I was in San Francisco last Friday
and I just need to rant a bit.
It probably doesn’t belong in this forum, but I felt a safe haven was better as I don’t think I could tolerate the Camp Weathervane crowd jumping on this.
I was there from last Wednesday evening through Sunday morning. I hadn’t been there for 30 years; it’s a beautiful city I was excited to be going back.
The first night we met a friend at a theater in the Tenderloin to see Sean Hayes in “Act of God”. The play was excellent. Not so excellent was the number of homeless people I saw there and in other parts of the city. I don’t think New York in the 80s was as bad.
I have been stewing about this ever since.
My friend was there for business so I was on my own Thursday and Friday. Friday afternoon I was having lunch and, as the restaurant (okay, the In and Out Burger – we don’t have them in Minnesota and I had to stop…I swear I had seafood at other meals), was crowded a man from Australia asked to share my table. This was his first visit to the states and, being very careful not to offend me, (after all he was talking to an American, I might pull a gun) he asked about the homeless and was it like this everywhere in the country. I told him it was a problem across the country though it’s especially obvious in San Francisco. He said there is some in Sydney but, of course, medical and social services are better but there are some hardcore drug or alcohol abusers that cannot be reached but nothing like he was seeing. I told him the whole situation was disgraceful – he appeared to agree but again, seemed not to want to offend. So, he finished his lunch and was on his way – I wish I had had chance to ask him about Australia’s gun laws – but I might have scared him bringing guns up.
When I was a kid, I never thought I’d ever feel as embarrassed and ashamed of my country as I was when I was speaking to this person. As silly as it sounds I felt like I did when I heard my nephew got his 2nd DWI, still love ‘em, but can’t defend ‘em. (At least the nephew grew up and learned his lesson before he hurt anyone; it’s been more than 10 years since this.)
Later that evening, probably around 6:30 or 7, my friend and I were at the corner of Powell and California waiting for a cable car and noticed 5 SF police officers heading down the street on foot – their cars were parked around the corner. It wasn’t until I saw them that it dawned on me that we were on Nob Hill, probably not too far from the big Clinton fundraiser. The police stopped in front of the entrance of the Fairmont parking garage and stopped anyone from entering the garage. I assume that was just for security or maybe because that was where the “swells” (as my mom would have called them) who were going to the fundraiser would park - or their limos would wait.
I wonder, I really wonder if the presumed heir noticed any of the homeless as she was driven to her party – they’re very hard to miss though I noticed there was none in the area around Nob Hill. If she did see any, did she stop to think that the person might be vet who was so damaged by the war she supported that living on the street is the best they can do for themselves? I wonder if anyone mentioned them in the speeches that were given, I haven’t heard that she mentioned them in any speeches since then.
I can give a few bucks to shelters and food shelves, every little bit helps but it doesn’t buy mental healthcare for the people who need it is a national problem, the government has to step in.
But, if she’s elected, it will only get worse, it could happen to any of us and the oligarchs won’t care, they’ll just sneer about “takers”.
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