Letters to the Editor: July 30 – August 5, 2015
‘Little City’ Should Be Changed to ‘Congested City’
Editor,
I am appalled at what I view as continued out of control growth and expansion at the expense of quality of life in the “Little City;” a misnomer that should be changed to “Congested City.” With the expansion plans for Washington and Broad as well as Broad and West streets, I foresee nothing but additional traffic problems without resolution. The Falls Church City Council seems to be hell-bent on pursuing huge developments without a single mention as to how they are going to deal with the additional auto and delivery truck traffic on our limited two lane roads. The Washington and Broad intersection is already horribly congested during morning and afternoon rush-hours; so are we to just accept that these new projects will have zero affect during and after construction?
Our infrastructure cannot absorb much more stress before it deteriorates to the point of consistent frustration for all involved. Currently delivery trucks block travel lanes on the primary roads on a regular basis, due to the lack of planning on the part of building developers and city planners. With a continual traffic increase this will only become worse and contribute to the loss of peaceful enjoyment for residents. I can only wonder what will come next. Will we need to rebuild the sewer and water delivery systems to accommodate additional growth? Will new roads be required? Where does it end?
S. H. King
Falls Church
FCNP Editorial Was Whiny, Defensive Nonsense
Editor,
Regarding the editorial, “Not Necessarily Our Fault,” in the July 23 issue – what a bunch of whiny, defensive nonsense. Falls Church should pay a consultant another five-figure fee to change the City’s slogan to “The Poor Little City.” It’s laughable suggesting that Fairfax and Arlington are pissed at Falls Church for “being successful.” To the extent that the counties – at ,least Fairfax – even notice Falls Church, it’s because you keep picking fights with them over losing issues. Such as the water wars, which the City quite appropriately lost at every level of litigation because it was overcharging County residents to illegally subsidize City operation. And now, after getting a better deal for the water system than was deserved, you’re moping because Fairfax County is reflecting best interests of its citizens and requiring appropriate use of County land which the City owns. Hasn’t such citizen activism modified or killed City projects? Why should Fairfax citizens’ wishes get less respect than those of Falls Church residents?
Gabriel Goldberg
Falls Church
We Should Build Civil War Monument in D.C.
Editor,
Being “PC” or politically correct is not about being overly careful – it’s about being polite. Being polite is not about eliminating discussion about issues with which we disagree, it’s about demonstrating sensitivity. So why must people fight over whether or not to take down Confederate flags and remove names of Confederacy heroes from non-historical sites so our country can wholly stop honoring them for a war that tore apart our country?
Acknowledging the issues of the Civil War would be a great stride toward the healing of African Americans – and white Southerners. Descendants and all Southerners can celebrate much of what the South brings to the world: Internationally-sought peanuts, the hospitality evident in a shared iced tea, gorgeous crepe-myrtle draped roads, great educational institutions, glorious parkland and more.
We need to remove remnants that revere the confusing, hurtful past. Consideration is the respect we need to demonstrate. Unity is the ideal we value and it is the foundation of the world we strive to grow.
It’s about time we built a Civil War Monument in Washington, D.C. The federal government should initiate a contest, like was done with the Vietnam Memorial, for artists to fabricate a design along with a special flag symbolizing our reunification. The flag would be a tapestry encompassing pieces of the designs of the Confederate and Union flags, and the monument would be the only place the Confederate and Union flags would also fly, as a testament to history. The monument would display writings that document the deep frustration Lincoln, Lee and other leaders of the time felt, and interpretations. Alongside, a memorial flame would eternally burn. The goal would be to create a temple of honor, a place to deepen understanding and a center of hope.
Debra Z. Roth
Falls Church
Crossman Was An Anti-Slavery Methodist
Editor,
In your editorial “Fairfax County’s Shame” last week, you refer to “slave owners … with names like … Crossman.”
Isaac Crossman moved to Falls Church from Pennsylvania after the Civil War. He was a supporter of what is now Christ Crossman Methodist Church, which was founded by anti-slavery Methodists. See Cathy Taylor’s book, Historic Falls Church.
John McDiarmid
Falls Church
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