White people...”) ’d say there’s a desire to exclude those not of their race. Generally that’s called racism. Change the language a little bit and imagine if Georgetown students wrote it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Howard was founded in 1867. The issue is that dog owners many whom are new to DC want to be able to take over a campus in which they have no direct ties. The students want to preserve their historically pet free space which is their absolute right. Pets are a personal privilege not a community responsibility. The campus is a safe space for students. The other issue is that historically dogs were used during slavery and civil rights movements to antagonize ADOS (American Descendants of Slaves). Today ADOS (American Descendants of Slaves) have the right to argue that they don’t feel comfortable with people, particularly white people on a campus with their large, pooping dog whom may or may not have a leash.

Here’s what DCUM and the neighborhood surrounding Howard forget——Howard has strong political ties within the region and across the country. Native born DC locals (not the transplants) will back Howard along with Council members EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. The neighbors had better tread carefully and keep quiet or risk an internet dragging fest across social media via memes and gifs. No one wants their face on a meme or gif for entitlement over a silly issue.

I’m all for Howard excluding dogs from the campus. But it is very wrong for Howard students to wish to exclude neighnors who don’t look like them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Howard was founded in 1867. The issue is that dog owners many whom are new to DC want to be able to take over a campus in which they have no direct ties. The students want to preserve their historically pet free space which is their absolute right. Pets are a personal privilege not a community responsibility. The campus is a safe space for students. The other issue is that historically dogs were used during slavery and civil rights movements to antagonize ADOS (American Descendants of Slaves). Today ADOS (American Descendants of Slaves) have the right to argue that they don’t feel comfortable with people, particularly white people on a campus with their large, pooping dog whom may or may not have a leash.

Here’s what DCUM and the neighborhood surrounding Howard forget——Howard has strong political ties within the region and across the country. Native born DC locals (not the transplants) will back Howard along with Council members EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. The neighbors had better tread carefully and keep quiet or risk an internet dragging fest across social media via memes and gifs. No one wants their face on a meme or gif for entitlement over a silly issue.

ADOS, Amigos.

[Anonymous]

Fun Fact #1 Black people have a long history of owning dogs, including the Black people who have lived all around the campus in the Truxton Circle/Shaw community over the past 152 years. They didn’t and don’t take their dogs up there for leisure time/bathroom relief.

Fun Fact #2 You do know this is not the first time some White person has said “If you don’t like it, you can leave!” The google machine can probably help you realize it’s not that rare an occasion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a current debate about the use of Howard's campus by the community. I really do see both sides of the debate. If it is such a historic landmark, then the community should be able to access it but I agree that dog poop on the grass is a too much.

https://dcist.com/story/19/04/17/new-neighbors-keep-walking-their-dogs-on-howards-campus-students-say-its-disrespectful/?fbclid=IwAR1bdDMW4XzkpJQ_jGaf-yGyb6C73kBHVxJpHHA1xgt7Z7AlIj_OsqN2zrw

It's a college, not a historic landmark or a park. People can use it if they are respectful - but they're not being respectful, apparently. I used to live there and jog through in the early mornings (I am white) -- it was pretty easy to get the sense that it was not a park for the public to hang out in. I'm glad I was able to jog through it because it allowed me to see what an HBCU looked like, but if people are using it like a park, then I understand if it needs to be closed.

WRONG. The quad itself is a historic landmark as are SEVERAL buildings on campus. Please read on the history of Howard. It has a history worth protecting. This is part of the problem. White folks dont want to understand context, starting the reason why Howard exists in the first place!

So under this logic Columbia University can exclude nearly Harlem residents from walking through its historic campus?

[Anonymous]

Can I also point out what seems obvious (and what I’ve heard white people yell about black and brown people for years):

If owning a dog is a high-maintenance activity, perhaps you should plan whether or not where you want to live supports your desire to own a dog. If the only place for you to deal with your pet’s need to pee and crap outside all the time, is on private university property, maybe you should find a better, more dog-hospitable place to move. Or get a cat. Or a fish.

Predominantly White Institutions don’t even want their Black students walking the campus. It makes no sense that an HBCU doesn’t have the right to tell white people who are not students that they cannot trespass on campus.

[Anonymous]

Fellow white people, please sit down and shut up. If you don't understand why these students would be bothered by an influx of white people and their unleashed dogs, you really need to get to know black people and their history. You also need to look around the city and be aware of the immense transformation and the discomfort that causes. Occasional white people on campus weren't a problem until they started monopolizing the space and letting their dogs crap everywhere.

The students' time at Howard may be the last time in their lives when they exist in a majority black space. Be respectful.

[Anonymous]

Dogs like to pee on things like trees. On the Quad, most trees are tied to Greek organizations that use them for gathering spots. As we know dog owners cannot control their dogs when nature calls—-Should students sit, stand and/ or meet on Fido’s urine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a current debate about the use of Howard's campus by the community. I really do see both sides of the debate. If it is such a historic landmark, then the community should be able to access it but I agree that dog poop on the grass is a too much.

https://dcist.com/story/19/04/17/new-neighbors-keep-walking-their-dogs-on-howards-campus-students-say-its-disrespectful/?fbclid=IwAR1bdDMW4XzkpJQ_jGaf-yGyb6C73kBHVxJpHHA1xgt7Z7AlIj_OsqN2zrw

It's a college, not a historic landmark or a park. People can use it if they are respectful - but they're not being respectful, apparently. I used to live there and jog through in the early mornings (I am white) -- it was pretty easy to get the sense that it was not a park for the public to hang out in. I'm glad I was able to jog through it because it allowed me to see what an HBCU looked like, but if people are using it like a park, then I understand if it needs to be closed.

WRONG. The quad itself is a historic landmark as are SEVERAL buildings on campus. Please read on the history of Howard. It has a history worth protecting. This is part of the problem. White folks dont want to understand context, starting the reason why Howard exists in the first place!

So under this logic Columbia University can exclude nearly Harlem residents from walking through its historic campus?

You are a stupid ass. Where did I say that in my post. You white people are a piece of work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dogs like to pee on things like trees. On the Quad, most trees are tied to Greek organizations that use them for gathering spots. As we know dog owners cannot control their dogs when nature calls—-Should students sit, stand and/ or meet on Fido’s urine?

What??

How about dog owners take their dog elsewhere or buy a home with a yard, like normal dog-owning people?