I was born in D.C. in 1940. My family lived all over the country when I was growing up, then we came back and lived in Arlington. I graduated from American University in 1962, and lived in the District until 1969. I voted for the first time in my life in 1968, because we finally got the right to vote, even though it was limited. We couldn’t elect our own mayor even at the time I moved away. I have hoped that before I die the District might gain statehood. I wouldn’t want to be part of Maryland. We are a separate entity. Because the district has a plurality of Black citizens, Republicans have continuously blocked statehood for us. What the rest of the country needs to do is elect Democrats who would back the proposal to make D.C. a state.
Rewrite the Constitution to eliminate the whole state level of government. Preserve existing state boundaries as administrative units of the federal government, which takes over all necessary state services. Since there are no states to represent, eliminate the Senate and add 100 seats to the now-unicameral Congress. Redistrict the whole country fairly, based on population and not political affiliation. Get rid of the electoral college. Then get going on the tax code so that it's not loaded with giveaways to rich people and big business. Dream on...
Who said anything about practical? These are radical changes, but the corruption runs so deep that anything less is like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. The present system is unsustainable.
I used to teach speech & debate, and this was a favorite debate prompt. People would get really, really heated over this since it questions deeply held beliefs.
Germany has a federal system but their states are less powerful, and voters seem to like that. Every attempt to give more power to the Länder (states) is voted down.
this was awhile ago, before the Internet era, before influencers and all that, when college students were likely to have deeply held beliefs and defend them vehemently. I've been away from the classroom for some time.
Also: the two filibuster holdouts, Manchin and Sinema, are leaving at the end of this congress. Being prepared to end the filibuster to codify voting rights, expand the Supreme Court, codify abortion and contraception rights, and oh yeah, codifying DC and Puerto Rico should be no biggie by that point.
I was born in D.C. in 1940. My family lived all over the country when I was growing up, then we came back and lived in Arlington. I graduated from American University in 1962, and lived in the District until 1969. I voted for the first time in my life in 1968, because we finally got the right to vote, even though it was limited. We couldn’t elect our own mayor even at the time I moved away. I have hoped that before I die the District might gain statehood. I wouldn’t want to be part of Maryland. We are a separate entity. Because the district has a plurality of Black citizens, Republicans have continuously blocked statehood for us. What the rest of the country needs to do is elect Democrats who would back the proposal to make D.C. a state.
Disenfranchised at birth cuz I’m native Washingtonian. …
It ain’t right and they know it.
Rewrite the Constitution to eliminate the whole state level of government. Preserve existing state boundaries as administrative units of the federal government, which takes over all necessary state services. Since there are no states to represent, eliminate the Senate and add 100 seats to the now-unicameral Congress. Redistrict the whole country fairly, based on population and not political affiliation. Get rid of the electoral college. Then get going on the tax code so that it's not loaded with giveaways to rich people and big business. Dream on...
These are not practical suggestions. Congress and the American people would never approve them.
Who said anything about practical? These are radical changes, but the corruption runs so deep that anything less is like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. The present system is unsustainable.
I used to teach speech & debate, and this was a favorite debate prompt. People would get really, really heated over this since it questions deeply held beliefs.
Germany has a federal system but their states are less powerful, and voters seem to like that. Every attempt to give more power to the Länder (states) is voted down.
this was awhile ago, before the Internet era, before influencers and all that, when college students were likely to have deeply held beliefs and defend them vehemently. I've been away from the classroom for some time.
Also: the two filibuster holdouts, Manchin and Sinema, are leaving at the end of this congress. Being prepared to end the filibuster to codify voting rights, expand the Supreme Court, codify abortion and contraception rights, and oh yeah, codifying DC and Puerto Rico should be no biggie by that point.
If you think giving DC back to Maryland would improve the situation, please consider how Maryland treats Baltimore.
So not just no, but hell no.
Native Washingtonian and I vote for people who support statehood.
Yes, but it won't not as long as the Republicans are in control.
Democrats have been in control before and did not make this a priority. Same w/voting rights and reform.
I’d call the DC situation disenfranchisement!
I vastly prefer that DC becomes a state. Puerto Rico too! It has more people in it than 20 states. A travesty.
The electoral college is here to stay, it's in the Constitution.
Being in the original version of the constitution isn’t a reason to keep it.
Slavery was there and you had to own real property to vote - if that could change, so can this.
We would be far better off if we treated the Constitution as an evolving document and not as Holy Writ. This is why some countries do not have one.
I agree. Changing times, and our government must change with it.