About two weeks ago President Trump announced a temporary federal takeover of the police department in Washington, DC.  He also stated his plan to clean up the city, remove homeless encampments, etc.  Since Washington is a federal city, Trump is authorized to do this.  However, his time for action is limited unless Congress votes an extension.

I was very much in favor of Trump’s move.  Many areas in our nation’s capital have become eyesores, and crime is endemic.  The high number of murders and the explosion of car hi-jackings is particularly alarming.  As the capital city of the world’s most affluent nation, the situation is downright embarrassing.  I hope that the clean-up effort is successful.

Although the problem has worsened in recent years, Washington’s crime problem is not new.  I faced it on several occasions in years past.  In 1959-60, while driving home from a nighttime class at American University, an unidentified person threw a stone at my windshield as I was driving under a pedestrian overpass on Kenilworth Avenue.  The shatterproof glass shattered, and shards of glass scattered all over my front seat.  Fortunately, I was wearing glasses, else I may have been blinded.  Several years later I had a similar incident.  My family and I were returning from an evening baseball game in Washington when a young man stepped out of the shadows in Anacostia and struck the side of my car with a brick.  There were others following behind him, probably teenagers.  I exited the area post haste. 

My last exposure to hazard in Washington occurred during the summer of 1968.  There was a large “poor people’s” encampment on the national mall, and it had been there for several months.  On June 24^th my wife and I and five sons were returning from dental appointments in Alexandria, VA, and we had just turned on to 14^th St in D.C. on our way home.   At that moment we heard a radio announcement that federal marshals had closed the people’s encampment and were evicting the tent dwellers.  Within seconds, hundreds of people were streaming out of houses all along 14^th St.  My wife and all my children were very blond, and we stood out like sore thumbs.  I moved on quickly,and we suffered no harm, but I must admit that I was very much concerned and fearful for my family’s safety. As we drove out of the area, riots, looting and arson erupted behind us, and 14th St soon became a corridor of destruction.

I made visits to Washington in the following years, but it was usually via government transportation and to federal buildings.  On personal trips by myself or with family, I would avoid certain streets and the hours of darkness.

We should endeavor to prevent bad things from happening in the District of Columbia.  I wish for Washington to become a model city, the pride of our nation.  I’m convinced that is also President Trump’s desire.