Residents of Washington, D.C., do not enjoy the same rights as other citizens. Although they reside in the nation’s capital, they do not have any representatives representing them in Congress. While every other state has elected officials, Washington D.C., which is outside the authority of any state, is presently prohibited from voting to select representatives to the House of Representatives or the Senate.
Democrats have long sought for Washington D.C. to be granted its own statehood, but Republicans are opposed because it would give greater influence to the left-wing base of people who consider D.C. home. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, produced American flags with 51 stars on them and flew them down Pennsylvania Avenue to raise awareness about Washington’s desire to become a state.
Since the establishment of the modern United Nations in New York City, people from all around the world have been calling for Washington D.C.’s statehood.
The 51-star flag was created by Mayor Bowser on June 14, 2022, to commemorate Flag Day in the United States. Following a billIntroduced in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives to grant Washington D.C. statehood, Mayor Bowser added an extra star to the American flag as a result of her decision.
Residents of Washington D.C., on the other hand, pay more in federal taxes than residents of twenty-one other states, yet they do not have a representative in the federal government. As a result, they are unable to utilize Congressmen or Senators to advocate for and protect their interests.
In his personal statement, Bowser said, “Today, ahead of Flag Day, I directed our team to hang 51-star flags along Pennsylvania Avenue as a reminder to Congress and the nation that the 700,000 tax-paying American citizens living in Washington, DC demand to be recognized.”
The mayor continued, “On Flag Day, we celebrate American ideals, American history, and American liberty. But the very foundation of those ideals, and the basis for our liberty, is representation. D.C.’s disenfranchisement is a stain on American democracy – a 220-year-old wrong that demands to be righted.”
Although the fifty-star flag may appear to have been in use for a long time, it was not formalized until July 4, 1960, when all of the current states were joined to the country. Hawaii became a full state on August 21, 1959, making it the final state to join the United States union.
Bowser is pushing for the federal government to grant D.C. statehood.
“As Americans nationwide brace for a decision on the future of Roe v. Wade, we are also reminded that D.C.’s disenfranchisement impacts not just Americans living in D.C., but Americans nationwide who share our values,” the mayor said. “We also stand shoulder to shoulder with the majority of Americans demanding common-sense gun reforms, and with the majority of Americans who want to build a more inclusive democracy.”
Do you believe that Washington, D.C. should be recognized as a formal state?