Here we are, coming up on an election in D.C. this June 19. The article in your most recent edition, titled “At-Large Candidates Look Across the River” by Tatyana Hopkins, highlights the candidates running for the two at-large seats on the D.C. City Council. Ms. Hopkins gives us a nice overview of those candidates, and I appreciate the information. In my opinion, however, there is nothing that makes any one of them stand out. We who live in D.C. are always presented with the same pie-in-the-sky ideals that these candidates say they are going to work toward if they are elected. They all want better public schools, more housing options for low-income residents, and more business opportunities in Ward 8. The voting public wants these things, too, but no candidate has really explained how he or she plans to make a significant difference in any of those areas. We keep hearing the same rhetoric over and over again, but we see few positive or measurable results. Maybe that’s why a lot of people just say “ho-hum” on Election Day and decide to stay home.
Anita Fordham
Washington, D.C.
Reed’s Papa John’s Criticism on Target
I read The Informer regularly, and one of my favorite sections is the Business Exchange by William Reed. I just love reading his take on certain issues. As a Black man my views usually are so opposite of his, and reading his column gives me food for thought. But when I read his column this week, “What Has Papa John’s Done for You?” I thought, Wow, for once we agree! I think if you are a Black person, you should not buy or eat Papa John’s pizza. If the CEO of Papa John’s Pizza, Mr. Schnatter, a so-called Christian, thinks his business is being hurt by the protest of NFL players for the killing of unarmed Black men, wait until he sees his numbers after Black people stop eating his pizza. He can say all he wants about respecting the flag and our troops, but we know he is just playing into the whole thing that Trump put out there about “firing those SOB’s.” So if Mr. Reed is saying let’s stop eating Papa John’s pizza, I say let’s stop eating Papa John’s pizza.
Kenny Johnson
Washington, D.C.
