The April 20 Metro article “New D.C. friction point: Dogs on Howard campus” enraged me. What I hear, as a 45-year neighbor of Howard University, is our new residents have a sense of entitlement: They are entitled to do whatever they want, whenever they want and wherever they want. They do not take the time or energy to find out what the norm is in a particular neighborhood.
When we moved to LeDroit Park (our part is now Bloomingdale), the sanctity of Howard University was clearly understood. Our children did not play on the property, and residents walked around the campus unless they had business there or were attending some of the outdoor activities. This wasn’t said; it was known because of the historical nature of Howard University.
The same entitlement occurs in the neighborhoods. There is nothing wrong with walking your dog. But it is unacceptable not to clean up after your dog in front of another person’s home. It is unacceptable for you to put your dog droppings in another person’s trash can. And it is unacceptable for you to allow your children to walk onto another person’s yard to play and pick flowers, etc.
This feeling of entitlement is also the reason for the problem at Seventh Street NW and Florida Avenue NW [“A go-go spot goes quiet, and protests fill the void,” Metro, April 10]. One person in a luxury apartment can change what has been a longtime tradition in a neighborhood.
Howard University is historic property. Keep your dogs out.
Constance Reddix, Washington
