EDITOR’S NOTE: Manassas officials canceled October’s First Friday after a downtown killing. The letter below is from Dan Maillard of Manassas. The views are the writer’s.
Although happy to see that the City of Manassas has some shred of dignity left, per usual, it seems not enough. I am speaking of the terrible death of Ashley, but worse, the seemingly lost leadership of this town and even the Commonwealth.
Where is the Manassas Mayor? Oh right, she resigned months back, and has been phoning it in for some time. Even in your article I saw no direct attribution of responsibility for canceling October’s First Friday….how disappointing. How about the Commonwealth Attorney? Ms. Ashworth can not seemingly muster the integrity to admit her office accepted the bond of a murderer, in what seems to be a ploy to just ignore doing the right thing…hoping everyone forgets the next time the vote calls. She also seems very happy to just blame judges despite her position as Chief Law Enforcer. How about our Governor? Apparently, for her to even consider Manassas, children have to be harmed, and even then she too couldn’t muster the integrity to answer questions about her failed policies, ducking the press in her usual “blame anyone but me” approach.
And who gets the blame? The lone Police Chief, who has seemingly been the only City Leader to stand tall in the face of scrutiny, rather than cower behind a title. Woefully under-resourced, targeted by a failed political agenda, yet the only City Leader to answer the media, the public, and no doubt the grieving family.
I count two deaths now that were 100% preventable had only some leadership in Manassas actually existed. Maybe that leadership will start soon by canceling First Friday for good, until they all look in the mirror. Sadly unlikely.
Dan Maillard
Manassas
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