Friday, October 31, 2008

Bay Guardian Revenue

I can understand misguided do-gooders and PC poseurs supporting Prop K, but why in the world the San Francisco Bay Guardian would endorse the legalization of child rape is beyond me. As a supposedly progressive newspaper, you’d think the Guardian would have more sense. Maybe they figured opposing sex slavery would negatively impact their ad revenue from pornography and brothels.

Who Enslaved These Women?

I've worked as a volunteer "juror" on the city's community court. Occasionally, we get cases where police arrest massage parlor workers on prostitution charges.

They drag the women in to face the court. They're all immigrants who are young and can't speak a word of English. So we ask the police, "Where are the people who enslaved these women? Why aren't they here in front of us?"

Then we drop all the charges against the women. It seems pretty clear to us who are the victims in this so-called victimless crime. I wish the police would arrest the bad guys and free these women.

--Kemble Scott

Prop K Big Mistake

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom discusses a human rights tragedy in his city.

A Loss for Words

Selling Slavery

My associate Melissa Farley is noted in this article about San Francisco's ballot measure to legalize prostitution. In my view, it cuts through the fog surrounding the lethal proposition that women and children -- trafficked from Asia for sex slavery -- can be better protected by making pimps and traffickers legitimate businessmen.

That proposition, as noted, has not proven to be the case--anywhere. Instead, legalizing this gross violation of human rights has always led to an increase in violence against impoverished women and children.

As if that wasn't enough, the fact that this crime against humanity is disproportionately destroying aboriginal peoples leaves me at a loss for words.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Promoting Violence

San Franciscans generally mean well, but sometimes their illogic can be lethal. Perhaps the ultimate in their economic illiteracy is Proposition K, the ballot measure supported by the city's politically correct, pimps and other thugs.

For those committed to promoting violence as a way of life, San Francisco's ballot provides the opportunity to combine two of the most destructive forms of violence on earth--militarism and prostitution. Maybe a revamped JROTC program in San Francisco's public schools can add a course for adolescent girls interested in making a career of being serially raped and beaten by pimps.

In time, San Francisco might even come to acquire the ambience of a military base, where teenagers trained as killers take out their lethal hostilities on society's most desperate women.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Honoring Milk

The keynote speaker at my graduate school commencement ceremony was Tom Ammiano, San Francisco Supervisor and gay rights advocate. Tom plays himself in the upcoming film drama on the life of the legendary gay rights pioneer, Harvey Milk. One look at the humanitarian achievements of Ammiano as a public official is enough to make one realize Milk's efforts were not in vain.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Big Shoes

The first person I met when thinking about applying to graduate school at New College of California was Harry Britt, the former San Francisco Supervisor appointed by Mayor Dianne Feinstein in 1979 to the seat vacated by the assassination of the legendary gay activist Harvey Milk. As luck would have it, in 1987, Harry narrowly lost out in a Congressional race to Nancy Pelosi.

I doubt that Harry would ever have risen to become Speaker of the House, but there are measurements of worth that surpass that type of power, and I'd prefer to call Harry Britt a friend over Nancy Pelosi any day.

With the documentary about Harvey Milk coming out soon, I thought about the courage it took to step into his shoes immediately after his murder in San Francisco City Hall, as well as the devotion Harry showed toward his students over his long tenure at New College. I'll always be grateful he made me feel so valued and welcome there.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Commerce and Militarism

San Francisco Bay Guardian blog notes the top backers of a military instruction ballot initiative for San Francisco public schools are the Chamber of Commerce and GAP. As we observed in our comment on the article, commerce and militarism go hand-in-hand. In fact, it's a lot easier to run sweatshops in US colonies than it is in LA.