Forest Hills Connection | News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood

Covering Forest Hills, Van Ness, North Cleveland Park and Wakefield

Our besieged businesses have grit. It’s time to show them we do too

by Marlene Berlin

Let’s talk about grit. Here are two great examples:

“We are heartened by the support and loyalty of our customers and our community — they are our lifeblood and we will continue to serve them joyfully for the decades to come and beyond.” – James Alefantis, owner of Comet Ping Pong in a statement hours after the gunman entered his restaurant Sunday

Now, neighbors, it is time show our grit. We’ve stood up for Comet Ping Pong, Little Red Fox, Terasol, Jake’s American Grille, Buck’s Fishing and Camping, Besta Pizza and Politics and Prose as online message boards spread vicious lies about these businesses. We expressed our support as these lies emboldened people to send abusive, hate-filled online messages and make threatening phone calls to their staffs (Read the transcript of WAMU’s interview with Besta Pizza’s owner).

And then a man with a rifle walked into Comet to “self-investigate” what he’d read online.

First, I was shocked. This slowly changed to anger, and then resolve. I resolve that this gunman will not change how I live my life. I will continue to frequent this block of businesses serving our Forest Hills neighborhood. I am not alone in my resolve.

We will continue to meet our friends for coffee and dinner at these establishments. We will continue to crowd the book talks at Politics and Prose. We will not let them down.

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Comments

  1. I was at Tony’s for the wonderful event Comet Ping Pong sponsored for Hillary. I have also frequented the Restaurant and particularly after being asked the first time to show support to counter the outrageous, vile, dangerous emails sent. This can’t be allowed to continue.. Let’s show our support, but also support efforts to ban assault rifles and large ammunition rounds that have no place in USA.
    MaryAnn Miller

  2. I totally agree. I was outraged by how the worst aspects of right-wing hate touched OUR little corner of DC. I have Comet all the time and make a point of buying books at P&P that I could have bought on Amazon. I’ve also given to Comet’s gofundme. We must stand together.

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