The Nation - News from March 24, 1989

Washington Mayor Marion Barry tried to restore the tarnished image of the nation’s capital, saying that most victims of the city’s record number of killings are drug abusers and the town is safe for tourists. His remarks came at the beginning of the lucrative spring and summer tourist season--just before the arrival of about a million people to view the city’s famed cherry blossoms. Barry said the problem is not random violence that threatens visitors. “For the most part the targeted killings and drug activities take place in a small section of our city,” Barry said at the National Press Club.