Essay On Washington Dc Statehood

Washington D.C. Statehood

In January of 2021, Delaware Senator Tom Carper reintroduced a bill that, if passed, would have admitted D.C. as the 51st state of the United States. The United States is divided on this topic. Some people think that it should become a state because they should have rights, while others think it is unconstitutional and, many people believe that it would cause more problems than it would solve, but the weight of the conflicts are not even. On one side of the scale there is loss of rights and taxation without representation, and on the other side of the scale there is time and work? That does not seem fair. Washington D.C. is struggling every day to get their voices heard,

pays more in taxes than a group c of the 50 states of the United States. Yet, they still do not have representation. Statehood.DC.gov states that, “Washington’s residents pay more taxes than residents in 22 states and pay more per capita to the federal government than any state—yet they have no votes in Congress” (statehood.dc.gov 22). D.C pays more taxes than residents in 22 states; yet, those 22 states have a vote in congress and D.C. does not. Washington D.C. funds a great deal of the government, and they do not receive the benefits to the extent that the 50 states do. If D.C. is not receiving basic rights, why should they have to pay taxes? The United States is built on a democracy, which means that it is a government of the people. If it truly is a government of the people, residents of D.C. would have a say. This is taxation without representation. James Otis once said, “taxation without representation is tyranny”. Tyranny is when the government has absolute power. The government is not allowing Washington D.C. to have proper representation, which in turn is leaving residents paying taxes that they had no vote on. Long ago what is now the United States, was under British control; colonists were taxed without a vote on the taxation, and they fought for their rights. By allowing D.C. to be taxed without a vote, the government is following in the footsteps of those who wronged them. However, taxation without representation is not the only reason that

has a population that is greater than or equal to those of states who receive representation. According to the ranking of the states population in 2020 organized by infoplease.com, The District of Columbia has a population that is greater than both Vermont and Wyoming. Yet, both of those states receive a vote in Congress and D.C. does not. As of 2020, Washington D.C. had a population of 689,545 people. Meanwhile, Vermont had a population of 643,077 and Wyoming had a population of 576,851 people.This proves that The District of Columbia has enough people to become a state. D.C. is home to over 689,545 people who all have jobs that all work towards making the United States a better country. Whether this is healthcare, education, retail, food, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, or other services , they are all contributing to the success of our nation. Washington D.C. has a population great enough for a state and allowing it to become a state would grant many benefits. By not allowing D.C. to become a state, those 689,545 people are not getting heard. Based on the information from census.gov, Washington D.C.’s black or African-American community makes up 45.8% of the district's total population. By not allowing these voices and this community to be heard the United States is taking major steps back from equality. If the District of Columbia became a state, these voices would be heard and the United States would be on its way towards a country with more