Archive: D.C.
Gay Marriage in D.C.: Heroes in a righteous cause
By Samuel Johnson Crofton I was raised Roman Catholic, and as a youth I always dreamed of being married one day. But like so many closeted gay youths, that dream stayed silent within me because I truly wanted to be...
By Michael Larabee | November 23, 2009; 04:18 PM ET | Comments (2)
D.C. school vouchers: An opportunity for autonomy
By José E. Serrano Washington When I assumed the chairmanship of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees federal payments to the District, I announced that I was not interested in being a second mayor. Toward that end, I have worked...
By Michael Larabee | November 23, 2009; 02:54 PM ET | Comments (0)
Why we need the Washington Blade
By Kevin Naff Washington On Nov. 16, after slightly more than 40 years as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender news source of record, the Washington Blade abruptly shut down when parent company Window Media moved into Chapter 7 bankruptcy....
By Michael Larabee | November 19, 2009; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
A publicly funded charity should serve the public
By Mark Levine Washington The Catholic Church’s complaint rings hollow. No charity should take millions of dollars from taxpayers and then treat as second-class citizens the very taxpayers who fund it. Gay men and lesbians pay taxes, too. Catholic Charities...
By Michael Larabee | November 18, 2009; 04:05 PM ET | Comments (13)
D.C.'s same-sex marriage bill: Finding the balance
By Donald W. Wuerl Washington One year ago, I stood with city leaders on a hill in Northeast as we broke ground for affordable housing in the District. When the St. Martin’s Apartments are completed, nearly 200 low-income families and...
By Michael Larabee | November 17, 2009; 04:40 PM ET | Comments (21)
Half measures on D.C. bike safety
By Kesh Ladduwahetty Washington Thank you for the Nov. 14 Metro article “No doubt about it — this lane is for bike traffic,” on the new, protected bicycle lane on a section of 15th Street. It is encouraging to see...
By Michael Larabee | November 17, 2009; 09:59 AM ET | Comments (9)
A closet Catholic's lament
By Jennie Kushlis Washington I was deeply saddened to learn that the Roman Catholic Church has gotten so involved in the local debate on same-sex marriage. More accurately, I cringed with embarrassment that the only faith I’ve ever known for...
By Michael Larabee | November 16, 2009; 02:56 PM ET | Comments (9)
Realizing Fort Totten's potential
By Nathan Weiner Washington I was elated to read that there is movement on the Cafritz Foundation project on the northeast side of Fort Totten [editorial, Nov. 9]. I live a block from the development site, and I welcome it...
By Michael Larabee | November 13, 2009; 07:01 PM ET | Comments (1)
The wrong way to win the right to marry
By Doug Mainwaring Potomac Same-sex marriage has been defeated by popular vote in 31 states, most recently in Maine. It has been legalized through court rulings or legislation in five. While legalization in these states is claimed as a victory...
By Michael Larabee | November 12, 2009; 09:10 AM ET | Comments (16)
A page from the Redskins' playbook
By Jill Homan Washington District residents have seen it before with Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder. But now, we are witnessing it with the D.C. Council’s approach to Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee. Micromanagement does not work. While Snyder’s poor...
By Michael Larabee | November 5, 2009; 05:47 PM ET | Comments (4)
How Rhee lost her teachers
By Virginia R. Pass Silver Spring I do not understand The Post’s trust in D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee. She is running roughshod over the rights of teachers, all the while claiming that she is acting in the best...
By Michael Larabee | November 5, 2009; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Addition through subtraction at one D.C. school
By Mary Siddall Washington Once a month, the principal of my daughter’s D.C. public school — Ross Elementary in Northwest — hosts an informal coffee with parents. It’s always held in the morning, right after the children are dropped off....
By Michael Larabee | November 3, 2009; 05:46 PM ET | Comments (35)
The Building Heights Myth
By Patty Sheetz Alexandria My curiosity was whetted by your Oct. 23 article “Gatekeeper of D.C’s entry” covering a Dupont Circle resident’s editing of the Wikipedia page on the District. The article debunked the myth that no D.C. building can...
By Michael Larabee | October 30, 2009; 09:59 AM ET | Comments (2)
You can fight, but you can't vote
By Nelson F. Rimensnyder Washington Six years ago, my son, James Rimensnyder, then a West Point cadet and a newly registered voter, testified before the D.C. Republican Committee on voting representation in Congress for D. C. residents. The committee was...
By Michael Larabee | October 23, 2009; 12:27 PM ET | Comments (1)
No vote for the federal seat
By Michael Duncan Washington A “voting right” for 60 square miles of concentrated federal government runs afoul of every intention of our Constitution [“D.C. voting rights hypocrisy,” editorial, Oct. 20]. The Founding Fathers would be appalled by such a sprawling...
By Michael Larabee | October 23, 2009; 12:24 PM ET | Comments (0)
D.C. health reform in one simple step
By Walter Smith Washington Many insurance companies are using their influence on Capitol Hill to oppose the health-care reform proposals before Congress. However that congressional battle plays out, here in the District we have an opportunity right now to compel...
By Michael Larabee | October 21, 2009; 12:06 PM ET | Comments (3)
D.C. Can't Fire Its Way to Better Schools
By George Parker Washington All of us who care about our children, our community and our collective futures want our schools to be the very best; nobody wants this more than D.C.’s public school teachers. The Washington Teachers Union supported...
By Michael Larabee | October 8, 2009; 01:41 PM ET | Comments (13)
Fighting Driving and Dialing in D.C.
By Richard Doege Washington Last week, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood hosted the Distracted Driving Summit, where it was noted that 80 percent of all automobile accidents are related to driver inattention. And among all of the possible driving distractions, the...
By Michael Larabee | October 7, 2009; 12:12 PM ET | Comments (4)
The Hound Dog Next Door
By Andrew Walton Washington It is said that on Capitol Hill, there are even more dogs than lawyers. And, of course, there is that old chestnut, usually attributed to Harry Truman: “If you want a friend in Washington, get a...
By Michael Larabee | October 4, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Going Green: A Chain Reaction
By Carlyn Andersson Washington As we were on our regular Sunday bicycle ride in Rock Creek Park recently, we noticed there had been a massive cleanup. Most noticeably the thousands of plastic bags that had blanketed the park for years...
By Michael Larabee | October 2, 2009; 06:49 PM ET | Comments (0)
Magic Wands? Glass Slippers? Funding D.C. Nonprofits
By Marianne Scott Washington When the clock strikes midnight on Sept. 30, public-private partnerships will be severed all across the District. Public grants to nonprofit groups that foster youth leadership, preserve the city’s heritage, engage residents in finding community-based solutions...
By Michael Larabee | September 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
On D.C. Schools, No News Is Good News
By Matthew Hammond Washington This past week has been notable in the more than 10 years that I have lived in the District. With children returning to school this past week, there has been one noticeable absence in The Post:...
By Michael Larabee | September 3, 2009; 10:12 AM ET | Comments (3)
Gun Owners' Next Victory in D.C.
By Robert A. Levy Washington The Supreme Court, in District of Columbia v. Heller, declared that Washington’s 32-year ban on all functional firearms violated the Second Amendment. Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion, however, applied only to possession of guns in...
By Michael Larabee | September 1, 2009; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (32)
D.C. Before A/C: A Weather Story for the Ages
By John Lockwood Washington “Sizzle, Swelter, Scorch, Suffer.” — Front page, The Washington Post, Aug. 7, 1906 As a part-time writer, I spend a lot of time at Library of Congress, going through old magazines and newspapers, including The Post....
By Michael Larabee | August 26, 2009; 12:27 PM ET | Comments (0)
Stopping Metrorail Suicides
By Donald E. White Falls Church On Aug. 12, for the fifth time since June, someone was struck and killed apparently after intentionally stepping in front of a moving Metro train. Many people might agree with the Orange Line passenger...
By Michael Larabee | August 19, 2009; 06:30 AM ET | Comments (3)
Hate Speech Against the Police
By Annyce Andresen Alexandria In his Aug. 9 Local Opinions commentary, “My ‘Crime’ on U Street? Offending the Police,” Pepin Andrew Tuma took pains to paint the police officers who arrested him as dangerous. Certainly, if true, their lying about...
By Michael Larabee | August 11, 2009; 12:52 PM ET | Comments (8)
Dodging Bicycles in D.C.
By Diane Gibbs Washington I live on a main avenue in the District. If I had a buck for every time I was almost hit by a speeding bicycle, I’d have a nice nest egg by now. Recently, I was...
By Michael Larabee | August 11, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Nothing 'Shocking' About This Arrest
By James Brady McLean I don’t find it “shocking” that Pepin Andrew Tuma ["My 'Crime' on U Street? Offending the Police," Local Opinions, Aug. 9] was arrested for disorderly conduct after walking past five or six police cars “engaged in...
By Michael Larabee | August 10, 2009; 06:10 PM ET | Comments (0)
A Page From Professor Gates's Script
By Steve Lenkart Alexandria In his Local Opinions commentary, "My 'Crime' on U Street? Offending the Police," Pepin Andrew Tuma wrote about his shock at being arrested by D.C. police after chanting in a public place (and directly in front...
By Michael Larabee | August 10, 2009; 05:39 PM ET | Comments (1)
How We Can Hold the D.C. Council Accountable
By Kathy Patterson Washington The recent uproar over D.C. Council members’ contracts and earmarks, as well as budget decisions being made behind closed doors, highlights the need for greater accountability on the part of the D.C. Council. That said, the...
By Vince Rinehart | July 31, 2009; 09:18 PM ET | Comments (1)
A New Threat to Victims of Domestic Violence
By Kenneth E. Noyes and Rebecca W. O’Connor Washington Victims of domestic violence and their children should not be pawns in the city’s budgeting process. D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s revised budget proposes a 10 percent additional cut to the...
By Vince Rinehart | July 31, 2009; 09:06 PM ET | Comments (3)
Better Teaching, Better Test Scores
By James E. Cole Gainesville I am a longtime math teacher in the D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) system, and I take issue with a recent article "Testing Tactics Helped Fuel D.C. School Gains." The article contended that this year's impressive...
By Stephen Stromberg | July 28, 2009; 02:18 PM ET | Comments (1)
Three Years and Still Asking: Who Killed Robert Wone?
By Craig Brownstein and David Greer Washington D.C. residents have been told that murder rates are down. So far in 2009, there have been 33 unsolved homicides out of the 79 committed in the District, according to the Metropolitan Police...
By Stephen Stromberg | July 28, 2009; 02:15 PM ET | Comments (1)
UDC’s Community College Mission
By Allen L. Sessoms Washington We welcome President Obama’s support of community colleges and know firsthand the benefits these institutions provide for their students and their communities. Since 1977, the University of the District of Columbia has integrated community college...
By Vince Rinehart | July 17, 2009; 09:23 PM ET | Comments (0)
Adams Morgan Is Helping Itself
By Denis James Washington Terry Lynch [“A Better Balance in Adams Morgan,”] should stick to the Downtown Cluster of Congregations. Those of us who live here and are deeply involved in our community fully understand the tragic effects that an...
By Vince Rinehart | June 4, 2009; 01:11 PM ET | Comments (0)
Wrong Way to Fight Gang Crime
By Tracy Velazquez Washington This Memorial Day, the District is starting the summer with a decline in crime. Homicides are down 22.6 percent from the same point a year ago, according to the D.C. police department, and violent crime in...
By Marisa Katz | May 24, 2009; 12:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
