Free Voice

Gun Ownership Has Drawbacks

By maimouna camara

Washington, D.C. – Southeast D.C. resident Torrey C has owned an AK-47 gun for almost 35 years. In a city with some of the toughest gun laws in the country, his reason is simple – safety.

 “We have a criminal element here; a population that do not abide by the law, they steal, they rob, they kill, and here we are decent people who just want to provide for our family, make a living, live life, and don’t bother anybody, so we ought to protect ourselves with our gun,” he said.

Torrey who has lived around the world including West Africa also adds, “I always felt safer in Niger for example than here in the U.S…the day to day life is less violent compared to D.C.” 

With rising murder rates - the District saw a 54 percent increase in 2015 - it is hard to dispute Torrey’s claim. In an article in the Washington Times last December, Assistant Police Chief Peter Newsham blamed guns for the violence.

Newsham said, “A lot of times more than one gun was represented at the crime scene. The means either there were two shooters and one victim, or those involved were shooting at each other.”

University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Professor Angelyn Spaulding Flowers, who is also the co-director of the Crime, Justice & Security Studies program agrees, especially when it comes to semi-automatic weapons. She says that the government should “remove a lot of the guns from the streets because there is really no need that the people should be able to buy semi-automatic weapons. If you’re also going only hunting it is really unfair for the deer."

Additionally, she disagrees with the notion that “the second amendment gives people an unlimited right to own whatever type of gun they want. Regulating guns at the point of sales, and strengthening the background check system regulation is permissible and consistent with the second amendment,” she said.

Torrey, meanwhile, will not give up his firearm. “I do not plan to harm nobody, but I’ll keep my gun for my sake, and my family’s sake,” he said.

Brainfood Served After School

By BRANDON WALLING

Washington, D.C. - From the kitchen of a large Methodist church on Massachusetts Avenue, D.C. high schoolers are learning valuable culinary skills.

"It's fun because you get to meet new people at Brainfood," Taylor Thomas said in an interview with WJLA-TV.

The organization has humble beginnings, according to Executive Director Paul Dahm. “Suzanne Isack, (the founder) who lived in Columbia Heights, noticed there were a lot of high school age students who didn’t have meaningful after-school activities to take advantage of...she was also a food nut and thought that food was a great way to get people engaged.”

But what started as a one building endeavor in 1999 with eight students has blossomed into a much larger organization, now spanning three different buildings across the city. “I would say we average between 175-200 students a year,” said Dahm.

Why an after-school program devoted to cooking? There are a few different reasons, according to Dahm. “If you’re following something as simple as a chocolate chip cookie recipe, you’re having to read and do math and follow directions, and work in teams, and lots of skills that have frankly nothing to do with food.” Students spend the first year learning how to cook and in the second they teach others.

The simple act of attending Brainfood also provides valuable life experience. “You’re expected to show up on time, and you’re held accountable,” Dahm said. Brainfood attendees are also learning how to serve their community and earn the respect of their peers.

In addition to learning these skills, Brainfood’s students could also be paving the way to a future job. The Brainfood Homegrown program is helping connect at-risk youth with jobs in the growing food service industry. Brainfood graduates are able to sell their creations at several distribution points around the city, and the profits are used to help keep Brainfood running. In Dahm’s words, Homegrown is “all about trying to bridge the gap” between unemployment and the food sector.

And Brainfood is not without success, either. Dahm related the story of one of the original graduates of Brainfood. “He had a real knack in the kitchen. And it was one of those things where he finally found his place.” He wanted to go to culinary school, but his grades weren’t the best, and he came from a poor family. He was accepted for several different scholarships, and managed to find a city program for students with learning disabilities. “So he went to CIA (Culinary Institute of America), and he’s been working in restaurants in D.C. ever since.”

To find out more about Brainfood, check out Brainfood.org.

Energy Assistance for D.C. Residents

BY xavier bias

Washington, D.C. - Low-income residents can get energy assistance once a year through the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE). DOEE will pay one utility bill and you can choose which bill you want them to pay.

Longtime Washingtonian and mother of two, Veronica Rogers, speaks highly of the program that she used twice to help her family when they needed it the most. “When my electricity was cut off for about two weeks the food in the fridge went bad and my husband's fish died. I didn’t have any money and was unemployed. It was kinda rough but I took it (the bill) and went down there. The electricity came on that same day.”

Energy assistance will pay your gas or electric bill immediately if it has been connected. If you have a disconnection bill you can call DOEE to set up an appointment. Rogers said it took her two months to get an appointment the second time around because she still had power. When she went to her appointment they contacted Pepco to make them aware of the payment that was coming through. She said, “Sometimes they pay the full bill and sometimes they give you a certain amount, it depends on your situation. If you have an emergency such as health issues or you need it to use your phone they will pay enough to have the services restored.”

Rogers benefited from receiving heaters and learned about what to do to prevent this in the future. The program provides space heaters for inadequate heating systems, classes that teach about managing their heat by keeping it on automatic, sealing the air pockets around doors as well as avoiding turning an air conditioner on and off which makes bills higher because it has to reboot again. “They provide you with great knowledge and help you tremendously, they explain it to you making sure you understand and if you don’t they will explain it to you again.”

“I’m grateful for the services that energy provides for us as well as Salvation Army that helps people with their utility bills and non-profit organizations that help you to pay your bills when you need it, so it is a blessing,” says Rogers.

In the case you don’t meet the income requirement you can set up a payment plan and receive information on how to keep your energy use lower here: Energy Assistance and Weatherization.