Sledding, Snowmen, Snowballs Needed on Capitol Grounds
Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat and D.C.'s delegate in the U.S. House, is on to something big!
A longtime champion of, and leader on, civil rights and free speech issues, she has a clear mastery of common sense.
You see, the west side of the U.S. Capitol grounds has long been the place for sledding when the occasional snowstorm hits Washington - one of D.C.’s few hills steep enough to give riders a thrill.
Is there a better sight reflecting our great country’s freedom than children and others flocking to Congress’ backyard to ride sleds, build snowmen and throw snowballs?
Well, the Capitol Police said “bah humbug” to all that in 2001.
Worried about sledding accidents - and surely worried about lawsuits in the world’s most litigious city - they banned west-side sledding 20 years ago.
The ban was still in effect in early March 2015, but kids got away with defying it one snowy day back then, according to The Hill, which noted that Norton thanked Capitol Police for not enforcing their no-fun rule.
Later in 2015, Norton successfully added language into a federal spending bill that once again permitted winter fun on the Capitol grounds.
But last week, Capitol Police banned west-side sledding again.
“Unfortunately, due to the current security posture, COVID-19 restrictions, and the deconstruction of the Inaugural platform, we cannot permit sledding on the Capitol Complex at this time,” Eva Malecki, Capitol Police communications director, told NBC’s local Washington TV station.
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Copyright 2021 Tom Purcell, All Rights Reserved. Credit: Cagle.com
