For those of us in the DMV, Marion Barry was the stuff of shady legend. For my Canadian friends, especially those in the Toronto area, Barry was our Rob Ford. A big city mayor who made national headlines for smoking crack on video, Barry served time in a minimum security prison in Virginia, only to get elected to D.C. City council when released and eventually re-elected as mayor.
What would follow was a string of other misdemeanors, tax evasion, and chicanery. Hopefully, some enterprising historian will analyze his tenure and decide the net benefit of Barry's career in public office. He always maintained that he opened up job opportunities for blacks.
Anywho . . . Barry's passing truly marks the end of an era. So, R.I.P.
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