Shame Spiral, Thy Name is Marion Barry

Editors Note: This post was originally posted on 7/7/09 in response to Marion Barry's stalking scandal. Since that time further scandals involving possible conflict of interests and voicemail messages have been brought to light. Rather than create another long post about why I am still humiliated about my respresentation on the city council I would rather just repost. In fact I may just carry this around in my purse and just whip it out whenever I am blamed as a Ward 8 resident for Marion Barry being re-elected.

The Advoc8te would much rather discuss POSITIVE Ward 8 and River East news but unfortunately the antics of Councilman Marion Barry have once again thrown a monkey wrench in our hopes for the future. Yet again, we are forced to endure the all too familiar but no less humiliating escapade that continues to be the saga (or cautionary tale) of Marion Barry's life. Meet our latest reality show, The Marion Barry Show.

Whether you deem this latest controversy as a private or public matter the fact remains that Barry's personal life IS having a negative effect on his ability to perform his duties and therefore having a negative impact on the lives of his constituents. How can you focus on his achievements with all the distractions caused by his antics? How can you take someone seriously who is the ultimate political punchline? It is obvious from his refusal to resign (or move) that Marion Barry is without shame but must he continue to send me (and an entire community of folks) down a shame spiral with his never ending 3 ring circus of a life?

If there was ever a time for a "come to Jesus" talk it's now. I can't help but imagine that if this was not a Ward but a private company and if Barry was simply an employee and not a politician wouldn't the time have come by now for his boss to call him into the office, close the door and admonish him one last time about the frequency and length of his personal phone calls while on company time and finally give him his walking papers? The point I am trying to make is that there comes a point when your poor personal judgement has an impact on your professional goals or those of your employer. They are called "morals" clauses or the less formal but equally important "I am not going to embarrass myself or my company/organization/brand because of your shenanigans" clauses and if they aren't in city contracts (such as council member contracts) then they should be.

Barry's frequent run-ins with the law (there comes a point when you have to put your big boy underpants on and call it what it is) are detrimental to the progress that so many are working for in our community. It effects not only how Ward 8 and Ward 8 residents are viewed but how they view themselves. What an erroneous message to send that THIS is our best hope for representation. What does it say of our collective sense of self value? Of our VALUES?

We are forced yet again to endure another barrage of seemingly never ending slurs and prime time jokes leveled at the insanity and foolishness that must be the Ward 8 voter, because according to the entire nation only fools (or sadists) would continue to vote this man into office. I have my own personal theory as to how Mr. Barry has retained his Ward 8 seat despite all his legal and financial scrapes or his ever declining health. Almost anyone who is a newcomer to the Ward has experienced it in varying degrees - the distrust of outsiders and change. The Ward 8 culture is one where change is not only looked upon suspiciously but in many circles it is avoided like the plague. Change in any form is frowned on, is cause for an outcry and has become the litmus test for weeding out "the outsiders". Anyone who has casually used the term "River East" only to be verbally assaulted has experienced that fear of change firsthand.

Whether based in truth or in conjecture "change" in Ward 8 (or any any poor consistently disenfranchised community) has become synonymous with the scariest of all words - gentrification. It is this fear that with the change of old but familiar faces, new development and a new way of doing things that there will not be a place of the table for the original (often disenfranchised) resident. That is what is so scary for way too many and which is most baffling to most who aren't familiar with the Ward 8 culture of fear and distrust of outsiders.

Psychologically it is understandable. When a group of people have been historically left behind and overlooked in in terms of jobs, education and basic human services there is some basis for this fear of being "swept under the rug and then out of the door". No one doubts that Marion Barry, the politician is second to none. You will be hard pressed to find one so politically savvy and more in tune to the feelings and fears of his base. Therefore despite his failings (and there is no one in Ward 8 who can not concede there are at least some) his popularity at the polls is far less a reflection on his popularity but on the fear that drives them to the polls election after election. Barry's wins at the polls are far less an endorsement of the man but far more a desperate hope that they (the disenfranchised) will at least in some perfunctory manner have a place at the table - never mind that the seat is more figure head than function.

Barry in all of his different incarnations...hero or villain represents the last hope for so many. If he stays (despite all his shortcomings)...they stay. There is such a hope by his base that if they keep hanging in there with him one day he will finally come through for them - they use the early days of the summer jobs program as a reminder for themselves that this was a man of vision. Although the argument can be made that Barry has far less in common (economically speaking) with his disenfranchised base than ever before because despite the judgements, garnishments and liens on his salary Marion Barry is a man who earns $115,000 a year - a far cry from the average Ward 8 resident. He goes on exotic vacations when the average Ward 8 resident has rarely been far out of town. He regularly travels in circles with the movers and shakers of America when his residents are historically an afterthought at best. The undeniable and very sad truth is that the longer he stays in office the more it almost guarantees that his die hard supporters will ultimately be left (either through his retirement or death) totally unprepared for the change in culture and community that is coming. It would be far better for them to be stakeholders in the Ward 8 of today and tomorrow than victims of the broken promises of yesterday or years past.

There are no "timeouts" in the game of life just because you have a bad day or a bad player. The plans are still being made, deals for redevelopment are still being struck and more and more new residents move into the Ward everyday. You can't stop it. It's been happening and it's happening right now. For many the game will be in it's final stages before they even realize the game has even started. That is what makes Marion Barry so dangerous. That he is able to consistently and very easily able to manipulate misplaced fears of his base to advance his own agenda. Who but the die hard Barry supporter suffers the most from his inability to do a great job? Not only are they forced to defend his actions and numerous liberties with the law but they are generally the most in need of a capable (and focused) advocate in the form of an effective council member. For Barry's lifelong base it is far easier to believe that Barry is a victim of a huge conspiracy to bring him down as opposed the less complicated and far more likely scenario of a person past their prime trying to hold on to their job at all costs. A (lost) hope born out of out of fear, propaganda and apprehension is what Barry has and continues to benefit from.

In short, despite all my hopes to the contrary Marion Barry (in all of his cluster *&%! glory) is indeed Ward 8 news and as such he (and the never ending parade of news stories that his arrest has generated) must indeed be included on CHOTR. To be fair some of the coverage has been entertaining. Only a player (and former paid consultant) in the Barry drama would release a 3 PAGE STATEMENT to the media. The Advoc8te has seen less incoherent rambling on a discarded bar napkin.

Let's pray this latest Barry "mistake in judgement" is short and sweet and that hopefully (oh so hopefully) there can be a somewhat lengthy hiatus until the next Barry controversy.

So for all my fellow Ward 8 residents who are once again embarrassed, frustrated and dismayed by the latest Barry drama let us all hunker down, wait out the media firestorm and remember throughout to hope for the best (jail) but be prepared for the worst (reelection). Let us all keep in mind that our representation on the City Council is NOT representative of the many intelligent, truthful, law-abiding, tax paying and simply BORING members of the Ward 8 community.

What we wouldn't give in Ward 8 to have a nice BORING (and law abiding) Councilmember? Ahhh...I imagine it must be like Zanadu! The Advoc8te is hopeful that "we too shall overcome someday".

Oh well...here we go again.

P.S.The Advoc8te is considering posting one of those clocks on the blog that says "X Days since last Marion Barry scandal". I have a sneaking suspicion it would never get into the double digits.

For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner


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