Many of us snickered upon hearing the news — Marion Barry, the District’s mayor-for-life and most infamous crack addict, had been caught again, victim of his own inability to stay away from illegal drugs. Just the same, some of Barry’s defenders started coming out of the woodwork, celebrating a man who while imperfect was still a reason for hope for many of the city’s residents.

In today’s edition of DC Watch’s widely read online newsletter, various Barry proponents had their say. One entry, titled “Barry the Human Hero,” said the following of the former mayor and current Ward 8 council-member:

[Some] seemingly forever dwell on the foibles of this man’s character rather than his many achievements. That’s why some of us who do see our warrior’s battered breast beneath his tar and feathers will be supporting him…We understand how and why a person living here in Washington in the deep shadow and crack of America’s democracy could back-burner and neglect to pay taxes to a government which does the same to us and our rights.

Another writer argued that the city’s newcomers cannot understand the contributions Barry made to the city, noting:

The newcomers will never understand the perspective from which those who love our “Mayor for Life” are coming. They weren’t here. They didn’t know the man. And, since they never had to fight for basic human rights, I suppose they can’t even fathom the battering he’s suffered nor the immense dedication required to move even one step forward.

There is little doubt that Barry’s legacy still carries significant weight with many of the city’s residents, especially those east of the Anacostia River. Barry is still remembered as a politician who, as imperfect as his personal life may have been, consistently fought for the interests and residents of the city, though his later years were marred by corruption, graft, and bureaucratic inefficiency. His shadow is so long that few members of the D.C. Council spoke to his recent troubles, and those that did carefully tiptoed around making any pronouncements concerning his future in city politics.

The question remains: will this instance of alleged drug use finally knock Barry off of his pedestal? Or will his base of support remain aligned behind the man they remember as a fighter, a hero for the District of Columbia?

Image courtesy of NBC 4.