Stand on the Right: A Tea Party Guide to DC
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 12:15PM 
photo uploaded to flickr by kjdOK, the big talk in DC this week has been a visitor’s guide on a Maine Tea Party web site advising participants on, among other things, what parts of DC are “safe” to visit.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and dissect that post. It’s not all wrong (I’m a big fan of Pete’s too), but much of it is either dated or just plain offensive (my home is apparently too dangerous for this gentleman). Nor am I going to sit here and be all snarky about this. Plenty of other sites can do that, and with much more skill in that fine art than I can muster.
No, what I’m going to do is help our visitors out by doing the job this guy should have done in the first place: writing a REAL Guide to DC for our Tea Party guests. Because his advice is crap.
Let me start by disposing of the politics of this from the start. I talk freely about my political beliefs, but only if you buy the beer. I’m not doing it in this forum. While it’s true I may have little in common with many of our visitors this weekend, I welcome them to the seat of American Democracy and sincerely hope you enjoy your trip. Living in Washington is something I treasure and it’s a great city. So, folks, let’s put the party back in tea party and have a good time.
So what can I tell you guys that’s not already available elsewhere on this blog? Let’s start with the topic addressed in the linked post and one I get from visitors from across the political spectrum: where are safe places to go?
This is an inherently subjective question, but my advice is to not let crime, or perception of crime, get in the way of your visit to Washington, DC. Much of what you hear is flat out untrue, and even more is very, very dated. DC has crime, and I’ve been a victim of it personally, but its a small, insignificant part of my experience here. The chances of you becoming personally involved, no matter where you go, are not zero, but they’re very, very small. Don’t worry about silly and arbitrary rules on what parts of town to go to.
Let’s take a look a this map of Washington, an overlay of homicides in DC from 2004-2006. This is an imperfect and simplistic look at crime in DC but it will do for our rough purposes (for a more detailed look at DC crime statistics by neighborhood, check here). Clearly, there are areas that have more crime than others; nodes that have a high concentration of murders. But these have very little to do with you. Why?
Well, let’s leave aside the fact that you almost certainly aren’t going as they have very few of the "traditional" tourist sites. But let’s say you get off at the wrong exit of the Metro or get lost driving (which you shouldn’t be doing in DC anyway). Chances are still good you’re going to be perfectly fine. Most of these murders, and much of the other crime, are the results of deep seated and preexisting issues; drug deals gone bad, perceived gestures of disrespect, things of that nature that spark underlying tensions. You are not part of this world. No, I’ve walked through many a unabashedly high crime area, both in DC and elsewhere. I’ve had my share of curious looks, and even a few “cracker, where do you think you are?" comments. But never a real problem.
Not to say you should totally drop your guard. I wouldn’t walk down the street flashing $100 bills either. Some basic street smart tips come to mind. Keep track of your belongings (for a variety of reasons). Stay aware of your surroundings. Be polite and engaged with people you come across. For more information, here’s some advice I posted in a different forum on a separate topic that’s germane.
Another important item to remember while you are a guest in our fair city is to please, please don’t confuse black with criminal. I know, you’re almost certainly not a racist. Certainly not by your definition, and probably not even by mine. It’s a clumsy label anyway, and does little to further the discussion.
But I’m going to go out on a limb and say the demographics of DC, and many other urban areas, are going to be somewhat different from where you may come from. Certainly not universally, but let’s not kid ourselves here. For example, the post that sparked this whole discussion came from Maine, a state that has an African-American population of 1.3%.
Yeah, not the same here. While it’s true that much (although certainly not all) of the crime in DC is committed by African Americans (who are largely also the victims of crime), it would be a huge mistake to assume the guy you meet on the street is a criminal. The vast majority of people you see in DC are not criminals, no matter what their race, so let’s not assume that because you find yourself in a neighborhood where everyone is darker than you, you need to cross the street.
What else can I say? There’s some other great events going on this weekend if you want to take a break from politics (and we all should from time to time). I’m sure you’re going to want to check out the Constitution we all hold dear while you’re in town, as you come to town to petition the government for redress of your grievances (right there in the Third Amendment). Also, think of Reagan and be sure to stay to the right on the Metro.
But most of all, welcome to Washington. I admire your enthusiasm and devotion, if not necessarily agree with your cause. This is your city too, even if it is our home.
Reader Comments (10)
Think u about got it covered. Maybe we should set up booth @ metro center that would help our visitors to be come "street smart"
Everyone knows your home is a dangerous place, but not for geographical reasons ;)
so excited!
It's great to see a blog post that respects and even celebrates our political differences. We're all in this together. Thank you.
Maybe do a followup post listing general metro guidelines?
@Nat Greene: If you're in town this weekend, check out your namesake's statue!
http://www.thehillishome.com/2010/08/lost-capitol-hill-greene-square/
@dcdude: What I really need to do is a better job organizing the posts I've already done. Here's some on that topic, and don't be afraid to push for more:
http://www.dclikealocal.com/dclikealocal/2009/3/31/getting-around-town-the-metro-fare-system.html
http://www.dclikealocal.com/dclikealocal/2009/4/2/getting-around-town-avoid-looking-like-a-tourist-on-the-metr.html
Hope these help!
The Tea Party instructions are hilarious. I suppose they want to keep their people from meeting any "real people" in DC who might disagree with them. Exposure to differing views with those folks could end in, well, a shouting match. They wouldn't want that, would they. While they are busy creating silly hats for the festivities this weekend, readers might want to check out Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC (on the web if you missed the program). They did a number on these instructions complete with a map where it was permitted for the Tea Party to go. Very funny!
The right to petition the government for the redress of grievances is in the First Amendment, not the third.
First of, good job Mark! About time someone called me on that.
But are you really sure?? Because the one behind the glass says "Article the third"
Stand to the right on the Metro and probably everywhere else. LOL
Your post reminds me that you owe me a beer.