Better Reception
Dear Digital Receivers:
Friday’s transition to digital television broadcasting seems to
have gone smoothly for DC-area television stations. Several stations
either increased their digital broadcasting power or moved to new
positions on the broadcast spectrum, or both, and that improved
reception for many HDTV and DTV broadcast stations, at least for me. Now
I get PBS stations 22, 26, and 32, and all their subchannels, as well as
nine new channels on 30 and 66. In all, I get twenty-nine HDTV stations
and digital subchannels. How are you doing? Is anybody getting many more
stations by using a rooftop antenna? Has anybody lost stations in the
transition, or had some unusual trouble? Let us know about it. To get
program listings for the broadcast digital subchannels, the best site I’ve
found is http://www.titantv.com.
Does anyone have a better suggestion?
Book World returns to the Post today, thin and without
fanfare, and possibly just as a one-time thing as the summer reading
section. Welcome back old friend; any chance you’ll be staying on?
Bill Turque’s article on Michelle Rhee’s two years as school
chancellor heads today’s issue of the paper (“Two Years of Hard
Lessons for DC Schools’ Agent of Change,” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/13/AR2009061302073.html).
It’s a balanced corrective to the uncritical cheerleading Rhee
received from the Post’s editorial board on Friday (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/11/AR2009061103664.html).
Turque lists everything that can be credited as Rhee’s accomplishments
as well as some of the major things that can be considered her failures,
and finds Rhee to be something less than the unblemished heroine of the
editorial board’s dreams.
Tomorrow or in the next few days, the Board of Elections and Ethics
will almost certainly rule that same-sex marriage is not a proper
subject for a referendum. That will affirm the positions of DC elected
officials and the written submissions of the Attorney General, Peter
Nickles, and the city council’s general counsel, Brian Flowers. The
courts aren’t likely to overturn the Board’s decision, at least
before the deadline to submit petitions has passed, and probably not at
all. So what are the next steps for the two sides? My guess — and it’s
only a guess, since nobody is consulting me on this — is that there
will be a race between the city council and the opponents of same-sex
marriage. If I were a councilmember promoting same-sex marriage, I would
be emboldened by the referendum’s failure to get on the ballot, and I
would move quickly to legalize performing same-sex marriages in the
District. If I were an opponent, frustrated by the denial of a citizens’
vote, I would rush to submit a marriage initiative. I’d broaden the
public representatives of the movement and reach out beyond black
Protestants ministers to include Catholics, orthodox Jews, and Muslims
(same-sex marriage advocates may denounce traditional Christian beliefs
as being nothing but bigotry, but they won’t talk about Islam that
way). The best initiative would be clean and simple. For example, it
could substitute “city council” for “Congress” and “District
of Columbia” for “United States” in the text of the federal
Defense of Marriage Act (http://tinyurl.com/muvhex): “In determining
the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or
interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the
United States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between
one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’
refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.”
The Board and court hearings over this initiative could take several
months. Undoubtedly, the BOEE will rule again that same-sex marriage is
a basic human right not subject to an initiative or referendum, but
there will be plenty of time for the issue to go through court hearings.
In the meantime, the local DC proponents of the initiative could ask
the sponsors of the federal Defense of Marriage Act to propose a simple
amendment to it to make it apply to DC. After the phrase “administrative
agencies and bureaus,” add the words, “or of the District of
Columbia and any territory or possession of the United States.” That
amendment could be added to any bill in Congress, and it would pass with
as lopsided a majority as the Defense of Marriage Act itself got. After
all, the Obama administration itself heartily endorsed the DOMA last
week in a Department of Justice brief (http://www.scribd.com/doc/16355867/Obamas-Motion-to-Dismiss-Marriage-case,
site registration required) that argued, among other things, that the
DOMA is consistent with equal protection and due process principles, is
constitutional, does not impinge on rights that have been recognized as
fundamental, does not violate the right to privacy, and cannot be said
to impinge on any right under the Ninth Amendment. Elected officials of
the District would protest that Congress would be overruling the will of
the people of DC, but that argument wouldn’t gain much sympathy, since
the elected officials themselves would have denied the people the chance
to vote to express their will. The next couple years will be
interesting.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
Southwest Development Corporation
Diane Lee Schultz, dihi.cobra@verizon.net
The more I hear about PN Hoffman’s plans for the waterfront, the
more I become concerned. All of the publicity they are putting out to
the public sounds wonderful: connecting L’Enfant Plaza to the water
with a grand staircase, connecting the channel with the tidal basin and
Anacostia (with preexisting walkways), making it a vibrant community
(although it already is).
They never ever talk about the ten fifteen-story buildings they are
planning on crowding into the space where there are now fewer than half
that amount of low-rise restaurants. Talk about cutting the water off
from the neighborhood — I think those buildings will do a pretty good
job of it. Not only will they block access, they will block views and
light for the existing neighbors behind them. They will also bring
excess traffic to an area that has problems handling too many cars as it
is. Why hasn’t anyone who has seen the plans asked PN Hoffman about
those buildings?
Want to know how tall a fifteen-story building is? There are none in
the district. You have to go to Maryland. There is a fifteen-story
building on Wisconsin just north of the Friendship Heights metro stop on
Wisconsin Boulevard. Go check it out and see how you feel about ten of
these between Washington and the water.
###############
Flight Path?
Bell Clement, Columbia Heights, clementdc@verizon.net
Does anyone have information on what might account for the presence
of a swarm (okay — several ù too many) helicopters over northern
Columbia Heights in recent days? These don’t appear to be news or
military helicopters, nor are they using search lights as what I’ve
assumed are police helicopters sometime do. On the evening the June 12,
one circled for about half an hour around midnight and this evening (the
13th) we have had one circling and periodically buzzing the street for
the last forty minutes or so. This is in addition to what feels like an
up-tick in daily southwest–to-northeast traffic.
If there’s a purpose, what might it be? If it’s mindless, can it
be stopped? Are there any rights or recourse for the earthbound here? It
sure wreaks havoc with an attempted pleasant sit-out on the porch!
###############
DC Office of Tax and Revenue: Appallingly
Incompetent
Amy McVey, amybmcvey@msn.com
While difficulties with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue are nothing
new, the number of problems, the complexity of the issues, and the
length of time to resolve them has multiplied exponentially over the
last few years. A neighbor finally contacted Natwar Gandhi before he
could get an answer. I have been on hold for twenty-five minutes again
this morning on behalf of a client who lived less than one month in DC
last year and whose return clearly states that important detail. He got
the DC “love letter” at his Massachusetts home, stating that he owes
more than $4200 for that short time. If he had lived the entire year in
the city, that would have been too much to pay.
I had two new clients this year who came to me when the IRS sent them
letters stating that money was being withheld from their federal refunds
to satisfy last year’s unpaid tax liability to DC. Both had paid their
taxes on time and had canceled checks to prove it, but even after they
provided the copies to DC they continued to get threatening letters.
Another client was being challenged on his charitable deductions and job
expenses. I sent a well organized and complete package of every receipt,
but they still denied it, so we had to schedule a hearing. The hearing
officer and I simply went over the package they had already received;
nothing changed except they got me and the taxpayer to come in to see
them. They approved every single deduction plus one more that I found in
the meantime. Many people don’t take the time to fight it because of
the associated costs.
I just came back after an incredible conversation with a Revenue
Officer who started by telling me that since my (young) client has had
four addresses on file (only one current), they tend to “watch” that
kind of taxpayer for fraud! She then pointed out what I had done wrong
on her filing, but when she was asked to point out that particular
requirement in the D-40 instruction booklet, she could not. We went over
it together; she said she knows the rules, and that even if it is not
printed, it’s a rule! I should be surprised by that type of claim, but
for all I know she is right. At a Tri-state tax update several years
ago, an announcement was made by the DC Chief Problem Resolution Officer
that the survivor’s pension of a DC or federal employee was 100
percent tax free in DC. I sat there stunned and embarrassed that I did
not know such a basic rule, but then a man at the front of the room of
about 250-300 tax preparers stood up rather indignantly, turned to the
crowd, and asked how many people knew that rule. Maybe ten hands went
up. When pressed as to why there was no direction in the instruction
booklet or even a line item for that income reduction, the answer was
that there was “not enough room in the instruction booklet.” Huh?
Further, they did not know how long that rule had been in effect. I was
able to go back three years and amend all those returns for the widows
and widowers of DC and federal employees, but I am still wondering why.
It is frustrating, but all I can do to deal with it is plan ahead for
lots of time and consider it to be all in a day’s work. And the beat
goes on.
###############
Eleanor Holmes Norton; Political Patronage
Kyle Jay Sampson, aswadstone@aol.com
Since 1991, For nearly twenty years Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton
has “ represented” us in Congress. While the seventy-one-year-old
Norton is a nice lady, her time is up. She has not been effective. I
have a simple question. Why has no serious candidate ever emerged to run
against her?
Has anyone compiled data that he or she is willing to share on how
many Ward Democratic Chairs or other DC Democratic State Committee
members work in city council or the office of the mayor? If such data
does not exist, we need to compile a list.
###############
Whatever Developers Want, Developers Get
Libby Hunter, zetlir@gmail.com
I received your “No Rooms at the Inns” letter [themail, June 7]
on an E-mail list here in Ann Arbor. It’s a great letter. I think you
might enjoy a song I sang at our city council two weeks ago. It’s a
couple minutes long: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIoI3IMjvyk
###############
New York Times
Appoints Full-Time Social Media Editor
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
This is a step forward (http://tinyurl.com/q33flw)
and ought to be what newspapers in our town are doing. I don’t mind if
our city is seen as dimwitted, slow, or lethargic, but I sure don’t
want us to be perceived as a backwater (http://tinyurl.com/ncas72).
###############
Don’t Let the Door
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@macdotcom
My prediction that Nationals’ manager Manny Acta would not last
until the Fourth of July before being fired seems to be accurate. Fox
News had an announcement that Acta has been fired and will be replaced
with the Nationals’ bench coach. Perhaps this will preclude the Nats
from losing a record 120 games this season.
###############
DC Vote to Travel to Key States to Defeat Gun
Amendment
Jaline Quinto, jquinto@dcvote.org
In the wake of a months-long battle to remove an amendment to the DC
Voting Rights Act (H.R.157/S.160) that would gut the District’s gun
control laws, DC Vote is bringing their fight to the states. “We’re
going to send a clear message to members of Congress,” said Ilir
Zherka, DC Vote Executive Director, “you mess with the District and we’re
coming after you. We will not allow you to stand in the way of our basic
civil right to voting representation in Congress and full local
democracy.” DC Vote will partner with members of its coalition and
local supporters to travel to key states, place ads in local media and
rally supporters around the cause. First stop on the group’s agenda:
Mississippi.
“Representative Childers has gone too far in his attempts to write
DC gun laws,” said Zherka. “We think his constituents need to know
how he is spending his time. His constituents elected him to act as
their voice in Congress. But what he, and other pro-gun politicians are
doing, is expending their energy to write DC’s laws. We’re going to
states like Mississippi to tell constituents that their member of
Congress is standing in the way of DC’s right to democracy.” Rep.
Travis Childers (D-MS) introduced a bill last fall that virtually
eliminated DC’s gun control laws. The bill passed the House but was
never introduced in the Senate. In the current Congress, Childers has
been a key proponent of a similar gun amendment to the DC Voting Rights
Act. Zherka noted that DC Vote has traveled to Mississippi before and
looks forward to working with allies in the state. “The people I met
in Mississippi understood that DC voting rights is a crucial civil
rights issue,” he added. “They are willing to stand up and say that
‘DC deserves the same right to make their own laws that we currently
enjoy.’”
Zherka expects that DC Vote and supporters will be on the ground in
Mississippi sometime soon. He adds that the organization will also host
some events and activities in the District in the coming weeks. “There
will definitely be opportunities for DC residents to get involved even
if they can’t make the trip to Mississippi,” he emphasized. “We’re
putting members of Congress on notice and will need all the help we can
get here and in the states.”
###############
Are DC Democratic Leaders Out of Touch with
Voters?
K. West, kap8082@aol.com
Long live the Democratic Party. But lately the DC Democratic Party
and city leaders seem to be out of step, out of touch, out of sync with
many of the voters. With the worst financial crisis ever in the country
and around the world, the local Democrats’ primary mission seems to be
to wage war against traditional marriage. Following the council’s
somewhat clandestine vote to recognize same-sex marriage from other
jurisdictions, the Democratic Party, in conjunction with the Gertrude
Stein Club, which has two dedicated seats for its organization as well
as having many other members on the DCDSC, spearheaded an effort to get
the city to move past traditional marriage with one man and one woman to
open it up for other couples that want to bond in holy matrimony. Even
the DC Young Democrats have gotten into the act, calling for same-sex
marriage by supporting the “Marriage Equality” resolution., a
document calling for support for same sex marriage in the nation’s
capital.
Are DC Democratic leaders and the DC Democratic State Committee out
of touch with DC voters? Only three members of the council suggested
that they might be open to a referendum and only one member of the
council voted against same-sex marriage. The mayor voiced his support
for same-sex marriage. A heavy handed Attorney General sent a five-page
letter to the Board of Elections to block the referendum. It sounds a
little intimidating, especially since the AG acts like an appendage of
the mayor and does his bidding. What is wrong with allowing the citizens
to vote on the definition of marriage?
The hearing before the DC Board of Elections and ethics brought forth
a vigorous discussion of the issues. This was the kind of debate that
the DC Democratic Party apparatus should have arranged at the meetings
where Ward organizations voted on the same sex marriage resolution. The
DC Human Rights Act of 1977 should not prevent the people of DC from
being heard on this important public policy matter. The Human Rights Act
has existed for three decades without being thought to redefine
marriage. According to some legal experts, if a legally wed gay couple
from other states moved to California, their marriage probably wouldn’t
be recognized. According to Chief Justice Ronald M. George in the
majority opinion, “The identification of a right as ‘inalienable’
has never been understood to mean that such right is exempt from any
limitation or to preclude the adoption of a constitutional amendment
that restricts the scope of such a right.” To avoid all the confusion
and investment in time and money battling the issue, there probably
should be a national law that declares that marriage is between one man
and one woman so that states do not have to individually spend time
addressing the definition of marriage and fighting legal battles.
The DC Democratic Party and political leaders have to make sure that
they look beyond special interests and special interest groups. Don’t
force public policy down the throats of the voters without giving them a
chance to protest or challenge it. Put as much fervor into educating
citizens on the issues as is done in fighting gun laws and promoting
statehood/voting rights. The DC Democratic Party can’t be held hostage
to any group, and in a democracy the voters should have a right to be
heard and challenge laws. Show the citizens that they still have control
over how they are governed. DC Democrats seem to have forgotten this
when they challenged the right of citizens to put a referendum on the
ballot to repeal a same-sex marriage law. Citizens prefer to address the
issue via a ballot measure, but if they have to they can take redress at
the election box and vote out whomever they can to give government back
to the people. In the words of the ChiLites in a song many years ago,
“For God’s sake, you got to give more power to the people.” (http://www.lyricstime.com/the-chi-lites-for-god-s-sake-give-more-power-to-the-people-lyrics.html).
Otherwise, in the words of the Temptations, it’s a, “Ball of
confusion, that’s what the world is today.” The DC Democratic Party
and elected politicians must be accountable to all people. But right
now, they seem to be out of touch with the electorate. And it is all
right for Democrats to believe in values and traditional marriage. It is
okay to protect and preserve it for the future of America. Vote
Democratic but rethink what the leadership and the party must and should
stand for. DC Democrats need to establish a framework that fosters more
practical thought. Otherwise, they remain out of sync with the
electorate and beyond the advice and consent of the governed.
###############
InTowner
June
Issue Online
P.L. Wolff, intowner@intowner.com
This is to advise that the June 2009 online edition has been uploaded
and may be accessed at www.intowner.com. Included are the lead stories,
community news items and crime reports, editorials (including prior
months’ archived), restaurant reviews (prior months’ also archived),
and the text from the ever-popular “Scenes from the Past” feature
(the accompanying images can be seen in the archived PDF version). The
complete issue (along with prior issues back to January 2002) also is
available in PDF file format directly from our home page at no charge
simply by clicking the link in the Current and Back Issues Archive. Here
you will be able to view the entire issue as it appears in print,
including all photos and advertisements.
Special Note: We have now introduced a new way for visitors to our
web site to share their comments about our lead stories, the Scenes from
the Past feature, and the Publisher’s Desk commentary simply by
clicking the link at the bottom of each of those pages. The next issue
will publish on July 10 (the second Friday of the month, as always). The
complete PDF version will be posted by the preceding night or early that
Friday morning at the latest, following which the text of the lead
stories, community news, and selected features will be uploaded shortly
thereafter.
To read this month’s lead stories, simply click the link on the
home page to the following headlines: 1) “Aggressive Enforcement of
Restaurant Food Sales Vs. Liquor Sales Controversial in Adams Morgan”;
2) “Long a Kalorama Heights Eyesore, Empty Building Soon to be New
Apartments”; 3) “Adams Morgan Played Host to Bravo’s “Top Chef”
Stars.”
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Incidental Architect
,
June 15
George Williams, george.williams2@dc.gov
Gordon A. Brown, author and retired diplomat, discusses his
newly-released book, Incidental Architect: Williams Thornton and the
Cultural Life of Early Washington, DC, 1794-1828, on Monday, June
15, 6:30 p.m., at Chevy Chase Neighborhood Library, 5625 Connecticut
Avenue, NW. Incidental Architect describes the intellectual and
social scene of Washington in the late 1700s. Through the lives of a
prominent couple whose aspirations served as a model and a mirror for
the city, Gordon recounts how the city’s cultural and social
institutions were shaped.
A retired diplomat, Brown lives in the Chevy Chase neighborhood. His
previous books include the Norman Conquest of Southern Italy and
Sicily and Toussaint’s Clause: The Founding Fathers and the
Haitian Revolution.
###############
Department of Parks and Recreation Events,
June 15-17
John Stokes, john.astokes@dc.gov
June 15, daily operation of all outdoor swim pools begins,
Monday-Friday, 1:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. (except closed days) and Saturday
and Sunday, 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Enjoy a swim at one of outdoor pools in
one of the eight wards we serve. Minors under eleven years of age must
be accompanied by an adult.
June 15, 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., Macomb Recreation Center, 3409 Macomb
Street, NW. End of school fun day for all ages. Participants will enjoy
a day of field sports, refreshments, arts and crafts, and face painting.
For more information, call 282-2199.
Monday June 15, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Lafayette Recreation Center,
5900 33rd Street, NW. After school access party for ages eighteen and
under. Youth will enjoy music and light refreshments. For more
information, call Rachael PremDas at 282-2206.
Monday June 15, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Raymond Recreation Center, 915
Spring Road, NW. Cook out for ages eighteen and under. Youth will enjoy
cooking out, music, refreshments, and field games, 3 on 3 basketball,
and softball games. For more information, call Ellsworth Hart at
576-6856.
June 15, 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., Takoma Recreation Center, 300 Van Buren
Street, NW. Summer camp cookout kickoff for all ages. Summer Campers
will eat and fellowship. For more information, call Al Cook, Site
Manager, at 576-7068.
June 17, 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., Emery Recreation Center, 5801 Georgia
Avenue, NW. Over-the-hump celebration for ages 10-19. To celebrate the
end of the school year, recognize the academic achievements of our youth
and kick off the summer. For more information, call Sherman Nelson, Site
Manager, at 576-3211.
June 17, 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Marie Reed Recreation Center, 2200
Champlain Street, NW. Father’s day, for ages 8-15. Participants will
make Father’s Day cards for their fathers. For more information, call
Ms. Ludie Baker, Acting Site Manager, at 673-7768.
###############
Vouchers at the Ward 6 DC Republican Club,
June 16
Paul Craney, pauldcraney@yahoo.com
The Ward 6 DC Republican Club will meet on Tuesday, June 16,
beginning at 6:30 p.m., at the Old Navy Hospital, located at 921
Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. The special guest speaker will be Virginia
Walden Ford, one of the leaders in DC’s Opportunity Scholarship
Program, commonly referred to as the DC Federal School Voucher Program.
Ms. Ford will discuss the progress of the voucher movement and the next
steps.
Light food and refreshments will be served at the meeting. This
meeting is open to anyone who is open minded. To RSVP, or if you have
further questions, please contact Ward 6 DC Republican Chair Gary Teal
at gary.teal@gmail.com or at
365-9437.
###############
The Emancipation Proclamation’s Impact, June
17
George Williams, george.williams2@dc.gov
Dr. Joseph Reidy will discuss the impact of the Emancipation
Proclamation on Union and Confederate War Efforts on Wednesday, June 17,
at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library at 6:30 p.m. Author of From
Slavery to Agrarian Capitalism in the Cotton Plantation South, Dr.
Reidy is the Associate Provost at Howard University. Prior to that, Dr.
Reidy served as editor and co-director of the Freedman and Southern
Society Project at the University of Maryland, College Park from l984
through 1997. The project produced a series of prize-winning books that
highlighted the actions of enslaved people who fought to end slavery.
His latest work, African-American Sailors in the Civil War Navy,
seeks to identify the names of 18,000 men that served in the war and to
explain their service. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library is
located at 901 G Street, NW, near the Gallery Place and the Metro Center
subway stations.
###############
DC State Board of Education Meeting, June 17
Beverley Wheeler, Beverley.Wheeler@dc.gov
The DC State Board of Education (DCSBOE) will hold its regularly
scheduled public meeting Wednesday, June 17. At the meeting, the DCSBOE
will announce the 2009 Benneta Bullock Washington Scholarship award
winners. The State Board will also receive three presentations from
private organizations. The first will be from the Montessori Coalition,
the second will be from Pre-K for All, and the third will be a panel
presentation on the Common Core Standards. The public meeting will begin
at 5:30 p.m. at 441 4th Street, NW, in the District of Columbia State
Board of Education Chambers, located on the lobby level of the building.
Constituents who wish to comment at the meeting are required to
notify the State Board of Education in advance by contacting the
Executive Director, Beverley Wheeler, by phone at 741-0884 or by E-mail
at Beverley.Wheeler@dc.gov
before the close of business Monday, June 15. Please provide one
electronic copy and bring fifteen copies to the hearing for the State
Board members to view. The meeting will air live on DSTV Comcast Channel
99 and RCN Channel 18.
###############
Ward 3 Dems with Councilmember Mary Cheh, June
18
Thomas M. Smith, tmfsmith@starpower.net
The Ward Three Democratic Committee will hold a special Community
Dialogue With Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh to discuss critical issues
of importance to the community on Thursday, June 18, at 7:15 p.m. The
Committee also will debate and vote on a series of resolutions on
election reform, marriage equality, and statehood for the District of
Columbia. The meeting will be at The Great Hall, St. Columba Episcopal
Church, 4201 Albemarle Street, NW (one block off Wisconsin Avenue at
Tenleytown Metro). For more information, call or E-mail Thomas M. Smith,
Chair, Ward Three Democratic Committee, 364-7130, tmfsmith@starpower.net.
###############
Richard Morris author of Cologne No. 10 for Men, will speak on
Thursday, June 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Kensington Row Bookshop, 3786
Howard Avenue, Kensington, MD. Kirkus states that in this novel, “A
soldier in Vietnam invents a uniquely absurd solution to the horrors of
war . . . black humor . . . like Catch-22 or M.A.S.H. . . . A funny and
serviceable satire about the gross rationalizations that propel war and
peace.”
Cologne No. 10 for Men weaves together serious stories about a young
rifle platoon leader who falls in love with a Vietnamese girl, whose
gung ho spirit wanes in battle, and who is overcome by disillusionment;
a heroic black point man torn between his desire to marry the Vietnamese
mother of his child and the prospect of racial discrimination against
them at home; a chaplain afflicted with PTSD; and a Viet Cong spy who
plots against the American troops. Readers call it powerful — how war
changes men — and hilarious, zany and wacky: “tactics that foil the
army brass,” reliance on body counts to keep score and determine
victory, army socialism vs. communism, the necessity for war — to test
equipment, and more.
Richard Morris is a Maryland writer. Born in Pittsburgh, he received
degrees from Haverford College and Harvard University and was a rifle
platoon leader in Vietnam in 1967-68.
###############
Malcolm X Drummers and Dancers, June 19
Doc Powell, malcolmxdd@yahoo.com
Friday, June 19, catch a live performance of the Malcolm X Drummers
and Dancers at the Juneteenth celebration at Martin L. King, Jr.,
Library, 9th and G Streets, NW. Time to be announced.
To receive updates, please contact our founder, Doc Powell, at
459-8157. Visit us at http://malcolmxdrummersanddancers.weebly.com.
###############
themail@dcwatch is an E-mail discussion forum that is published every
Wednesday and Sunday. To change the E-mail address for your subscription
to themail, use the Update Profile/Email address link below in the
E-mail edition. To unsubscribe, use the Safe Unsubscribe link in the
E-mail edition. An archive of all past issues is available at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail.
All postings should be submitted to themail@dcwatch.com,
and should be about life, government, or politics in the District of
Columbia in one way or another. All postings must be signed in order to
be printed, and messages should be reasonably short — one or two brief
paragraphs would be ideal — so that as many messages as possible can
be put into each mailing.