The 1970s was a decade of drab decline in America’s otherwise bright history of unprecedented wealth and unstoppable drive. Only the Great Depression was worse. Typical of the incapacitating greyness of the 1970s, Congress absurdly gave away both the Panama Canal and Washington, D. C. Giving away the Canal was the joint accomplishment of President Carter and Congress. But Congress alone has constitutional control of Washington, and so giving Washington away to “Home Rule” was the fault solely of Congress. The result is that Washington is now so criminally out of control — except for Trump’s temporary intervention — that not even its crime statistics are honest.

And so in fulfillment of its Constitutional obligations, Congress must now take the nation’s capital back and correct its earlier dim-witted error. Fortunately this can be done easily. After all, the Supreme Court recently admitted to another dim blunder typical of the 1970s — Roe v. Wade (1973). And so like the reversal of Roe, the blunder of giving away Washington can be just as quickly reversed to the robust delight of shining patriots — and to the dim dismay of America’s dark haters.

ROBERT JACQUES

JAMES STUCHELL

Williamsport

Submitted by email