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In case you were wondering, yes, all the arguments against #DCStatehood are bad faith, blubbering nonsense.
You can't make a good faith argument for disenfranchising 700,000 people.
You can't make a good faith argument for disenfranchising 700,000 people.
"But you can just retrocede to Maryland" - We don't want to lol! Surprisingly, Maryland doesn't like this idea either. It's almost like they're two distinct places. Wild.
Like seriously, go tell Wyoming to retrocede into Idaho and see how that goes.
Like seriously, go tell Wyoming to retrocede into Idaho and see how that goes.
"But THE CONSTITUTION!" - It leaves almost all of what the District is up to Congress, it just limits the size.
The federal district would have a population of zero. People would work there, but no one would live there.
The federal district would have a population of zero. People would work there, but no one would live there.
"But the 23rd Amendment!" - This is so easy to work around. It also leaves a lot to Congress! They can just reward the 3 electoral votes to the winner. :) Easy. Or one idea is give them to the national popular vote winner. Cool cool. https://www.vox.com/2020/6/22/21293168/dc-statehood-vote-filibuster-supreme-court-joe-biden
"But the Founders!!!" - They had no idea what DC would be like today. And Congress already walked back the original DC plan by granting DC land back to Virginia in the 1840s. https://boundarystones.weta.org/2016/07/08/alexandria-retrocession-1846
"But partisanship!" - Most people who make this argument...are partisan. But DC has been fighting for Congressional representation under multiple party regimes, since the early 1800s.
Political parties are not something the Founders did a great job anticipating either!
Political parties are not something the Founders did a great job anticipating either!
"But uh...you know...the people." - The worst arguments against DC are just straight up racist nonsense from people who barely interact with the city or its residents. https://twitter.com/frankthorp/status/1276237359965712386
"But uh...some shit I just made up" - No really. Parking spaces! https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dear-gop-dc-statehood-is-about-more-than-parking-spaces/2019/09/21/b86c49ce-dbe2-11e9-a688-303693fb4b0b_story.html
"But statehood is no big deal" - It's a BFD! In some cases, DC is treated as a "state" and in others, like a recent stimulus bill, it gets treated like a "territory."
Also, we just had all kinds of troops + helicopters in our streets. No thanks! https://www.npr.org/2020/03/29/823592874/d-c-mayor-on-coronavirus-relief-package
Also, we just had all kinds of troops + helicopters in our streets. No thanks! https://www.npr.org/2020/03/29/823592874/d-c-mayor-on-coronavirus-relief-package
"But special access!" Lol no DC residents do not have special access to members of Congress. A lot of CEOs do though.
He even invokes "free" museums here, which we of course all pay for with federal taxes. I hear out of staters like them too. :)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/21/opinion/constitution-says-no-dc-statehood/?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true
He even invokes "free" museums here, which we of course all pay for with federal taxes. I hear out of staters like them too. :)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/21/opinion/constitution-says-no-dc-statehood/?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true
"But polling!" - The idea that state sovereignty should be subject to national public opinion is a novel idea. It's certainly not in the Constitution! Of course these same people will tell you it's a republic, not a democracy.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/21/opinion/constitution-says-no-dc-statehood/?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/21/opinion/constitution-says-no-dc-statehood/?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true
Seriously this @Jeff_Jacoby essay is so lazy. It misrepresents the Constitution and fails to accurately convey the DC statehood advocacy position since he can't mount a direct counter-argument. Obvious bad faith from a columnist who also publishes climate denial. Honk honk!
