Barack Hussein Obama Park? Not So Fast.

Photo courtesy of
‘every presidential departure is carefully choreographed’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Okay, I get that DC is place with a name for everything, and that the park at 14th & Girard Streets is as of yet just named for its location, but do we really need to name it Barack Hussein Obama Park, as per the recommendation of Councilman Jim Graham?

I mean, I like the guy, but he’s been in office all of six months now, and we’re just going to go naming things after him willy-nilly? Can’t we see if he can actually pull the troops out of Iraq, or enact meaningful Climate Change legislation, or fix the healthcare system, or maybe just make it halfway through his term before we start naming things after him? Surely there are community figures important to DC that are more deserving? Perhaps an Eleanor Holmes Norton Park, instead? At least she’s been our representative for the last 18 years.

But, it may be a moot point, as DC Wire points out in their update: “No public space in the District shall be named in honor of any living person, or in honor of any person who has been deceased less than 2 years, unless the deceased person was a President or Vice President of the United States, a United States Senator or Representative, a Mayor of the District of Columbia, or a member of the Council of the District of Columbia.”

So, time to rewrite the law to exclude seated politicians? Either way, this isn’t happening right away.

I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.

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2 thoughts on “Barack Hussein Obama Park? Not So Fast.

  1. Have to agree with the article. Six months in and we’re talking about naming parks after the guy? Lets see how the term goes before we start that stuff, so far I don’t think he’s accomplished enough to warrant it. Not that I think he won’t do well, but its just too little done so far.