Governing Gun Control - Inspired by "The Hidden Life of Guns"

     The latest installment of the Washington Post series, “The Hidden Life of Guns” came out today, broadening the scope of research to the nationwide effects of gun sales in the deaths of police officers.  Previous articles in the series explore gun sales in the Washington area, gun sale privacy laws and how quickly guns sold by dealers connect to crimes.  The most shocking aspect of this series is that everything that takes place up until the actual crime committed with the gun is protected under the varying and loose state gun laws.

     The Second Amendment states, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”  Gun laws differ from state to state, some taking the Second Amendment more literally than others.  In D.C., it is legal to own a firearm as long as it is registered with the police, since the handgun ban was rendered unconstitutional in 2008.  I think the laws in Washington, as well as other states, do not go far enough in regulating the area’s gun ownership and gun-related crime.

     The Post’s series shows alarming statistics on how easily people who have committed past crimes can get their hands on a gun.  Apart from stealing guns, there are “straw purchases”, in which the person with a criminal record has a girlfriend or relative purchase the gun for them or buys the gun with only a record of misdemeanors instead of felonies.  If it were up to me, gun sales would be illegal no matter what, but since our Constitution states otherwise, I think the laws should tighten up considerably.

     Gun control should be regulated under federal law, and should not be subject to the discretion of the state.  In gun-related crimes, the basic human right to life is at stake, from the lives of police officers to innocent bystanders, and these violations should have uniform regulation and punishment by federal law.  Lax gun-control laws in some states make it possible for people to buy guns and smuggle them into other, stricter states, making some of their regulatory laws difficult to enforce.  Strict laws would be easier to enforce if they were the same nationwide and every state put them into action.

     The series’ article, “How politics protects gun dealers”, discusses the Tiarht amendment and its effects on legal gun sales and crimes.  Under this amendment, information tracing guns used in crimes to gun dealers is confidential, protecting the gun dealers from lawsuits and criticism.  This amendment should be repealed, encouraging gun dealers to exercise more caution and discretion in selling firearms and limiting the instances of straw purchases.  The amendment helps these businesses stay afloat and make some sort of a profit, but at what cost does this profit come?

     Gun control is a difficult issue due to the varying values and opinions tied to it.  Some people think it necessary to own a gun for self-protection or protection of loved ones as well as occupational requirements.  I realize it is almost impossible to create federal gun regulations and stricter gun sale standards, but I strongly encourage anyone interested in the issue to read the series and consider the cost of our current gun control situation.

     

DC Urban Moms: From Advice to Gossip

     This week, Washington City Paper published an online article about Sidwell Friends’ football team.  It discussed our somewhat disappointing record and the possible causing factors.  However, what stood out to me most, aside from the incorrect facts and insertion of opinion in a news article, were the references made to the website DC Urban Moms.  On the site, a whole discussion board had been dedicated to the topic of Sidwell football, spanning a total of 33 pages.

     I had never heard of the website before this week’s article, and had no idea parents discussed high school sports in such depth online.  I looked at the site a bit more and its purpose was not so surprising anymore.  DC Urban Moms was initially created in 2001 as an advice forum for parents in D.C. on absolutely everything from finding toys for their children to help in the high school admissions process.  It is a community of over 5,000 members who can discuss and support each other on common issues of parenting in the D.C. area.

     But, there is a flipside to this type of online community.  Just as in any community, news can turn into gossip quickly, and with the added bonus of anonymous posts, it gets ugly fast.  Topics such as “What’s the Most Obnoxious Thing You’ve Heard a Parent Say at Your DC’s Private School?” and “Where Do Douchebags Send Their Children?” just beg for online drama.  I have yet to meet a parent who would post on this site in discussions such as these, but the fact that there are parents who do is a little troublesome.  There are plenty of websites where kids have these types of discussions, like Juicy Campus or Campus Dirt, but aren’t parents supposed to be a little more mature than their kids?

     There is no question the internet changed how most communities function.  It now provides new forms of communication, information and organization that were not available 10 years ago.  But, with this evolution of communities and the new cloak of anonymity, members need to keep in mind the purpose of that community.  Asking for and giving advice is a great way to create a strong community, but using it to discuss a high school football team’s off season or the reputations of certain schools causes that community to lose a certain credibility.  Parents, along with everyone else, are bound to gossip and talk about their kids at parties or on the sidelines, but bringing it to such a public platform as the internet may not be the most sensible idea in the world.

The Pros of Visiting a D.C. Bookstore

     Politics and Prose will always hold a special place in my memory.  When I was 11, I was extremely obsessed with the Harry Potter series (I still, less obviously, am) and the third book had just come out.  One rainy Saturday afternoon my mom told me we were going to Politics and Prose to see J.K. Rowling, and I could not contain my excitement.  We waited outside in the rain for two hours, and then we finally reached the book signing table.  My sisters and I proudly presented our copies of the first three books as they handed us lightning bolt tattoos.  My mom decided this was the perfect opportunity to try to be funny, and told Ms. Rowling, “My daughter Katie is 11 and we’re still waiting on her letter from Hogwarts.”  Ms. Rowling looked a little worried, and then asked my mom, “You know it’s not real, right?”  Years later and I’m still embarrassed.  I had met the author of the global phenomenon of Harry Potter and she thought I actually believed I had magical powers.

     Carla Cohen, the founder of the bookstore where this great childhood memory took place, passed away last Monday.  As I read her front page obituary I was surprised to see how famous Politics and Prose was throughout the country.  It was described as one of the political hubs of D.C. and had been acclaimed on multiple occasions in the New York Times. 

   To me, Politics and Prose means books, and more importantly, field trips.  Once a year in elementary school, my entire grade went down to Politics and Prose to listen to a different picture book author speak and show us his or her book.  Afterwards, we would have 20 minutes to explore the store and look at books.  These field trips were significantly more entertaining than the art museum trips, and I looked forward to roaming the store with my friends every year.

     Cohen’s partner, Barbara Meade, is in the process of selling the store.  As one of the most successful independent bookstores in the D.C. area, the next owner has some very big shoes to fill.  I hope, along with many other Politics and Prose fans, that the store will continue to be successful in future years and still be a place for great political minds to go as well as a site for elementary school field trips.  And of course, I will always need the physical reminder of that rainy Saturday with J.K. Rowling.

"Classic" D.C.

     As a fan of the Bravo “Real Housewives” series, I was ecstatic when I found out about Bravo film crews were coming to D.C. to shoot the first season of “The Real Housewives of D.C.”  After watching the glamorous lives of the women of Orange County and New York and the somewhat dramatic ones of New Jersey and Atlanta, I was curious as to how the women of D.C. would measure up.  Unfortunately, along with the Washington Post’s Reliable Source, I was disappointed.

     Of course I understood no one with real connections to the White House would be on the show for publicity reasons, but honestly, did they really have to choose the Salahi’s?  The season was filled with drama surrounding the couple and their escapades at White House events, with some sprinklings of the other housewives stating the not very well known “rules” and “etiquette” of “Waaaashington”.

     Watching the show made me realize how reality TV can transform anything.  The D.C. I know and love is so completely different from that of the Housewives’.  Hearing one housewife call one fall day with the leaves falling, “classic D.C.”, made me stop and think about what I considered “classic D.C.”:

·         Going downtown to the mall on a spring afternoon and walking around the monuments and the annual Cherry Blossom Festival

·         Runs along the C&O Canal

·         Going to the Verizon Center for Wizards and Georgetown basketball games

·         The average of two snow days a year from the usual three inches of snow

·         Walks in Rock Creek Park

·         Taking the occasional trip down to the National Zoo

·         Cupcakes

·         Two Amy’s Pizza

     The “Real Housewives” never got to these parts of D.C. and never got past the Salahi drama. I don’t know if it will make it to a second season, but the “Real Housewives of D.C.” definitely made me appreciate the D.C. I know and love. 

The WBC and the First Amendment

     The right to freedom of speech is one of the many liberties that make our country great.  Being able to speak one’s thoughts without fear of punishment, to report and publish the activities of the government and to freely communicate with whomever we choose.  But with this right comes much responsibility.  There’s the commonly known rule against not shouting, “FIRE!” in a crowded building when there is no fire, but there are other common human dignities that must be preserved when practicing this right.

     The right to privacy and the right to free speech collided in 2006 when the Westboro Baptist Church protested the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder in Topeka Kansas.  The small, family church group was protesting the war in Iraq, claiming that the death of Snyder was brought on by God.  The case against the WBC brought by the Snyder family will be heard in the Supreme Court in the coming months.

     The Westboro Baptist Church visited my school last November.  Attempting to get the attention of President Obama, they held pro-life signs on Wisconsin Ave. across the street from Sidwell.  They promoted the picket on their website, www.godhatesfags.com in the weeks leading up to it.  Sidwell students responded with a silent counter-protest, organized by the Gay Lesbian Straight Bisexual Transgender Club, wearing rainbow and holding the famous Quaker message, “There is that of God in everyone”.  I could not have been prouder to attend Sidwell that day.

     I think the members of WBC have the right to believe in whatever they feel is the truth.  They can preach it as much as they like in the appropriate arenas and those who choose to listen can.  However, there is a line when their beliefs and actions disturb and disrupt a funeral where a family is burying their son who died in combat.  Technically, the members of WBC have protection under the First Amendment, but they violated a more fundamental right than one that is granted by the government.  Every person has the right to bury a loved one in any manner they see fit; it is a basic human right.  The WBC can come and picket my school or any other school as much as they like, under the proper permits and regulations, and put any material that encompasses what they believe on their own website, but intruding on another person’s basic right to burial is not acceptable and should not be excused under the freedom of speech.  

Finally, Something We Can Rally Around

     As I write my latest blog post from the Georgetown DMV – one of D.C.’s more desirable places to spend a Saturday, an interesting topic comes to mind.

     Everyone at the DMV has a newspaper in hand to pass the long hours waiting for their number to be called.  I keep seeing headlines from all over D.C., from Politico to the Post, but one in particular catches my eye, “Answering Beck and call? Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert head to the Mall”.  Two of the women next to me excitedly discuss the October 30^th rally hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

     I was going to write about this week’s somewhat disappointing mayoral election, but the rally seems much more upbeat.  I had glanced at news alerts earlier this week about it, and one of my friends from the summer who lives all the way in France showed me the announcement clip on The Daily Show.  I loved the idea and thought it was hilarious, but had no clue it would make such a splash in the area.

     The planners of the event expect a modest turnout, only about 25,000 people compared to Glenn Beck’s estimated 87,000 rally attendees a few weeks ago.  But I still think that is an impressive number of people in the Washington area who are willing to put past political antics in a more comical light.  Although the event is being marketed as two opposing rallies, Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” and Colbert’s “March to Keep Fear Alive”, the joint message is clear: Americans need to chill out.  Yes, our country is facing recession and major party divides over issues such as healthcare and gay marriage rights, but there is a point where we need to pause and take a look at ourselves.  I think the Comedy Central-hosted rallies are the platform for Americans to do so.

     In August, when I first heard about Glenn Beck’s plan to rally in D.C., I thought either one of two things would happen: 1.) no one would take him seriously and go, or 2.) D.C. would be overrun by radical religious conservatives for a weekend.  I was wrong on both counts.  Though I may not have agreed with the motivations of the rally downtown, it was well attended and orderly.  After all the antics that have occurred on the Mall and elsewhere over healthcare and other recent party issues, it was a nice change of pace.

    The conduction of the Beck rally gives me high hopes for Stewart and Colbert.  Now they are holding a rally that moderate Americans, from either side, can support.  It is also more accessible to a younger audience.  I don’t think I’ve met a teenager who hasn’t watched Comedy Central at one point or another, and most of them have watched or heard of the Daily Show or the Colbert Report.  By pairing comedy with moderate political action, the average age range of the rally will be considerably lower than Beck’s, thus in a way, more influential. 

     This rally is the type of event that makes me proud to call D.C. my city, and I can’t wait to drive down and attend the “Rally to Restore Sanity” and “March to Keep Fear Alive” on October 30^th.

Progress on the Potomac

     A study was released Tuesday announcing the Potomac River is the cleanest it has been since the 1950s.  Though male fish are still growing eggs and mercury is on the surface of the river, it’s still a huge improvement from decades past.

     The Potomac River is one of D.C.’s famous natural sites.  Crew and sailing teams from D.C. area schools spend their early mornings on the water.  Boat tours take tourists past monuments and there are always families on boats in the summertime.  Joggers can be seen at all hours of the day running the concrete path along the river.

     Now, all of this sounds nice and looks beautiful on postcards, but I can tell you from experience, that water is gross.  I’ve been in the water twice after accidentally capsizing in a sailboat, (yes, we couldn’t keep it from going down twice) and it was not a pleasant experience.  It took hours for me to get rid of the smell.  I’m just happy I wasn’t there in the 1960s when “green goop” was common on the surface.

     Along with the pollution, 8-foot-long bull sharks have taken to swimming in the Potomac in the past few weeks.  I love sharks, they’re my favorite animals and I look forward to Discovery Channel’s Shark Week every August, but I’m not sure how I feel about them swimming so close to home.  With all of these happenings in the Potomac environment, the river seems more like the set of a sci-fi movie than a national site.

     The pollution in the river is slowly starting to clear up, thanks to steps taken by federal regulators.  And local fishermen enjoy catching and using the sharks as souvenirs.  The Potomac clean-up is exciting in more ways than one. 

     Maybe in later years the river can become more than just a waterway for boats to enjoy the monuments.  Maybe people will be able to swim in the river without fear of emerging a mutant or being featured on Top 5 Eaten Alive.  Maybe people could come to D.C. and go fishing for genetically normal fish.  Maybe the increased amount of sunlight that reaches the bottom of the river will allow for a more diverse and healthy wildlife.

    And maybe, one day, sailors won’t be afraid to accidentally capsize in the Potomac.

Capital Education

     It’s no secret that the D.C. public school system is not the best in the country.  Funding and interest in the schools are low compared to other states, which is somewhat disappointing seeing as we are the nation’s capital.

     Mayor Adrian Fenty appointed Michelle Rhee chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools in 2007.  Since her appointment, progress has been made in closing the gaps in reading and math proficiency between white and African American students.  But, test scores from the D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System show the progress slowed and, in some cases, stopped completely this past school year.

     Some Washingtonians are concerned about this sudden lack of progress and some view it as a setback for Rhee.  I think we should give her more time.

     Now I can’t speak from personal experience since I go to a D.C. private school, but you don’t need to attend one of the schools to know they need help.  Old buildings in downtown neighborhoods are the norm for D.C. public high schools.  Part of the problem is the large amount of poverty in Washington, as well as a previous lack of attention to the schools.

     Major improvements, even in education, don’t happen instantly.  It is clear there is a problem in the D.C. public school system, but in order to provide a permanent fix, more time and money are needed.  One year of slow progress is not an excuse to give up on the current methods and try something else.  Consistency and resolve are the necessary tools for the school system’s improvements.

    With a new mayoral election around the corner, the welfare of public schools has been brought to attention.  Gray and Fenty signs are posted up and down the streets of D.C. and voters are deciding who would do the best job as mayor and lead the school improvements.  As I said before, no strong proof has been shown that the improvements right now are not working, and it wouldn’t be so terrible to stay on this track a little longer.

Some Girls DO Know How to Throw a Ball....and Coach Football Too

     As I write my first official DC post after spending three weeks in Buffalo, I’ve decided to start with a story of something that happened to me a few days before I left.  I was at the Erie County Fair with my cousin and a few of her guy friends.  They heard I was from DC and one turned and asked me a question.

     “Are the Washington Redskins from the city or the state?”

     I thought he was joking at first but then the others started asking too.  Now I’m not a football expert but I do try to follow the unlucky Redskins during the fall and go to FedEx Field occasionally.  So my cousin and I both said pretty assuredly that the team was the Washington, DC Redskins.  They didn’t believe us and had to google it to check which amazed me further.  Being from DC I always thought everyone knew who the Redskins were, and I thought Buffalo Bills fans should too seeing as we had just beaten them the night before in a preseason game.

    Anyways, though this post isn’t about the Redskins, it is about football in DC and I figured that would be an interesting way to start.

    One of my older sister’s dreams is to be the head coach of an NFL team.  My mom even bought her a video game called NFL Head Coach so she could practice.  Her dream always seemed impossible, but now steps are being taken in that direction right down the street. 

     Natalie Randolph was announced the new Head Coach of the Calvin Coolidge High School football team on March 12.  She has spent all summer training the team and is preparing for her first fall season.  I can’t wait for her to start.

     Randolph’s style may be quieter and less up front than the average large male coach, but I think it will have the same if not greater effect on her players.  Coaching the game from a different perspective can help not only Coolidge but other teams as well.  Even if Randolph does not have a successful season this fall I think her work as a coach will inspire other schools to hire female football coaches, making the game more accessible to women.

     There is a women’s professional league that women can play and coach in, but it doesn’t compare to the men’s game in style or popularity.  Though women don’t play on the same scale as men they can still participate in the coach’s box, and with the help of Randolph, that’s becoming a greater possibility.

    So, unfortunately for my sister the glass ceiling of the NFL has not been broken yet, but Natalie Randolph and Coolidge High School have made a few small cracks.

Michelle and Sasha's Excellent Adventure

     People ask me, and every other DC kid, the same question every time I say where I go to school or where I’m from: Are you friends with the Obama girls?

     I’m always sorry to disappoint with my answer, but unfortunately I don’t usually hang out with 12- year-old girls in my spare time.  I also do not babysit for them or see Barack and Michelle on a regular basis.  So, although I am not close with the Obama family or hang out at the White House, they are the subject of my next post, more specifically Michelle and Sasha.

     Taxpayers across the country were frazzled earlier this week over Michelle and Sasha Obama’s trip to Spain.  The mother and daughter spent five days in Spain, touring the sites and having lunch with King Juan Carlos, but had no apparent political or diplomatic motivation.

     So they took a vacation, what’s all the fuss about?  Although Michelle paid for the meals and rooms during their visit, they travelled on the Air Force plane which is government funded, thus taxpayer funded.

     Our economy is not so great right now and people don’t like to hear their hard-earned money is being spent on European vacations, but I say more power to Michelle.  Anyone who has spent a day in DC this summer can attest to the extreme heat and apocalyptic weather.  Congress recesses in August so activity on the Hill slows down.  If you have the resources to take your daughter to Europe and can take advantage of the diplomatic relations you have there, I say why not.

    I understand that a large amount of money was spent to fly them overseas, but how else would they get there?  Though security has tightened on commercial flights, I don’t think it would be possible for the First Lady to hop on a Spanair flight….especially since air travel has been so pleasant recently.

     I don’t pay taxes yet, so I don’t really have a leg to stand on in this argument.  But from my point of view, I don’t see anything wrong with Michelle and Sasha’s Euro trip and I hope others will not lose respect or change their opinions of the First Lady from the vacation.

     

Immigration, Drunk Driving and Tragedy

     Before I start my first post (which is unfortunately pretty somber) I would like to admit that although the point of this blog is that I live in DC while the news goes on, my first two posts will be written from Buffalo, New York.  I promise to try to keep my DC state of mind as much as possible.

     Illegal immigration dominated the news this week with Congressional talk of changing the 14^th amendment and further debate on the Arizona immigration bill and other such legislation. 

    The issue really hit home when a Bolivian man in the country illegally hit another car in a drunk driving accident, killing one nun and injuring two others in a Virginia suburb.  Not only was the issue of drunk driving in play, but the timing could not have been more perfect for the immigration issue, making the story national news.

     But what do illegal immigration and drunk driving have to do with Washington teenagers?  Well, I’m happy to say I haven’t had any direct involvement with either issue, but the accident brought to mind some interesting thoughts.

     I want to first look at the victims of the tragic accident: three nuns from the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia.  I went to Catholic school from preschool to eighth grade, and belong to Blessed Sacrament Church in the archdiocese of Washington.  I’ve volunteered with my mom at Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of nuns who run an assisted living home in Northeast DC.  From these experienced I learned that the Catholic faith network is strong in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area, and a tragic accident for a few is felt by all in the region.

     I would like to offer my sympathy to the Benedictine Sisters for their loss and urge everyone to pray, in any form at all, for Sister Denise Mosier, Sister Charlotte Lange and Connie Ruth Lupton.

     Now the man in custody: Carlos Martinelly Montano of Bolivia.  I said before that I have no direct relation with illegal immigration, but I do think I can talk about the drunk driving aspect.  The accident made national news because the man is an illegal alien, but the fact of the matter is that the same accident could have happened, with the exact same outcome, with a drunk Virginia or DC or Maryland resident behind the wheel.  As a high school student I have heard horror stories of teenage drunk driving and unfortunately, bragging stories as well.

     Although such stories, when turn to tragedy, don’t make national headlines, are just as serious.  Aliens and anchor babies aside, drunk driving is a serious issue and should be examined just as much as the legitimacy of citizenship in these situations.

     Before my post turns too preachy, I would just like to end by offering my final view on the Virginia accident.  Three major factors came into play in one car crash: illegal immigration, the Catholic Church and drunk driving.  The combination of these factors and their nationwide importance is what made the accident so newsworthy, but I would like to keep in mind that it was still a horrible car accident, killing one and critically injuring two.