In a message dated 6/22/2007 6:58:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: > Didn't the National Park Service have to cancel its annual African American > > Family Day at the National Zoo in DC because of all the shootings and rapes > that occurred each year during that event? > > By the way, where does the National Park Service get the right to limit the > > use of a national park, the National Zoo, to only members of a designated > minority group anyway? > > Basil > > --- The annual African American Family Day at the National Zoo in DC has existed for more than 100 years as an informal community tradition. In 1993, it was made an official event. The Zoo does not exclude others (just as the US does not exlude non-secretaries during National Secretaries Day). There was an incident in 2000 of youth gangs having an altercation at the Zoo which was pretty bad. (BTW, we have a Japanese friend, from Japan, who wanted to visit us in Prince Georges County, contiguous to D.C., but was apprehensive at doing so because of the rapes and murders occurring in DC & PG every minute or so. He did visit, but we kept quiet about our [shhh...don't tell] Negro neighbor.) B&R ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.