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The [[District of Columbia]], the [[national capital]] of the [[United States]], was formed in 1790 from 100 [[square mile]]s that were [[cession|ceded]] to the federal government by the [[U.S. state|states]] of [[Maryland]] and [[Virginia]].
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'''Retrocession''' is defined as the reversal of a [[cession]], returning land to the entities to which it originally belonged. The 32 square miles originally ceded by Virginia were returned to Virginia in 1847, and some have proposed that the remaining 68 square miles, or most of them, be returned to Maryland.
'''Road To Rhode Island''' is an episode from the second season of the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]] [[animated television series]] ''[[Family Guy]]''. First aired on [[May 30]], [[2000]]. Written by Gary Janetti and directed by Dan Povenmire. Guest starring [[Victoria Principal]] as Dr. Amanda Rebecca. Production #2ACX12. This episode is included in the "Freakin' Sweet" [[DVD]] Collection.
== PlotVirginia summaryretrocession ==
Almost immediately after the "Federal City" was laid out north of the [[Potomac River]], the residents south of the Potomac in [[Alexandria County, D.C.]] began petitioning to be returned to Virginia's jurisdiction. Over time, a movement grew to separate [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]] from the District for several reasons:
{{spoiler}}
* Alexandria was an important port and market in the [[Atlantic slave trade]]. There was increasing talk of [[Abolitionism|abolition]] of slavery in the national capital, and Alexandria's economy would suffer greatly if slavery were outlawed.
* There was an active abolition movement in Virginia, and the pro-slavery forces held a slim majority in the [[Virginia General Assembly]]. (Eighteen years later, in the [[American Civil War]], the most anti-slavery counties would secede from Virginia to form [[West Virginia]].) If Alexandria and Alexandria County were retroceded to Virginia, they would provide two new pro-slavery representatives.
* Alexandria's economy had stagnated as competition with the port of [[Georgetown, Washington, D.C.|Georgetown, D.C.]] had begun to favor the north side of the Potomac. The [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] was already helping Georgetown take more business from Alexandria, and the canal was still being extended.
* Alexandria's residents had lost representation and the right to vote at any level of government.
After a referendum, voters petitioned Congress and Virginia to return the area to Virginia. By an act of Congress on [[9 July]], [[1846]], and with the approval of the Virginia General Assembly, the area south of the Potomac (39 square miles [101 km²]) was returned, or "retroceded," to Virginia effective in [[1847]].[http://www.citymuseumdc.org/gettoknow/faq.asp]
The episode begins with [[Brian Griffin|Brian]] at his psychiatrist's, where he reveals the circumstances under which he was taken from his mother as a puppy. Afterwards, Brian volunteers to pick up [[Stewie Griffin|Stewie]] from his vacation at his grandparents' summer home in Palm Springs, where Stewie frames a maid for dinner amusement. At the airport bar, Brian gets very drunk and when Stewie comes to retrieve him the plane tickets home are stolen. In order to get home Stewie and Brian hotwire and steal a car and later masquerade as crop dusters in order to steal a plane which they immediately wreck. As the pair continue hitchhiking back to Quahog, they pass by a puppy mill near [[Austin, Texas]], Brian's birthplace. Upon arrival they discover that Brian's mother was stuffed and turned into a table by the puppy mill owners. With Stewie's reluctant help, Brian gives his mother a proper burial. The pair eventually completes the journey home by riding in an open [[boxcar]] where they perform a musical duet.
The retroceded land was then known as [[Alexandria County, Virginia]], and now includes a portion of the [[independent city]] of [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]] and all of [[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington County]], the successor to Alexandria County. A large portion of the retroceded land near the river was an estate of [[George Washington Parke Custis]]. It would be passed on to his daughter and her husband, [[Robert E. Lee]], and would eventually become [[Arlington National Cemetery]].
[[Image:FGRoadtoRhodeIsland.png|220px|thumb|left|Brian and his mother]]
== Proposed Maryland retrocession ==
Meanwhile, [[Lois Griffin|Lois]] urges [[Peter Griffin|Peter]] to watch relationship videos with her, but the videos turn out to be [[pornography]]. Peter is initially reluctant but later becomes addicted to the videos, much to Lois' chagrin. She manages to get herself on the end of one of the tapes in black [[lingerie]] to entice Peter.
It has been proposed that the remainder of the District be given back to Maryland. Retrocession would take a simple act of [[U.S. Congress|Congress]], though it is generally accepted that Congress would not take such a step without the approval of Marylanders and Washingtonians via referenda. Currently, there is little support for retrocession, though some see it as a solution to the twin problems of [[D.C. voting rights]] and [[D.C. home rule]].
{{Spoilerend}}
Such a move, according to some, would be [[constitutional]] if at least the part of the District that contains the main offices of government (the National Capital Service Area) were to remain in the District officially; the [[U.S. Constitution]] requires a national capital "not exceeding ten Miles square", but does not specify a minimum size for the District. However, it is unclear if the Constitution even requires the creation of a District to begin with; after all, the country did not have such a district until Washington was founded. If it does, then such a move would require, as a technicality, the repeal of the [[Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution|23rd Amendment]] due to there being no citizens of such a district. The only residents of such a rump district would be the [[First Family of the United States|First Family]], who vote in their hometown (plus, possibly, some [[homeless]] people).
==Notes==
*An eerie scene in this episode featured [[Osama bin Laden]] that only aired once: Stewie sings a musical number to distract airport baggage handlers from noticing the weapons in his luggage, then remarks that he hopes "Osama bin Laden doesn't know show tunes." The camera pans show bin Laden singing "I Hope I Get It" from the musical [[A Chorus Line]] as his luggage goes through the detector. This episode aired more than a year before the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11th terrorist attacks]]. The entire scene was taken out of the episode in subsequent airings and Volume 2 of the Family Guy DVD set (although the scene remains intact up until Stewie's singing in the Region 2 Season 2 DVD set), but can be seen on the "Family Guy: Freakin' Sweet" DVD. In the DVD commentary, [[Seth MacFarlane]] mentions that the moral is that "the FBI should watch ''Family Guy'' more often." Ironically, Seth McFarlane himself missed his flight on September 11th, and later found out that the plane he missed had been hijacked and driven in the [[World Trade Center]]. He was saved by a moblile phone call.
*This is the first road adventure featuring Brian and Stewie as the main characters. The second is "[[Road to Europe]]".
*During the first "communication" tape, the woman takes off her shirt and starts her sedution. The crew actually animated her taking off her bra and playing with a vibrator before the line "Do you want to see more?" The unaired clip is circulating on the internet
The remainder of Washington would become a city in Maryland, allowing residents to vote for Maryland's Congressional delegation like any other resident of the state, as well as in state elections.
==Cultural references==
*In a cutaway showing Peter’s difficulty making decisions, he is in a video store and must choose between ''Ernest Goes to the Beach'' and ''Ernest Doesn’t Goes to the Beach,'' two fictitious films from the [[Ernest P. Worrell|Ernest]] franchise. And if you watch carefully, at the back of Ernest Goes to The Beach when Peter worries when to store is closing, the sea line moves.
*Peter asks Lois to do her [[Katharine Hepburn]] impression, but specifies “''[[The Philadelphia Story|Philadelphia Story]]'' Hepburn, none of that head-on-a-[[slinky]] ''[[On Golden Pond|Golden Pond]]'' stuff.”
*When his teddy Rupert loses their luggage, Stewie accuses him of "watching the boys again", that its that "steward again isn't it, the one who looks like [[Tab Hunter]]"
*Stewie thinks his phone number is 867-5309 thanks to the [[Tommy Tutone]] hit "[[867-5309/Jenny]]."
*Stewie distracts the airport security staff by singing “[[On the Good Ship Lollipop]]” from the musical ''[[Bright Eyes]].'' In the infamous scene featuring [[Osama Bin Laden]], Bin Laden does the same by singing “I Hope I Get It” from ''[[A Chorus Line]].''
*The radio in the car Brian and Stewie steal plays "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" by [[Culture Club]].
*While driving, Stewie and Brian play [[Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon]], a game in which people link an actor or actress to [[Kevin Bacon]] by six films. It is unknown with whom he begins, but the audience hears Stewie link [[Montgomery Clift]] to [[Burt Lancaster]] via ''[[From Here to Eternity]],'' Lancaster to [[Susan Sarandon]] via ''[[Atlantic City (film)|Atlantic City]]'' and Sarandon to Bacon via ''[[White Palace]].'' Brian is correct that [[James Spader]], not Kevin Bacon, starred in ''White Palace.''
*While [[eulogy|eulogizing]] Brian’s mother, Stewie gives an unusual retelling of the [[Bible|Biblical]] story of [[Abraham]] and [[Isaac]].
*On a train back to Quahog, Brian and Stewie sing "We're on the Road to Rhode Island," a parody of a song from the [[1942]] movie ''[[Road to Morocco]]''. The episode itself is a parody/homage to the Road to movies. The song mentions several places in [[Rhode Island]], including the [[Newport, Rhode Island|City of Newport]] and [[Brown University]]. The song also references the [[1991]] [[road movie]] ''[[Thelma and Louise]].''
*Stewie asks Brian to tape an episode of ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'' for him.
=== Arguments for retrocession ===
=="Road to Rhode Island" song==
Proponents like the Committee for the Capital City feel such a move would be of financial benefit to Washington; the city would be relieved of burdens not shared by other American cities such as running a [[prison]] system and a [[Department of Motor Vehicles]], and it would finally be free from the veto power of the [[United States Congress]]. Maryland would benefit from the prestige of being the home state of the national capital of the world's [[superpower]] and would gain additional tax revenue. Congress would benefit from no longer having to scrutinize the decisions of the city government; committees overseeing DC government have traditionally been amongst the least prestigious jobs for members. Further, it would give most residents of the District a say in federal government, as they would be able to vote for a representative and senators, and thus have representation.
Stewie & Brian [Singing] "We're off on the road to Rhode Island<br>
Stewie & Brian "We're having the time of our lives"<br>
Stewie Griffin Take it, Dog!<br>
Brian Griffin "We're quite a pair of partners, just like Thelma and Louise<br>
Brian Griffin "'Cept you're not six feet tall<br>
Stewie Griffin "Yes, and your breasts don't reach your knees"<br>
Brian Griffin Give it time.<br>
Stewie & Brian "We're off on the road to Rhode Island<br>
Stewie & Brian "We're certainly going in style<br>
Stewie Griffin "I'm with an intellectual who craps inside his pants"<br>
Stewie Griffin How dare you!<br>
Stewie Griffin "At least I don't leave urine stains on all the household plants"<br>
Brian Griffin Oh, pee jokes.<br>
Stewie & Brian "We've traveled a bit, and we've found<br>
Stewie & Brian "like a masochist in Newport, we're Rhode Island bound"<br>
Brian Griffin Crazy travel conditions, huh?<br>
Stewie Griffin First class and no class.<br>
Brian Griffin Whoa, careful with that joke. It's an antique.<br>
Stewie & Brian "We're off on the road to Rhode Island<br>
Stewie & Brian "We're not gonna stop till we're there"<br>
Brian Griffin Maybe for a beer.<br>
Brian Griffin "Whatever dangers we may face, we'll never fear or cry"<br>
Stewie Griffin That's right.<br>
Stewie Griffin "Until we're syndicated, Fox will never let us die, please?<br>
Stewie & Brian "We're off on the road to Rhode Island<br>
Stewie & Brian "The home of that old campus swing<br>
Brian Griffin "We may pick up some college girls and picnic on the grass<br>
Stewie Griffin "We'd tell you more, but we would have the censors on our ass"<br>
Brian Griffin Yikes!<br>
Stewie & Brian "We certainly do get around<br>
Stewie & Brian "Like renegade Pilgrims who were thrown out of Plymouth Colony<br>
Stewie & Brian "we're Rhode Island bound<br>
Stewie & Brian "Or like two college freshmen who were rejected by Harvard<br>
Stewie & Brian "and forced to go to Brown<br>
Stewie & Brian "we're Rhode Island bound"<br>
=== Arguments against retrocession ===
=Quotes=
*Stewie: Oh here's a pleasant sight, Cirrhosis the wonder dog.
Proponents of [[D.C. statehood]] are against the idea of retrocession because they feel that the city, having been separated from Maryland since the [[18th century]], has a separate identity; although Maryland is mere city blocks away from many Washingtonians, there is no connection to the state for them. Others see it as a means to block proper representation, which they feel includes two senators. Because the city is a stronghold of the [[U.S. Democratic Party|Democratic Party]], [[U.S. Republican Party|Republican]]s in the [[U.S. Senate|Senate]] would not be eager to admit the District as a state. Republicans would have less of a problem giving the city back to Maryland, as that would, given the city's current population, add only a single Democrat to the [[U.S. House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. Many in Washington object to Maryland's use of the [[death penalty]], which has been abolished in the District. Many in Maryland, meanwhile, object to retrocession because they feel that the city, which has relatively high crime and poverty rates, would be a burden on state government agencies. Others feel that the federal government should have a role in running the national capital; such a role allows for proper management of the city as a symbol of the nation and can be used to reject projects that would be seen by a majority of Americans as ruinous to the capital. Finally, the measure still fails to completely solve the problem of voting representation for all Washingtonians, because any transfer of less than the entirety of the District could still leave some citizens without representation.
Brian: I'm not druck all right I just have a [[speech impediment]].
Brian throws up.
== Current legislation ==
Brian: And a [[stomach virus]].
Then he falls off the stool.
On April 16, 2007, Rep. [[Louie Gohmert]] ([[Republican|R]]-[[Texas]]) introduced H.R. 1858, the "District of Columbia-Maryland Reunion Act," which would transfer the bulk of Washington to Maryland if Maryland will have it.[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1858.IH:]
Brian: And an [[inner ear infection]].
*Stewie waving an [[olive]] on a stick from Brian's [[martini]] at Brian.
==See also==
Stewie: Yes, yes come now. Chase the stick.
*[[Washington, D.C.]]
Stewie leads Brian to the chairs.
*[[District of Columbia voting rights]]
Brian: Where are the bags?
*[[District of Columbia home rule]]
Stewie: What the deuce do you mean where are the bags? They're Right-
*[[District of Columbia Vote in House of Representatives]]
Stewie looks at Rupert.
*[[D.C. Statehood]]
Stewie: Rupert! I told you to watch the bags! You were watching the Boys agian weren't you? It's that [[steward]] isn't it? The one who looks like Tab Hunter?
== External links ==
*[http://www.washingtonmd.org Committee for the Capital City (pro-retrocession)]
*[http://www.dcvote.org/pdfs/mdrretro062004.pdf The Debates over the Retrocession of the District of Columbia, 1801–2004]
[[Category:History of the District of Columbia|Retrocession]]
[[Category:Home rule and voting rights of the District of Columbia]]
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