Cohousing-L Mailing List: Report on Chaos On Capitol Hill

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

The mayhem in the District of Columbia hasn’t affected either Takoma Village or 
Eastern Village any more or less than it has affected the rest of the nation. 
Takoma Village is 5 miles from the National Mall —a long walk for White 
Supremacists—and Eastern Village is a mile farther. Many people did avoid going 
downtown to work on Wednesday and Thursday. 

As well as national media, neighborhood email lists distributed warnings about 
avoiding planned violence. “Everyone” beside the Capitol police, as in the 
Capitol ”Hill” Police, knew this was going to be a biggie. 

It was very strange that more police forces were not scheduled well in advance 
to be on duty and others placed on alert. There are 12 forces that can be 
deployed in the Federal Complex for different purposes. As well as those of DC, 
MD, and VA. The only forces present were those assigned on a normal 
demonstration day.

DC has demonstrations literally everyday—sometimes several. Some take place on 
Capitol Hill and many are located at other locations in DC. The federal 
buildings are well protected and everyone is screened before entering. Even the 
cutest little nursery school students cannot get into the Capitol buildings 
without months of prior approvals and prominent badges.

DC is not an independent city or town—it is a “federal district” ruled by a 
committee in the House of Representatives. We have one non-voting 
representative in the House. DC was only allowed to have a “home rule” in 1973 
with a Mayor and city council elected in 1973. The House can still overrule any 
legislation DC passes.

The DC police are the "Metropolitan Police," not the “Capitol Police." The 
mayor has no control over anything Federal. 

One of the difficulties of living in DC is distinguishing between the Federal 
building complex and the city. The press doesn’t bother— DC or Washington is 
the singular reference. Joe Scarborough on Morning Joe this week blamed Mayor 
Muriel Bowser for refusing help to quell the “insurrection.” It’s ironic that 
the only woman person blamed police failures was a woman who had no control 
over it. The only thing she could ask was that she be informed about decisions 
to deploy troops on DC streets.

More than you wanted to know but people asked.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org