Eckington resident Jamie Triplin-Hines: Are we really building bridges?

This message is from Eckington resident Jamie Triplin-Hines:

Dear Community Leaders and Civic Engagers,

Are we really building bridges? When me and my family moved to the Eckington/Edgewood area last year, I was directed to my civic association, list servs, ANC 5C, and other entities. It is very disheartening to see and hear how there are so many people who “want to change their community,” yet, they fight (even physically)
amongst each other.

I find it difficult to see true community efforts—efforts that don’t have one individual person’s or group’s political agenda attached to it. Bigotry, intimidation tactics, cronyism, corruption, lack of professionalism, and so many other issues steal the livelihood and enrichment that ALL of our neighborhoods offer. It really is a shame that we do not utilize all of our individual resources/skills to come together on behalf of the common good.

We all claim we are tired of the “petty politics” at the highest level of district government, but it seems to have trickled down to even the lowest level of public service in our ward. There are some of us out here that truly want to be a part of their communities and make that real change without all of the politics.

I truly hope that with the new year rapidly approaching, we can learn to put aside the pettiness and make better use of our time. I, for one, plan to become more deeply involved with my community—even if I have to begin building these bridges by myself.

I am looking to work with likeminded individuals. Feel free to contact me at anytime.

Kind Regards,

Jamie Triplin-Hines, MPA
www.thinkwritedevelop.com
202- 681- 2278