EDITORIAL
OPINION
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Counterproductive Protesters “THINKING IS DIFFICULT, THAT’S WHY MOST PEOPLE JUDGE.” — CARL JUNG Lately, some Black Lives Matter protesters have pivoted from marching in parks and along streets in commercial districts to take their message to residential areas. Whether frightening pedestrians and motorists on Wisconsin Avenue or screaming at customers at Thomas Sweet, what is intended as a wake-up call to residents of upscale neighborhoods is anything but. After midnight on Aug. 9, protestors marched along P and Q Streets, banging pots and using bullhorns to tell Georgetowners to “wake up.” In their minds, heavily Democratic and pro-Biden Georgetown is in need of some anti-racism education. A similar crowd blocked traffic on Key Bridge and was also spotted on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 8, at 30th and N Streets NW. Again, in terms of winning friends and influencing people, this appears to be poor judgment by some BLM activists. They must not have learned that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Of the nighttime protests, Cmdr. Duncan Bedlion of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District told The Georgetowner: “A group of approximately 30 to 40 protesters were reported traveling in the area. MPD members were present, and at this time there have been no reports of violence or property damage.” At least that’s a long way from the events of the night of May 31, when 42
businesses were looted and, in total, 57 vandalized. The following evening, some business owners brought firearms to their establishments. During the first week of June, Georgetown’s M Street and Wisconsin Avenue looked demolished: 184 buildings were boarded up. Still, the looting spree remains fresh in the minds (and bank accounts) of business owners and residents. Not only is this not good PR for BLM, people are fearful and angry. We know there are those who seek to take criminal advantage of the protests. “The looting and vandalizing of Georgetown and other District businesses have been lumped together with the protests, but, in fact, most of the protesters were peaceful,” wrote Georgetown Business Improvement District CEO Joe Sternlieb. “The worst looting seems to have been carried out by professional thieves targeting high-end stores and using the opportunity of an overtaxed police force to strike.” Meanwhile, the baseless judging of places like Georgetown and its inhabitants by some protesters reveals a naiveté and a missing of the historical moment. And misses the goal. Americans back the ideals of the Black Lives Matter movement. Let’s not have intimidating protesters cause that message to get lost in their noise. Peaceful protesters win hearts of everyone.
RIP: The Ad Tax
Considering the many challenges facing the city, we know it was not an easy decision. And we are grateful to all the members of the Council, who crafted a way to tweak the budget numbers, kill the tax and protect our future. We are also grateful to MDDC Press Association Executive Director Rebecca Snyder, to the American Advertising Federation members and to our local media competitors (and friends), whose exceptional advocacy enabled us all to live to publish another day. In the words of yet another immortal (in “Twelfth Night”): we “can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks.”
“Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” As it happens, D.C. media and marketers are happy to have proven Benjamin Franklin wrong, having escaped — “Perils of Pauline” style — the impending arrival of both. We applaud District Council Chairman Phil Mendelson for having shown the courage and open-mindedness to abandon what he himself had originally proposed: the ad tax. As we wrote in our July 15 editorial, “The three-percent tax on advertising could be ruinous. With already thin margins and a hurting advertising community, this tax is a blow upon a bruise.”
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CAG: The Power of Community Connections BY TAR A PAR KER , PR ESID ENT, CITIZENS ASSO CIATIO N O F G EO RG ETO WN This is a summer unlike any that we (regardless of our age!) can remember. Plans for travel, children’s summer camp, back-to-school preparations, visits from family — all have been disrupted. Georgetown’s quiet streets and boardedup windows are a constant reminder that these are difficult times. Yet there is a hidden treasure I hope we are all discovering: our own resilience. I came across a beautiful quote on this topic from a 17th-century Japanese poet and samurai, Mizuta Masahide. He wrote: “My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon.” You may have noticed that quieter times have made the birds seem louder or that isolation has inspired you to reconnect with treasured friends from long ago. Perhaps you have noticed the moon, or Georgetown’s beautiful trees, more than before. In these moments, when you are feeling happiness — or even joy — you are experiencing your own resilience. For those in search of this feeling or who want to bolster their inner strength, I have a recommendation that comes from my own experience: connect with your community. When the going gets tough, neighbors and community is how we get through. Helping a neighbor in need — whether they are sick or lonely or simply not tall or strong enough to complete a household chore — benefits us as much as it does them. The trouble is, we don’t always know how to make the connection. How do
we find out what our neighbors may need? This is the beauty of neighborhood associations and online community forums — places where we combine our collective knowledge of the needs, challenges and opportunities of the place we call “home.” If you are feeling disconnected, disrupted or lonely, this is a great time to fortify yourself by getting involved with the Citizens Association of Georgetown or any community group that feels right to you. A great place to start is CAG’s Georgetown Forum, a free, easy, online community bulletin board, at georgetowncitizens.com/georgetownforum. You’ll find there are plenty of ways to connect and help one another while maintaining a safe social distance! When I first moved to Georgetown, I was lonely. Having relocated here from the West Coast, I was far from family and friends. Meeting Betsy Cooley, who recruited me to serve as a development committee volunteer for CAG, changed everything. My loneliness was cured by the sense of purpose and connection that came from being a CAG volunteer, and my own strength and resilience was restored. Isolation can be depleting, but community energizes and recharges us. We can survive and thrive by finding new, safe-but-meaningful ways to actively support our community, contribute to its bright future and at the same time build our own resilience. #GeorgetownTogether
Report from CAG Executive Director Leslie Maysak: CAG has been working remotely during the pandemic, but are still very busy with all our initiatives and with finding new ways to present information and education to the neighborhood digitally while we cannot gather. We have also increased our focus on Public Safety programming and raised our security patrols to seven days a week
in response to the neighborhood concerns. While we all miss the lively CAG meetings and events, we are working steadily on improving our offerings and preparing for the eventual reopening of D.C. We have a reasonable rent at the CAG office — and we have been there for many years.
Report from Georgetown Main Street Executive Director Rachel Shank: Georgetown Main Street remains committed to the economic vitality and stability of the small businesses along Wisconsin Avenue during these unprecedented times. GMS sponsored and promoted the District-wide virtual event called DC Dog Days in early August and invited Carpe Librum, a nonprofit book
shop, to pop up in the parking lot of Chase Bank at P and Wisconsin. Neighbors can look forward to additional safe, outdoor promotions in Book Hill, partnerships with the Rose Park Farmer’s Market and virtual events as part of D.C.’s Art All Night. We thank you for shopping small.
To Georgetown community groups: Please send The Georgetowner news about your events and work, along with sharing how you are dealing with these pandemic times (and if your rent is too high). Email editorial@georgetowner.com.
