The violent overreaction by law enforcement to protests against the police’s treatment of Black Americans shocked me. Some of the most surreal photos were of armed troops filling the streets of Washington, D.C., as helicopters hovered over peaceful demonstrators.
D.C., my former home, is uniquely subject to the whims of President Donald Trump because it is not a state. D.C. does not have a governor, senators or a voting representative. D.C., where 46% of the population is Black, has no vote when the U.S. Senate or House debate bills that affect it.
It’s time to end this longstanding injustice by granting statehood to D.C. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and all seven of Washington state’s Democratic representatives have led on this issue, co-sponsoring a bill that would provide equal rights and representation to the 700,000 people who live in D.C. Sen. Maria Cantwell is the sole Democrat from Washington state who has not. I hope the recent injustices will lead her to co-sponsor D.C. statehood.
Abbie Hodgson, Seattle