Memo To the Style Section: Do Some Goddamn Reporting!
On Sunday, Washington Post staff writer DeNeen L. Brown released the results of her immersive study on the H Street NE corridor. It's gentrifying, she says. There are issues of race and class everywhere, she concludes. Other results include the suggestion that white people are uppity assholes.
Capping on white people, of course, is always a surefire route to a lively reader comments section on washingtonpost.com. Adopting the racially coded language of urban hatred, Brown equates "newcomers" to white people. Then she proceeds to question whether the newcomers are smart enough to appreciate "street wit that doesn't come with a degree." She slams the newcomers for wanting to remake the place in their own image and other transgressions, too.
The most damning evidence of uppity, racist newcomers comes courtesy of a bartender at U Street haunt the Argonaut. Twenty-six-year-old Courtney Rae Rawls recalls an incident with some white Argonaut patrons who were writing on their table with Argonaut-provided chalk. Here's how Brown tells the story:
Rawls says most nights, things are cool. But she hesitates. Then she tells a story. She was serving some white patrons. They began writing on the table and she asked them to stop. They ignored her. She repeated: "Please, guys, quit writing on the table. Nobody wants to rub their elbows in chalk."
The customers laughed. They picked up the chalk again.
Exasperated, the bartender yelled: "Come on, ya'll grown people!"
A white woman at the table mocked: " 'Ya'll grown people!' What kind of language is that?"
Bartender: "What?!"
The woman: "You ought to be glad I bought a $500,000 house in your black ghetto neighborhood."
When I first read that anecdote, I said to myself, Hmm, that seems unlikely. Gentrifiers who are racist generally have a more subtle way of making their points these days.
And on today's chat with Brown on washingtonpost.com, there's some evidence that the anecdote IS bullshit. Here's a post from the chat:
The only factual parts of that story were that we were indeed writing with chalk on the tables (what else would a bucket of sidewalk chalk on the table be for) and that a confrontation ensued. Contrary to what appeared in the story, the confrontation did not take on any race/class overtones until Ms. Rawls said "Y'all wouldn't act like this in your own neighborhood." We replied, as proud Capitol Hill residents, "this is our neighborhood." To which Ms. Rawls replied, "You are the kind of people that are ruining this neighborhood." We were minding our own business and having fun (maybe a little too much fun) until Ms. Rawls launched into a tirade.
And another point: If Brown and the Post Style section really want to get at the bottom of the racial divide on H Street, why don't they do some reporting? Check out this incident from the story, in which Brown is hanging out with nightlife entrepreneur Joe Englert:
You ask him: What makes white people move into an area they dared not go for many years. What is the tipping point?
"It's kind of like a field of dreams, 'If you build it, they will come.' It's my yoke," he says. "People are looking for an excuse to go out." The city is where life happens, he says.
Why ask Englert? He lives in Glover Park. If Brown really wanted the answer to that question, I'm sure she could have posed it to some of these "newcomers." But why bother with that when you can tar them all with a dubious barroom incident?
2:24 pm
I'm not sure whether this incident happened as originally described or not, however I don't understand your quick assertion that it's "dubious" or "bullshit." What makes the "evidence" (and I use this term loosely) above, presumably from one of the patrons in question, worthy of more weight than the bartender's account?
2:32 pm
Again, Wemple, bring back the media column.
Plus make it clear up there that two people wrote in about the Argonaut incident: One witness who said the anecdote wasn't accurate, and then the actual party who wrote in to give his or her side of the story.
The this is "MY neighborhood" attitude pervasive in the story and in D.C. politics is just fucked up beyond belief. Yeah, people in Foxhall with covenants not letting blacks, Jews, and others in felt it was MY neighborhood too. And then saying that in D.C. the gentrifiers are all white is just not true. I see plenty of uppity black people walking into Langston Lofts besides Garance Franke Ruta. And U Street is a good example of "gentrification" ruining this city. Does anyone, ANYONE at the Post remember what was at 13th and U before the Langston Lofts?? A parking lot. How is that kicking people out of my neighborhood??
Bring back the media column and stop this bullshit.
2:48 pm
In response to Bryan: As I stated in the item, the incident touched off my bullshit detector in a big way. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty here: First, from the very first line of the piece, the author signaled her intention of slamming white people. That was what the piece was all about. On the bar scene in particular: The story made it sound as if the white patrons had brought their own chalk in and schemed to write on the table. Now we find out that the chalk was Argonaut-supplied. That fact alone mitigates the portrayal of the bargoers. Second, I may be naive here, but today's white gentrifiers generally don't speak like that. They just don't. If they're racist, they tend to be racist in far less confrontational ways, in ways that don't leave tracks, in ways that don't end up getting them fired. You make a good point about evidence: The bartender's on the record; the others aren't, at least not yet. I'm interested in reporting this out, sp hopefully we'll get to the bottom of this. Thanks so much for writing in.
3:33 pm
i caught the story in yesterday's post and it made me uncomfortable for many of the reasons above. but i think it also bothered me because i am probably one of the gentrifiers (horrors!) brown hates so much.
as a white "newcomer" to DC’s shaw district, i agree with erik's skepticism of the bartender's anecdote. maybe it's because i could never afford a $500,000 house, but i could never imagine talking to one of my new neighbors like that. i am usually overly aware of my whiteness, and i probably go to far-too-great lengths to compensate.
even if the story is true, brown and her editors, by the very nature of their profession, still have the responsibility report stories objectively AND completely. this means, at the very least, talking to both parties involved to sort out the facts and report credible, reliable information. it's pretty basic stuff. using a one-sided story to evidence a claim is an elementary mistake, something that should have been nipped in the bud in high school at the latest. someone at the post should have caught it before the story went to print.
oh well. maybe that’s why it was in the Style section.
3:56 pm
I am the victim in all this! I live in Cleveland Park. We are keeping it real up here. Sometimes, the local Starbucks is out of Soymilk!
4:11 pm
Re: Erik's point --
Second, I may be naive here, but today’s white gentrifiers generally don’t speak like that. They just don’t. If they’re racist, they tend to be racist in far less confrontational ways, in ways that don’t leave tracks, in ways that don’t end up getting them fired.
Umm, to further amplify this, I'd say that the kind of "white" people who want to live in the city, and partake of the city experience, are likely interested because they appreciate and want to live in a diverse multicultural place.
That's why I wanted to move to this city. And I am lily white.
I chose to live in the neighborhood I did, H Street (4th and I to be precise, at least back in Sept. 1987), in part because I believed that as a whitey growing up in the suburbs (after leaving the City of Detroit in about 1972) that I likely was shaped by institutionalized-socialized racism that I preferred to confront -- not by calling neighborhoods "ghetto" which is something I have never done, ever -- but by living in a place that was "different" and made me uncomfortable at times, and a place where I needed to challenge my own thinking.
Interestingly, related to this point is the other Post article the same day in the Outlook section about "Millennials" about people in their 20s who are much more comfortable being with, dating, etc., people of other races. Again, these people are more likely to want to live in the city than people who are racist, either overtly or covertly.
4:12 pm
Memo to Erik Wemple: Your constant, pointless Post-bashing became tiresome years ago. Perhaps if you spent more time concentrating on your own paper, which has become a sloppily edited shell of its former self, it would actually become readable again.
4:28 pm
Erik: I can't speak for the author, but I didn't see the article as slamming white people. I interpreted the opening line that you refer to as a comment on how comfortable this woman is in her neighborhood. Apparently these guys just assumed that since she's white, she must be terrified. However when she simply walked by, this must have puzzled them, which explains why they had to shout after her as she basically just ignored them. In my opinion that doesn't reflect badly on her - it makes them look like chumps. Regarding the bar patrons, I wasn't there so I don't know who's telling the truth. However while I agree with your point that racism tends to be subtle more often than not these days, I'm also of the mind that sometimes people are more comfortable saying and/or doing stupid things when they are in a group and think that they have backup. And when you add alcohol as a potential factor (I don't recall if the article said this group was drinking at the time), it doesn't add up to an open and shut case for me. Thanks for responding.
4:58 pm
Why is it so hard to believe that this type of thing happens in DC? I have witnessed overt racism much more horrifying than Ms. Rawls story. This "Angry White Male" reading of the article as an attack on whites is hilariously typical, albeit myopic and pretty disappointing. It's clear that the author is just trying to show a cross section of a changing neighborhood.
I'm also a little unclear as to what responder emleaman's ability to pay $500,000 for a house has to do with anything. Are you trying to assert that houses in capitol hill dont cost that much? Please peruse the Real Estate section.
Your response makes me lose hope for any sort of racial reconciliation on H Street or anywhere in this city.
5:12 pm
I'm going to agree with Lola. While I don't believe the incident happened the way the Post described it, I've seen incidents of yuppie racism or at least yuppie rage: a white boy thug chasing a homeless man down an alley in Adams Morgan for no reason, a white boy offering a "tip" to a CVS cashier in the form of pennies. The latter incident at least felt racist to me.
It also seems that once a year some neighborhood message board blows up over a poster's racist comments. And of course there's the MPD commander's gafe about black people being out of place in Georgetown. That comment had to come from somewhere.
5:15 pm
Everyone keeps writing about the fact that whites are coming into the neighborhood and changing it, and the blacks are upset. This is way too simplistic. I live in the area, and I have since 2000. My neighbor who is black has been there for 40 years. We enjoy handing out in our front yards and talking on nice summer evenings. He told me how great the area was before the riots.
A lot of us get along perfectly well. Both my neighbor and I get upset when we see people litter, when we see vacant buildings and owners that will not sell and also will not fix them up, when we see people pissing in the alleys, and when people double park.
He considers it his neighborhood and I consider it mine, but neither of us is pompous or ignorant enough to say that it doesn’t also belong to the other. I am sure he sees changes he likes and changes he doesn’t. I do as well and our views are not necessarily the same. We realize that it is our neighborhood but it is also that of thousands of other people. You can not stop the changes on H, that train has left the station. Now you have to make a choice either get hit by the train, get out of the way, or jump on board, it is going to be a wild but fun ride.
5:18 pm
I'm the one quoted in the article, and I'd like to say a couple of things about this. First of all, the incident in question did not go down exactly as the article states...there were a few minor differences. I wasn't waiting on this group (I wasn't working at the Argonaut at the time) but it's true that I did confront the group about their behavior at the table after they'd been asked by the bartender to stop drawing on the table. Not everyone in the group was rude, but there was one woman and one man in particular who I certainly felt took the altercation to a racial level (and yes, they were drinking). I don't accept responsibility for having taken it to a racial level. I related this incident to DeNeen NOT because I thought that it was representative of the average H St. encounter (because it DEFINITELY is not!) but because it was so extreme (yes, one of the women really did say that I should be glad she bought a $500,000 house in my "ghetto black neighborhood"). I agree that most racially-charged incidents these days are more subtle. This was not one of them. I have experienced my share of subtle and overt racism in my life (being asked if I had a tail, being called a nigger and having a bottle thrown at me, etc etc etc) and this ranked up there with those two incidents. The Argonaut is a comfortable place to be--H Street is a comfortable place to be. There is a lot of character and love on that street. While I'm glad this is sparking conversation, I would like the chance to have a less emotionally-charged conversation with those involved. Don't know how that could happen, but I'd be open to it. I'm not of the mindset that gentrification ruins a neighborhood, but these kinds of miscommunications can.
6:12 pm
Rae,
This is the exact same thing that happened to the co-owner of the H St Martini Lounge during the Cluck-U flap. He basically had a quote taken out of context, inflated, and burnished up until it was a "major incident" representative of deep racial divisions on H Street, and thus a great peg to hang a Post gentrification story. For some reason, The Post feels a need to drum up racial strife every few months. Sorry you got caught in the middle. Also, sorry you had to deal with drunk assholes. I'm curious, what did the other patrons of the bar do?
6:40 pm
Rae et. al.,
I'd love to get a bunch of folks together for a frank discussion of race issues in the area. Not emotionally charged, but for the purposes of education and awareness. Would there be any interest on anyone's part?
8:34 pm
I'm moving to the DC area from the Midwest. I bought a place in Old City next to Capitol Hill. I'm wondering what the defenders of the neighborhood would rather have me do: live in a condo in Arlington or "their" neighborhood? I'd love to be in an ethnically diverse area and plan on working to make the neighborhood a better place by patronizing locally owned establishments, like Sidamo and Martini Lounge.
Ultimately, I think this is rooted in psychology fundamentals: people like people who are similar to themselves - in appearance, background, and other characteristics. Seeing beyond gut emotional reactions takes thoughtfulness and purposeful intention.
9:19 pm
I agree with Todd and have a somewhat similar experience - I'm one of the 'newcomers' to the area, having bought a house north of H Street last summer after renting in DC for the previous 7 years. My wife and I were somewhat apprehensive about moving to the neighborhood when we bought the house but since that time there hasn't been a single day that I'm not thankful that I did. We have wonderful neighbors and I already know more of them than I have in any neighborhood I've lived in my entire life. I'm sure people in other parts of DC feel this way too, but I feel like my neighborhood is some place special.
As for the Post article, it was incredibly lazy - I've read the same piece under different bylines over the last five years or so about Shaw and Columbia Heights. Maybe the writer interviewed more locals - both new and old - than the article was able to portray after editing, but I feel it could have used a lot more more of that and a lot less of the tired meme of "new young white homebuyers clash with longtime black residents" tone that I got from it. The piece offered absolutely zero insight into the neighborhood as far as I can tell.
9:28 pm
Does the fact that the white woman at the beginning of the story gets into her SUV and drives off maybe indicate to anyone else that she might not live in the immediate neighborhood?
9:56 pm
According to the Post's property values and recent sales database, there's a DeNeen L. Brown who lives in Montgomery County. Do you think it's author's house? If so, she likes to talk the talk but doesn't walk the walk.
12:40 am
Wow, Rez did some digging!
10:51 am
My wife and I have lived one block off H st for a few years now. I'd like to see some reporting on the property owners on H who are sitting on their properties and not developing them or putting them on the market. Which is worse? "Newcomers" bringing change, or current owners keeping their property in a state of blight in order to cash in some time in the future?
10:53 am
For those considering "gentrifying":
The attitude with which you move into a neighborhood will determine your experience there.
Believing that you are SAVING a neighborhood is arrogant... believing that there was no REAL neighborhood before you is ignorant... and arrogant.
Here's a tip. GOOD neighborhoods are made up of GOOD neighbors. Do not assume that your neighbors are bad people.. they probably are not.
If you move ANYWHERE and act like a jerk that is how the residents will treat you.
10:58 am
I also feel compelled to say that I thought the Post article was terrible in both substance and style. I would have put it down 3 graphs in if it weren't about my neighborhood because it was just painful to read.
1:14 pm
I agree with Mike S. The only reason I kept reading was because I just KNEW that the article was rigged. I thought that at some point it would get better, but sadly, it never did. I felt like a fool at the end. What was up with the thirteen pennies? Deneen should put her tape recorder down and go back to writing bad poetry (which I'm assuming is her former occupation with all of the sad attempts at lyricism and depth in a story that just wasn't one).
1:23 pm
I'd like to co-sign Mike S' call for a story on abandoned properties on H St. This might even deserve an ongoing series. Who owns all of those buildings? Why have some of them been vacant for decades? Are there future plans for some, most or all of them? If not, why not, for the ones whose owners have no plans for them at all? Does the city own any of them? Are their back taxes due? Is there a plan to get them to sold to developers or parties who will put businesses or residential properties therein? Heck, maybe I should try to pitch the story to the Post myself. All they can say is "no". And I have a few published clips from years back.
2:00 pm
I would like to weigh in if I may. I have lived within two blocks of H street for over 5 years now, and bought a place even closer to H in the last year. I understand that race has to be an issue, because this wouldn't be America if someone didn't bring race into every discussion. But to me, the major issues with the neighborhood are not rooted in race, or racial tensions, but with a status quo that enables panhandling, loitering (with "singles"), public urination, and littering. As you look out your front window and see someone walking by, deciding to relieve themselves onto a building wall in plain sight, then proceed to throw their fast food garbage on the ground less than a foot from a clearly visible trashcan, one can't help but wonder why or how this part of the city reached a point where this is acceptable. Is this complete lack of respect for the neighborhood a race issue? Well let me ask, before the newcomers arrived, were these problems here? Are residents acting out against newcomers by violating their own neighborhood? I don't think so. I think the climate here is not afflicted by racial divides but over what one thinks is acceptable, while their neighbor sits in disgust. Can we attribute one set of actions to a specific race? To do that would be the epitome of ignorance and stupidity. So, truly, the biggest issue in the neighborhood is the chasm between those looking to improve the landscape versus those who want to keep the status quo. It is delusional to think that racism is not present in this process of improving the neighborhood, but I think it is important to understand that the racist elements (going both ways) will ultimately be swept away by the unification of the neighborhood in an effort to make wide scale improvements. These improvements that many people (black and white) are excited for, are not designed to discriminate against anyone, but rather to improve the quality of life of everyone living in proximity to H street. Is there anyone that believes that 85 boarded up buildings is OK? Is it acceptable to have drugs sold openly on H street? is it acceptable to have shootings occur? Is it acceptable to have someone urinate on your front step, or spend time every day to pick up garbage from your yard or on your sidewalk because people don’t care enough to use a trash can? Is there anyone out there that believes a white person would answer these questions any differently than a black person?
The class issue, is the only logical and potentially resonating argument one can make over the divide on H street. One element would like to improve the infrastructure, see businesses come to H Street, and watch the neighborhood develop into a somewhat self sustaining community. Another element (I believe) would prefer to have the status quo so that they do not have to take ownership in their neighborhood and let these aforementioned problems, be someone else's problems. However, can anyone rationally and honestly complain about the possibility of a 12 block strip with a clean and neat looking thoroughfare, with a diverse mix of shops restaurants, entertainment, and residences? Change is never accepted easily, but so many elements of American culture and elements of this city have changed for the better. Ultimately, these positive changes leave us with something to be proud of and happy with. While the change itself is tumultuous, requiring fortitude to see out the realization of those changes, the end result is so much more important. That end result is the improvement of a once important part of this city. And yes, that may mean that housing will be less affordable for some. And yes that may mean that some elements will have to take their destructive attitudes to other places; but what should remain is a unified neighborhood with a positive landscape, and a thriving economy. Can anyone begrudge someone else for wanting the place they live to resemble that image rather than the one filled with drug deals, litter, and the stench of urine?
Lastly, I acknowledge that one can not eliminate race from the current landscape. It is impossible to ignore the racism that does exist. But through my interactions within the community much more often than not I recognize people as neighborly than as instigators of racial tension. Eventually, the hate has to be mitigated by action. I believe patrons in the Argonaut that night should have made the individual who commented about "buying a 500,000 house in your black ghetto neighborhood" to fell as if they are almost subhuman...as a means to drive that type of mentality out of this neighborhood. Apathy is part of the greater problem in this neighborhood. I believe the same should apply for those that witness a group of young men belittling a white couple walking. And even more revolting is the apathy that allows the street preachers on 8th and H to preach their hate. Would it be even remotely acceptable if someone were to hold a clan meeting on a street corner in DC? Don't you think all races would be expected to stand up against that kind of behavior? Apathy in that situation would not be even remotely acceptable, yet in this current climate on H Street...Apathy reigns.
2:46 pm
During the Post chat, Brown was faced with two separate claims that the Argonaut incident didn't happen as she reported--one by the chalk writers themselves and another by a patron who witnessed the event but was not involved--and she essentially dismissed both individuals. It's really disconcerting to learn that even Ms. Rawls can say that the story wasn't reported quite right--it supports the overall notion that this "slice of life" piece isn't authoritative at all, and therefore mostly useless.
Brown's piece backs the idea that DC residents are entitled to a sense of ownership over their respective neighborhoods to a degree that allows them to dictate who can come and go, thereby implying that black resisdents are allowed to do so on H St. in order to protect a culture or sense of history. This is a dangerous and wholly unfair perspective to advocate, since the city and its neighborhoods belong to everyone. Public places cannot discriminate in that way. H St. in particular has seen a great deal of change over the years and Brown was irresponsible to imply that only its most immediate history matters and that it white residents cannot positively contribute to some notion of what might be the "right" future for the neighborhood in this respect.
3:51 pm
"Right living in a place entails a neighborly acquaintance with those who lived there in previous times."
Tim Robinson in "Connemara: Listening to the Wind"
4:25 pm
Here's a first hand report of the chalk incident after it happened:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/goingoutgurus/2005/12/rhomes_2005_cd_picks.html
"Hello, I am not looking for a forum in which to complain, but rather to warn readers. I went with a group of friends to the Argonaut this past Saturday night and was immediately taken by the fun bar scene that has so unexpectedly cropped up on H Street. A huge carrell of chalk was placed on our table and we thought this was so much fun! What a breath of fresh air to the normal stuffy DC bars we were all used to going to. Unfortunately, after we drew on the walls (which were an unfinished paint) our waiter asked us not to draw on the wall. We were very apologetic and quickly erased our artwork with some water. Since they had given us chalk, we figured it would be okay to at least write on the table, which we did. As we got up to leave, another patron started arguing with us about our lack of disrespect for the bar (and then the neighborhood, which we all have lived in for at least five years) by drawing on the table. We imhmediately apologized and said we thought the chalk meant we could be creative and we immediately started to rub away our artwork. The girl and then the waiter immediately started arguing with us and giving us an incredibly hard time until they forced us out. They said we didn't belong in the neighborhood and were everything that is wrong with Capitol Hill. I will never go back to the Argonaut until I receive an apology from the owner because of the terrible treatment my friends and I received. I would warn folks from going there as well, for fear of attack."
and here's another blog on the subject from the same time:
http://scenicartisan.blogspot.com/2006/01/resuming-my-group-art-project.html
".....The bartenders seemed pretty happy to have us there, which was great. Also, the night before a group of people drew all over their walls with chalk. After being told NOT to do that, since the staff would have to spend lots of time scrubbing it off the walls, they got beligerent and called the cops after they left the bar. There were even accusations of racism when they got tossed out.
Needless to say, the staff thought it hysterical that we came in the following day and drew on paper."
12:38 am
With all due respect, I'm originally from New Orleans, so I have seen plenty of public urination and littering from folks of all backgrounds. LOL. But seriously, I did just see someone walk out of the backdoor of an Englert establishment to relieve themselves on an alley wall on St Patricks Day. I thought about yelling out the window "Cut that out, you idiot!" but decided it wasn't worth waking my 3 year old daughter up to do it. The funny thing is, at the least homeless guys who urinate in the alley genuinely think that no business would let them in to use a restroom. What's the excuse for the guy I saw out back behind the Showbar, who walked *out* of an establishment with a restroom to do that? *shrug* And for those keeping racial score at home, he was white.
I think that there are hardworking people who have lived in this neighborhood for years who are just as shocked at public urination and littering as you are. If you'll notice, most of those activities happen on the H Street corridor, which is flooded with people who don't live in the immediate area (for folks who have been paying attention, there is a huge transient population passing through H, from homeless folks to winos to junkies...why they choose to congregate on H is beyond me, other than the former presence of a heavy heroin strip around 7th & H and the preponderance of liquor stores...apparently the H Street Storage space is also heavily trafficked by homeless folks who hold their stuff there and use it as a de facto day time shelter...lastly, perhaps police enforcement curtails this in other areas? there is or was a HUGE shelter on 14th but loitering in the immediate area around that shelter is something I have rarely witnessed on an H Street scale; conversely, the loitering that occurs (occurred?) around MLK library and the women's shelter next door seems to not come with the accompanying littering and public urination that H gets, perhaps due to a BID cleaning it up or police cracking down on certain behavior? or maybe folks go in the library to relieve themselves).
Wow, I typed a lot. I'm going to pipe down now.
1:05 am
Oh, and I have to point out that no self-respecting media critic can question the account of one journalist without going out and doing the research necessary to further flesh out the allegedly questionable account. The blogger here should have vetted the Argonaut anecdote BEFORE he accused the reporter of misreporting an incident...mistakes of fact can only be corrected with the uncovering of new FACTS, not guesswork about what you think a "gentrifier" might or might not say. What is interesting is none of the detractors state a plausible middle ground between the server's account and the patrons' account. And the parties counteracting the server do so anonymously. As a part-time media critic myself, I always give less credence to sources that refuse to identify themselves, absent threat of bodily harm or damage to their career. The third party in the WP chat who says she overheard the incident, for example, had no reason not to include a name (the fact that she, by her own admission, was sitting by a jukebox at the time is also damaging to her claim to have properly heard the conversation in question, because wouldn't the music being played therefrom have some effect on her ability to properly hear the entire exchange?). The patron who was "blind with rage" also likewise had no reason to withhold his or her name. Without being identified, we have no way to vet their accounts.
Lastly, even if the Argonaut left the chalk there, their agents and employees still have the right to request to patrons the reasonable manner in which those supplies can be used in their establishments. DC allows minors to be brought into liquor establishments (I brought my daughter to the Argonaut for brunch), so it is not entirely unlikely that the chalk is there for the use of CHILDREN, not adults. Alternatively, perhaps the chalk was only meant for small scale doodling and the offenders were covering the entire table in chalk. Who knows? All I know is only party to the incident has their name on the record and I tend to believe people who are willing to put their good name on the line behind their words, outside of (again) high level whistleblowers, Mafia turncoats, and the like.
12:11 pm
I actually thought the incident you were talking about took place on H Street from the story? But that is not the issue i want to address. First I am stating this mainly because of the racially charged nature of this discussion. I am a white female 27 years old, have generally not been identified as my race except sometimes by others when I am with my friends and lovers, almost all of which are black. Anyway, like one person mentioned, why does the statement of one of the patrons carry more weight than the statement of the bartender? Is it because they were white? If there is any credibility issue here it might be more with the patrons, since it may be assumed they would not want to be associated with that statement, and I am not sure of this, but possibly they had been drinking and the bartender being on duty would not have een intoxicated. Anyway again that is a pretty specific statement, and I have heard it when I was with white acquantances who assume since I am kinda white that they can make those kind of statements around me. Again saying" You should be lucky I bought a 500,000 house in your ghetto neighborhood" sounds pretty specific, and I have heard that kind of crap behind closed doors in private with some of the jerks that I have the misfortune to come in contact with. Also the patronizing nature of the statements as they refer to black folk is very grating to me, so I would assume black folks would be really pissed off at a lot of it. I agree with the comment of why ask a dude that lives in Glover Park what folks on H Street think, get on H street and do some reporting.