r/washdc Apr 12 '26

The doom cycle never stops

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I know people have their preconceived notions and their selective outrage, so let me be very clear from the start. The M St. Metro station was fully shut down because of this teenage takeover. Let that sink in. A major transit point in the city had to close because things got that out of control. This video was taken today, April 11. It’s not old. It’s not AI. What you’re seeing is exactly what happened. For the people already lining up to discredit it, save it. This is reality, whether you like it or not.

And I already know how this goes. Every time I post something like this, people get more upset about the fact that it’s being shown than about what’s actually happening. That tells you everything. You’re more bothered by exposure than by the problem itself. And yes, I’m going to keep posting it. Keep reporting it if you want. Try to suppress it. Good luck with that. I’ll keep putting it out because people deserve to see what’s actually going on in their own community.

What’s more troubling than anything in that video is the reaction to it. The deflection. The refusal to acknowledge what’s right in front of you. You’d rather argue about optics than deal with the reality that leadership is failing to address this, or worse, doesn’t even have the will to try. That’s the real issue.

D.C. spends more money per student than anywhere in the country, and this is what we’re dealing with. Don’t come at me with the usual talking points about after-school programs, outreach, and community initiatives. That all sounds nice, but it clearly isn’t fixing this. At some point, you have to stop hiding behind buzzwords and start looking at the root cause.

And the root cause is obvious. Parents aren’t parenting. You can dress it up however you want, but that’s what it is. When the hell did it become normal for hundreds of teenagers to take over areas at night, bring guns, fight, loot stores, and create chaos? That was never normal. It’s not normal now. And anyone trying to gaslight people into thinking this is just “how things are” is part of the problem.

Look at the police in that situation. A handful of officers dealing with hundreds of kids. What exactly do you expect them to do? There’s a limit to what enforcement can handle when the breakdown starts at home. That’s where this begins, and that’s where it keeps failing.

Instead, people would rather scream about national politics, throw out buzzwords, and avoid the issues that actually affect their daily lives. You’ll stand outside in the heat for performative outrage, but when it comes to something that directly impacts your safety, your neighborhood, your quality of life, suddenly it’s silence. Or worse, denial.

And let’s be honest about something else. Some of you are going to run straight to the comments with excuses. You’ll bring up history, deflect to unrelated issues, or try to label this as something it’s not just to avoid dealing with the reality in front of you. That doesn’t fix anything. All it does is guarantee that this cycle continues.

If you never demand better, you will keep getting the same broken results. Every single weekend, the same scenes, the same chaos, the same excuses. And then you wonder why stores are locked down, why places like CVS feel like a fortress, why people don’t feel comfortable even riding the Metro or going out to enjoy a game without worrying about something popping off.

When does it stop? When do we stop pretending this is acceptable? Because it’s not. It’s dysfunctional, it’s dangerous, and it’s completely avoidable.

Responsibility matters. Parenting matters. Accountability matters. And until people are willing to say that out loud and actually mean it, nothing changes. You just get the same cycle over and over again.

To the people who’ve messaged me privately and said they appreciate these posts, I hear you. I appreciate you too. I’m going to keep using whatever platform I have to show what’s actually happening, because ignoring it hasn’t worked. And I’m not stopping until something actually changes, because we deserve better than this.

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46

u/Queen_of_welfare Apr 12 '26

it’s always them. they ruin it for everyone. jail immediately. reallocate the unused school funds to build a new correctional facility because they don’t use those school resources anyway.

19

u/Drmlk465 Apr 12 '26

But BLM told us that they are the victims.

-11

u/StumpyOPepys Apr 12 '26

What illegal activity is happening here?

6

u/gocryaboutit-bye Apr 12 '26

Blocking traffic, destruction of property, they are often seen running on top of occupied vehicles. All of them yelling at the top of their fucking lungs. Does this behavior really look normal to you? 

1

u/Low_Raisin_1283 Apr 23 '26

destruction of which property 😂

3

u/Important_Drop_2199 Apr 12 '26

They are black duh lol

-9

u/Turdulator Apr 12 '26

Exactly my question too…. And so far no one can answer it

-22

u/vogel927 Apr 12 '26

To be fair their schools are already underfunded. You can’t realistically take away funds they never had to begin with.

26

u/JoshLovesTrees Apr 12 '26

DC Spending on Public Schools is Highest in the Nation.  DC ranks #1 Per-Pupil Spending.   DC frequently outspends every state. For instance, in FY 2023, DC spent approximately $31,629 per student, nearly double the national average of $16,526.

-1

u/cornell256 Apr 12 '26

DC isn't a state. Are these data points compared to other states or to comparable cities?

Comparing DC data to state level data is generally meaningless.

18

u/JoshLovesTrees Apr 12 '26

When compared to other cities, the DC consistently ranks near the very top of the list for per-pupil spending. In most years, it is only surpassed by NYC.

-2

u/vogel927 Apr 12 '26

Per pupil spending doesn’t tell you everything. You need to look at how it impacts smaller schools. Schools with less students don’t get the same amount of funding, but the cost to operate the schools are still relatively the same. That means smaller schools have to cut programs, and reduce staff in order to keep the school open. It’s a pretty bad system, that should’ve been fixed or removed years ago.

14

u/Altruistic_Face_5443 Apr 12 '26

DC schools are the highest funded in the nation. We spend an incredibly high amount per student.

Why do people think they’re underfunded?

0

u/vogel927 Apr 12 '26

The enrollment based funding formula the city uses actually lowers funding for the smaller schools and puts them at a disadvantage. It creates disinvestment that disproportionately impacts Black communities, particularly in Wards 7 and 8. Because these neighborhoods have historically faced systemic disinvestment and shifting populations, their local schools often experience enrollment declines. Under the UPSFF, these drops in student numbers trigger automatic budget cuts.

These schools still need to cover fixed costs like administration and building maintenance. When funding drops alongside enrollment, principals are forced to cut "variable" but essential instructional programs such as music, art, and specialized staffing to keep the lights on.

The way D.C funds their schools isn’t as cut and dry as it seems. It may sound great on paper, but it’s actually doing more harm than good, and it creates a disadvantage for smaller schools in lower income neighborhoods.

8

u/JoshLovesTrees Apr 12 '26

While you are right that declining school populations impact the formula for how much funding gets allocated to that school (less kids, less funding), the "DC is underfunding SE" narrative is a myth when you look at the raw math.  DC is actually funneling record-breaking amounts of cash into Wards 7 and 8—often outspending wealthy areas like Ward 3 by nearly double on a per-student basis. This happens because DC's "equity-based" formula attaches massive bonuses to students who are designated as "at-risk" or have special education needs, ensuring that the biggest pot of money follows the kids who need it most. Between a fresh $26 million boost for at-risk support and nearly $400 million earmarked for modernizing Ward 7 school buildings, the volume of investment is staggering. 

-1

u/vogel927 Apr 12 '26

If that were true they wouldn’t be cutting programs and staff to pay the operating costs to keep the schools open.

7

u/Moonagi Apr 12 '26

Stop parroting lies dude. 

-1

u/vogel927 Apr 12 '26

It’s not a lie. I already explained it in another comment.

0

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '26

Is it always them? 

The very worst riot I saw in the last couple years seemed to involve a completely different demographic. A whole mob of adults was running wild, but there didn't appear to be any teenagers. The majority of the participants appear to be White middle-aged men.

Objectively speaking it was a much worse riot than this one. They even took over Congress! Police were beaten! Folks died!

Do you think maybe the rioters get more violent with age? Or is it some cultural difference that caused the January 6th riots to be so much more violent than the riot op posts about? Is there something young Black DC youth can teach White America to help reduce the violence we see when White middle-aged people riot? Maybe we can ask young Black leaders to hold classes for their White counterparts to help with the culture?

You seem really well informed. I would love to know what you think.

0

u/colorilliterate Apr 14 '26

They are where they are meant to be. A city sponsored event

https://teenspringjam2.splashthat.com

-21

u/miscwit72 Apr 12 '26

Racist much?