NBC 4: Victims father to Barry: "I'm not Shaking Your Hand and you are sorry"

As a resident who has had my requests for community help from Barry and Barry's office IGNORED and as a resident who knows of a laundry list of other Ward 8 residents who have been IGNORED by Barry and Barry's office when it comes to serious issues I totally understand this father's frustration - in fact I too have refused to shake Barry's hand on more than one occassion. Just yesterday, I was copied on an email from a frustrated and desperate Ward 8 resident who has contacted Barry's office on numerous occasions about another serious community issue (Peaceaholics opening a group home for juvenile offendors in a neighborhood already full of group homes) that can result in more violence in the Congress Heights community. The author of the email specifically addressed the violence of Tuesday night's shooting in her neighborhood and still the best she got in response from Barry's office is, "The councilmen is aware." I have my doubts about Barry's "awareness" but what the h*ll is he going to do about it?

Answer: Not a damn thing (pardon my french but I am beyond frustrated with this farce).

I have no doubts about Barry's continued apathy and self-serving nature when it comes to serious issues affecting my Congress Heights neighborhood (where he lives) and Ward 8 in general. Barry is not only dangerous for what he does do (which short of benefiting himself isn't much) but what he DOESN'T do - help Ward 8 lift Ward 8 up from within instead of using it as a stepping stool for his own personal benefit and to stroke his ego.

I can totally relate to this father's frustration and  thankfully Ward 8 residents  as a whole are finally wising up and becoming much more vocal about their deep dissatissfaction with the former "Mayor for Life."  Barry is MIA whenever it comes to addressing and fixing community issues - until there is a television camera involved and then he can't wait to shake someone's hand and pontificate about this or that.

Barry deserves not only a hand to the face but a swift kick in the behind!

Barry may consider himself "The Mayor for Life" but at the cost of how many lives?!

Shame on you Marion Barry! Shame on you!

Go HERE to read the accompanying NBC4 article.

P.S. For clarity and also because it annoys me to no end when news outlets just use the vague term "Southeast" this horrible shooting occured in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Ward 8. In fact the shooting occured on the border of Southeast and Southwest.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.



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