All ages: Graham considering "emergency legislation

I don't know if any of you care, but Betty is not allowed to go to the Black Cat or the 9:30 Club anymore for…I don't know how long. Nothing I tell my mother seems to work. Graham also seems to be blowing this completely out of proportion, and my mother is keeping up with all the press.

And let me tell you that if my parents don't budge on this the only violence going down will take place right in Bethesda.


(Ha ha. Just kidding. Sort of.)

A Comment From the DCist article on this



There are at least three things you can do to this effect:
1. Call/email Graham & the Council Chair Vincent Gray (who schedules votes)
to voice your opposition
2. Call/email Graham and his fellow committee members (in case the emergency
legislation gets knocked back to the committee for markup)
3. Call/email all Council members and tell them to vote against the upcoming
emergency legislation

If you live in Ward 1, note that in your call/email to Graham (south of Spring St NW, north of Florida Ave NW, east of Rock Creek Park and west of North Capitol St).

Sample Call/Email Script
"Dear [DC City Council Member]
Hi. My name is ____________. I am a resident of Ward __ [or a frequent patron of _______ club/bar]. I am calling concerning Jim Graham's proposed legislation to ban minors from entering establishments that serve liquor. This bill will prevent already underserved young people from enjoying live music and dancing at clubs like [the Florida Market Lounge] and [the Black Cat] that derive a portion of their revenue from alcohol sales. Underage music fans and alcohol have coexisted at these venues for decades. Banning young people will not prevent random acts of violence, but it will deprive them of a necessary and overwhelmingly safe space to congregate, connect and enjoy live music. I respectfully urge you to vote against this unnecessary and harmful legislation.
Thank you,
[Your Name]"

***Contacts
1. Jim Graham, Ward 1 Councilmember
grahamwone@gmail.com 202-724-8181

2. Vincent Gray, Council Chair
vgray@dccouncil.us
202 724-8068

**Other committee members:
1. Kwame Brown, At-Large- ***kbrown@dccouncil.us
2. Mary Cheh, Ward 3 - ** mcheh@dccouncil.us
3. Main Committee Number: 202-724-8198

**Other councilmembers:
1. Schwartz: schwartzc@dccouncil.us
2. Catania: dcatania@dccouncil.us
Mendelson: pmendelson@dccouncil.us ;
3. Brown: kbrown@dccouncil.us
4. Evans: jackevans@dccouncil.us 5. Thomas: hthomas@dccouncil.us 6. Wells: twells@dccouncil.us
7. Barry:

Solly's doesn't do those punk shows anymore, as far as i know … my friend is good friends with the owner and his band (http://www.myspace.com/thesprogs) has played there, and is going to play there again in a couple of weeks, but i don't think they have regular live music there

if this goes through, underage bands and their fans will have to resort to playing on the roofs of Bethesda parking garages again:

<img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/7368/2298/220/745386/gse_multipart21187.jpg" alt=" - " />

Springfield, VA BBQs might also once again become prominent scene venues.

or i will pay them to play in my bedroom. jesus christ.

you're about two decades too late, Betty….

mary j bilge

BMO reunion!

surly: bumping uglies, awesome :)

Well this is just fantastic. Being a 15 year old who goes to the 9:30 club almost monthly, it troubles me. Sure, it's sad that someone was killed, but i don't think her presence was the reason she was shot. She was shot because of the bastard who had a gun. That could have happened anywhere at anytime period.

It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

more news on the legislation:

http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/

Message to the teenagers:

Without the ability to go to a rock club, you'll find something else fun to do, and your life will go on.

There are millions of teens whose live happy existences without hanging out in rock clubs.

Okay, you obviously care about music, you understand the importance of this for us on some level. Yeah, we'll find something else to do. The point is that we shouldn't have to. It just doesn't make sense.

Laws already exist prohibiting drinking underage, bearing arms, and buying drugs. Enforcement of these laws would enhance the club experience and the city as whole. Elimination of young people is not the answer.
The young woman was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The problem does not lie in her choice to go out and have fun, but rather in someone else's choice to bring a firearm into a club. Do not punish the innocent. Frankly, banning young people won't do shit.

i, for one, support the elimination of young people. that way none of them will be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Well young people do cause a disproportionate amount of the trouble in the world. I too, vote to eliminate them!

so it's okay for a 19 or 21 year old to get shot and killed but not a 17 year old?


this is clear logical fallacy…


and don't tell us to find something else to do, that's ignorance.

Why is that ignorance?

There are plenty of other fun things to do, especially in a large metro area.

writing off the problem and telling us to find something else to do is not the answer.

going to shows in the area is perfectly safe - it always has been - and let me tell you, a better alternative than almost anything else i could be doing.

because i'd frankly rather spend my weekends chilling and listening to good music than getting drunk and high with a bunch of teenagers. and there are only so many saturdays i can spend at the hirshhorn or seeing shitty movies or painting in my bedroom.

nobody should be denied what makes them happy when it's as reasonable a request as this.

it's great that you are over 21, but you don't have to tell me that you don't care.

Man, this is RUINING MY DAY.

do you think someone could get a gun into 930 or bc and do the same thing?