The Washington Post’s Outlook Section Imagines Ten Things We Could Live Without

Prominent Writers Name the White House Press Corps, NAACP, West Point Among Things to Get Rid of

This Sunday, The Washington Post’s Outlook section asks prominent writers to do some spring cleaning and answer the question: “What can we live without?” Ana Marie Cox boldly explains why we should get rid of the White House Press Corps while Jonetta Rose Barras says the NAACP is outdated and reminds her of “a favorite elderly relative, telling the same story every time he sees you.” Thomas Ricks says the government should shut down West Point.

For this special “Spring Cleaning” issue, Outlook’s editors are also asking readers to send in their ideas for things that are no longer necessary. Next Sunday, editors will list the top five entries and will select one to publish both in the newspaper and online.

Author and political analyst Jonetta Rose Barras says the NAACP is “anachronistic as colored-only water fountains and white-only bathrooms” and suggests the organization go deeper inside the African American community to address beliefs and behaviors that are roadblocks to greater advancement.

Ricks, former Washington Post reporter who covered the U.S. military for two decades, says shutting down West Point would not only trim the federal budget but also improve leadership in the U.S. military. Ricks believes that the cost savings should be used to expand ROTC scholarships.

Outlook’s entire list of “Spring Cleaning,” which will be published on April 19, 2009, includes:

1. West Point by Thomas E. Ricks
2. Prom by John Green
3. Larry Summers by Naomi Klein
4. Tenure by Francis Fukuyama
5. The White House Press Corps by Ana Marie Cox
6. Vice Presidents by Jeremy Lott
7. Nobel Prize in Literature by Marie Arana
8. The term “Islamic World” by Parag Khanna
9. NAACP by Jonetta Rose Barras
10. Television by Farhad Manjoo

“We’re excited about the issue and hope it will spark some debate,” said John Pomfret, Editor of Outlook. “Everybody needs a little spring cleaning now and then.”

Outlook is the commentary section that runs every Sunday in The Washington Post. For more information, visit Outlook at www.washingtonpost.com/outlook.

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