February 28, 2008
D.C. Floats New Ideas for Quarter
Reacting just as quickly as the U.S. Mint did in shooting down the District's proposed designs for its own commemorative quarter, city officials are already floating new ideas for what will eventually grace the coin when it is minted in 2009.
According to an article in the Post today, city officials will likely keep two of the proposed designs -- abolitionist Benjamin Banneker and jazz legend Duke Ellington -- while retiring the proposal for the stars and bars of the District's flag. And replacing the oh-so-controversial "Taxation Without Representation" will be the D.C. motto, "Justitia omnibus," meaning "justice for all."
We're a little disappointed that Mayor Adrian Fenty has chosen not to challenge the U.S. Mint's decision on the use of the phrase "Taxation Without Representation" on the D.C. quarter. After all, Fenty has made plenty of gestures -- even if symbolic -- to indicate his displeasure with the lack of action on D.C. voting rights. Heck, in 2007 he even snubbed President Bush and sat instead with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi during the State of the Union address. This time around, the city has a great case to make. After all, the phrase wasn't coined by the D.C. voting rights movement -- it dates back to 1750 and was one of the rallying cries of the American Revolution. In fact, the phrase entered the American lexicon more than 50 years before "Live Free or Die," the New Hampshire state motto that graces its quarter. And while the U.S. Mint claimed that the proposed phrase is "clearly controversial," it bears asking whether or not they would ascribe the same controversy to it had it been proposed by another state. We think not.
But since Mayor Fenty doesn't seem inclined to start a fight with the U.S. Mint, we'd like to see a more daring figure be added to the list of proposed designs -- Frederick Douglass. Much like Banneker, Douglass was born in Maryland, but the man known as the "Sage of Anacostia" made of the District his last home and place of death. His writings and speeches are full of memorable quotes on the struggle for freedom and equality, one of which seems particularly relevant to the District's current circumstances: "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will."
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HEADS: taxation with representation
TAILS: Chocolate City
HEADS: taxation with representation
TAILS: Chocolate City
Maybe the oreo city:
chocolate outsides with a creamy center.
Our quarter can be three layers.
senatori suffragii ferandi volumus!
Enter the bureaucrats, the true rulers of the Republic. And on the payroll of the Trade Federation, I might add. This is where Chancellor Fenty's strength will disappear.
"Chicken Wings et Mambo Sauce Omnibus" and that's my final offer.
.....or Home of the original Jumbo Slice
Why the hell are they getting rid of the flag design? Weak.
And Banneker, while I appreciate his accomplishments, is just a little too obscure as a DC icon. Duke is another story, however, and I endorse that. I love the idea of putting something cultural on this thing, to show people that DC isn't just a cesspool of Federal shmoes.
We're the land of Ellington, Gaye, and MacKaye;
Sousa, Chuck Brown, and the Question Mark Suit Guy.
Go go, hardcore, and bounce beat make our heads bob;
Ben's Chili Bowl gives us gastro-intestinal throb.
And if you think DC is devoid of any style or fashion;
Tim Gunn's from here too, and policy's not his passion.
So next time you say that DC is so damn bland,
Go on back up the road - next stop, Maryland.
did you write that, dcfist? not bad!
i still say that we have to go with an edifice that is DC-specific, and not federal. a person like duke ellington is nice and all, and he'd be my first choice for a person to put on the coin, but i think something tangible that people can still go see today would be a better choice. i can't give a great reason why, that's just what i'm thinking...
Let's piss New Hampshire off and go with "Root Hog or Die."
IMGoph
Yes, I wrote it just now, actually... that's how strongly I feel that DC as its own city should be represented, not DC as America's city. If they were going to do that, they may as well give Disneyworld its own quarter.
My proposal: a map of the city's boundaries in the center, the DC flag on one side, Fredrick Douglas and cherry blossoms on the other.
I like the Frederick Douglass suggestion; Douglass relates to "Justitia Omnibus" in a way that Banneker and Ellington, for all their virtues, do not.
You can not replace a slogan like Taxation Without Representation which speaks to our lack of justice with Justice for All.
tim gunn? i had NO idea...
can the quarter say "make it work"?
Wah wah, way to cave. Personally, I don't like the idea of people on the quarters b/c there's already a person on the other side of the coin. I'll take Ellington or someone but it just wont be exciting. No "no taxation" is surely a bummer but as long as the rest of the country gazes upon an unfamiliar site when looking at the DC quarter, DC wins.
...it bears asking whether or not they would ascribe the same controversy to it had it been proposed by another state.
by which you mean to say "had it been proposed by a state"...
since tim gunn was mentioned, can we hijack this thread and make it about runway? fat chris got screwed. his designs were way more original and interesting than rami's!
ps SPOILER ALERT!
oh, you done did it now, goat boy!
Justitia Metrobus. Now there's your silly ass quarter design, right there.
SPOILER ALERT
I'm glad the judges thought that Rami's model-swallowing Christian-on-steroids blue monstrosity was worthy of taking him to the next level. What crap.
They used Chris' resume against him. No matter what he did, it would be "too costumey". And what's more disgusting about using human hair when people wear dead animal skin/fur all the time?
Oh well, both Chris and Rami turned out to be very graceful in their loss/win. But wait until Christian inevitably wins, and the amazing sportsmanship he is sure to exhibit...
@dcfist: (spoilers) well said, and you're exactly right on all counts. the judges were inherently biased against chris for being a costume designer, like he was some quaint low brow trash they look down their noses at. give me a break. all that shit that parades down the runway and passes for high fashion is costume in one sense or another. and his decision to use human hair was BRILLIANT, i thought. would i wear it if i were a lady? maybe, maybe not, but i didn't think this was a ready-to-wear challenge anyway. isn't fashion supposed to be about thinking "outside the box" and coming up with new, innovative, and exciting ideas? that's exactly what he did. all his designs were well conceived and well executed. it's like he would have won if he had just said "yea, it's goat hair." makes me wanna riot! i don't want any of them to win at this point, but if i had to pick i guess it would be princess xanax. although what was up with that hat she was wearing at the end there last night???
chris's stuff was okay.
but would you really want to wear someone else's hair? gross.
The human hair totally icked me out, although I can't quite say why. I mean, it had obviously been well cared for and conditioned and wasn't in the least frizzy. I kind of wondered if Chris was playing a joke on us all.
Having said that, I thought Chris' designs were way better, even with the hair. What was all that love for Rami's boring middle dress about?
@skaterboy: its not like dude went to the barber shop with a sack and was like "fill 'er up!" he went and bought extensions. at least no animal had to suffer an excruciating death to produce it.
I feel bad for Chris. While human hair on clothes would totally gross me out, its at least a fresh idea and wasn't just a continuation of the final challenge (Rami and Jillian) and wasn't a rip off of other designs ALREADY on the show (Rami again).
yeah i wouldn't wear animal fur either.
but it did seem like chris was playing a joke, like he didn't really care about going to fashion week.
he should have just copied christian again.
that would have been fierce.
Uh, hello?
People wear human hair extensions already - on their friggin' HEADS. What's so gross about it being on their clothes? Jeez.
And yes, I am totally rooting for princess Xanax. There's something about her complete lack of emotion that just draws me in...
NAME DROP: an acquaintance of mine from college is currently dating Christian. FEROSH!
Uh, hello?
People wear human hair extensions already - on their friggin' HEADS. What's so gross about it being on their clothes? Jeez.
And yes, I am totally rooting for princess Xanax. There's something about her complete lack of emotion that just draws me in...
NAME DROP: an acquaintance of mine from college is currently dating Christian. FEROSH!
although what was up with that hat she was wearing at the end there last night
agreed. and they say DC has no fashion taste. I'm glad people dont walk down the street wearing that type of disgustingness.
but, i want Jillian to win.
@fist: how could christian date anyone when he is obviously so head over heels in love with himself?
Let's just say they don't call him the Gunn Slinger for nothin'.
goat boy:
Right? But it's perfect, because his boyf is just as narcissistic...
@goat_boy: Wait a second... is that a trick question?
@DCfist: To be fair, only Nina liked Rami's coat. And if he'd kept it simple -- ditched the puffy sleeves but kept the cowl neck and the sash -- I might've, too. I did like his short dress; it helps dispel the notion which seems to have taken hold of many mid-level fashion retailers that patterned dresses are inherently interesting. He took a monochromatic pattern, which could've been boring, and made it pop, but in a way that seemed effortless. The long dress didn't fit well and looked bulky. Chris I love dearly, but there's a difference between taking risks and going completely balls out just for the sake of it. Human hair? Really? And I think extensions are gross, so the "it's just extensions" argument doesn't carry water with me. The patterned top could've worked if matched with something else, and the safety pin skirt was inspired, but it all looked so Addams Family it was hard to even notice the bright spots. Speaking of bright spots, my favorite part of the episode was the catwalk on the roof -- too precious!
"Controversy" implies dispute--but no one is arguing that DC residents have equal representation in Congress. The FACT that we are taxed without representation cannot be disputed, and the phrase itself is not suggesting any change. Simply stating a fact is not controversial.
Taxation without representation is a historic, educational, and uncontroversial phrase. It's also much more reserved than Live free or die, which was approved for New Hampshire’s design.
Rejecting DC's designs due to "controversy" is inappropriate and unfair. This decision should be disputed! Why bother to submit the designs if we're not willing to defend them? It's disappointing to see Fenty cave-in so easily.
One day DC will have equal representation, but it will require many determined efforts--including using the phrase in designs such as the commemorative quarter, and explaining and defending its use when it's questioned.
Until we get equal representation (and relief from Congressional and federal meddling in our local affairs that states don’t suffer), perhaps we should use another local phrase to explain how we Feel Like...
"BUSTIN' LOOSE"
Looks like someone is listening on the Frederick Douglass idea:
http://newsroom.dc.gov/show.aspx/agency/os/section/2/release/12831
Looks like someone is listening on the Frederick Douglass idea:
http://newsroom.dc.gov/show.aspx/agency/os/section/2/release/12831