Thanks, Mark E.P. Roberts for expressing so much of what I also feel is “My D.C.” (9/19).

I’ve lived here gladly for the past 11 years, just one block away from where the National Guard rolled through in 1968. We lived in the suburbs then, while my dad was stationed at Fort Myer. Coming back here for an internship in 1983, searching for my first job after college that summer (with no luck), and finally returning in 1986 for graduate school, I’ve always felt drawn to live here. It is tough to take the constant barrage of criticism heaped upon our city.

There is a lot of good going on, and plenty of work to tackle, just as in many cities around the country. You identified much of the source of residents’ seeming apathy: the sense of powerlessness and frustration we often feel.

Our challenge is to tame the “twisters of inept local management and paternalistic congressional strong-arming” that have worn us out. I’m not fresh blood, but I’ve got the spirit to fight; many new and longtime residents feel this way, too!

I’ve taken the liberty of copying this article to send to family and friends who sometimes express concern about the place I call home. Hopefully, it will help them to appreciate “My D.C.” a little more.

Near the “New U/Cardozo”

via the Internet