Thursday, September 16, 2010

Yes Gray Won in DC, Fine; But is That a Reason to Insult Fenty Supporters?

Now that I split my time between Washington, DC and Hampton Roads (with most of my time now spent in Hampton Roads), I've had to lead essentially a double life. I average one to two weeks monthly in my old DC neighborhood (Logan Circle in Ward 2, and I will be back full-time when my work in Hampton Roads is done), and I miss it terribly; I am glad my cousin still lives in the same neighborhood, so when I come to the city for meetings, I am just a block away from my old place.

I wrote that little preface to address an op-ed that I just read by Courtland Milloy. It's been a long time since I've read something so mean spirited and vitriolic. Milloy displayed nothing but contempt for people like me (though his main target was white folk), fans of the work that Fenty was doing and attempting to do in the city. I realized that Adrian Fenty was simply attempting to build on the structural changes that former mayor Anthony Williams (can he come back?) implemented during his two terms. I also realize that Fenty was a first class, arrogant, self aggrandizing ass, but I didn't see this as enough of a reason to fire him. Milloy clearly begged to differ.

I want the best for DC. I want it to be a top notch thriving city for all demographic groups. I think Fenty was trying, but the majority of Democrats in DC went for Gray. Cool. I also think that Milloy went too far, and that subtle invoking of the tiresome "Plan" was all over that op-ed. Might I suggest gloating with a lot less invective? A more diverse DC is not a bad thing, in spite of what Milloy seems to suggest. And Gray's ascension will not stop that train from coming.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Gray's voters will get the city they deserve.