I was discussing lofty issues last week.
At my 40th college reunion, I moderated a panel entitled “From Malcolm to Barack.” How had our activism been shaped by events before, during, and after our four years at Amherst?
When I got home, there was a letter on my desk.
A number of violent crimes, including several murders, have been committed in one block of my district. The community wants the liquor stores and other businesses in that block closed by 10 pm daily.
My response: get the facts. The police commander for the district confirms that there is a host of illegal activity at this location. I’ve asked committee staff in Annapolis, “What laws have been passed to address problems like this in other communities?”
We’re scheduling a meeting among the neighborhood, the police, the City Council member, and the 41st District delegation, Senator Gladden, Delegates Carter and Oaks, and myself.
“If you work hard on community issues, your constituents will appreciate your hard work when deciding how to vote on controversial issues,” I told my classmates under the reunion tent. “If you take a position they disagree with, they’ll respect you nonetheless.”
