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Editorial
Editorial Archives
Friday, January 21, 2005; Page 18
King Parade Should Go On
The frigid temperatures, on the Monday, is what caused Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry to call off the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. parade for the first time in 27 years, according to staffers. Only once has the parade been cancelled and even then it was rescheduled for a later date that guaranteed warmer weather.
The fact that the coordination of the parade started late (which always tends to happen following the election of a new councilmember), the parade route was reversed in hopes of including the parts of the ward added as a result of redistricting, and the report that the councilmember, himself, had been under the weather, may have also contributed to the cancellation. Still, the cancellation raises suspicions that many residents of Ward 8 are beings asked to answer; and it all has to do with the health of the councilmember.
The question floating around is, “Who will run Ward 8 should Mr. Barry’s health fail him?”
Fortunately, for the ward, Mr. Barry was on the job the very next day representing residents in the manner of which he was elected to do. That’s a good thing, especially because the leadership in the ward continues to be as fractious and divided as it always has been. In many ways, the lack of leadership in the Ward has meant that things run on their own, which means things have been going considerably well in spite of it all.
The King parade is a big thing for this city and it should be since the District of Columbia, under the leadership of former Councilmember Wilhelmina J. Rolark, was one of the first cities in the country to hold such an event in honor of Dr. King, even before there was a national holiday.
Mr. Barry should not cancel the parade, but reschedule it for another day real soon. Besids, everyday is a day to celebrate the life of Dr. King. Further, it will give Mr. Barry another chance to ride in that convertible and say thank you to the folks who elected him to lead them. |
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