6/1/20: George Floyd, Protests, Looting (Corporate & Otherwise)

"Please Don't Kill My Daddy" photo by Xena Goldman June 1, 2020 FLOYD, PROTESTS, LOOTING (Corporate & Otherwise) PREVIOUS BLOGS: TERRYBAUM.BLOGSPOT.COM PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED. I've been trying to figure out what the hell I have to contribute to the fierce public dialog going on now. I read all the papers I could, even donning gloves to read today's NY Times and SF Chronicle. Until now, I've always waiting 24 hours so they were cleared of virus. In the end, it was: My conversation with my niece Rose The link she sent me to Obama's column (Please read this. He is at his his rational, compassionate best) Reading the articles in SF's online progressive paper, 48 HILLS And my sudden memory of the time I wanted to throw a rock through a window -- -- that helped me figure out what I wanted to say. First, the good news:

Miami Police

Wasn't it wise and courageous of Colin Kaepernick to sacrifice his football career for the cause of creating this simple gesture? Really, a humble, unthreatening gesture that was used before him solely for proposing marriage. Now anyone can take a knee to show grief for black people murdered by police and solidarity with those who protest the violence. I have a vision of thousands and thousands of people taking a knee, silently, blocking streets and highways. Maybe all over the country at the same moment. It would be like the five minutes of silence they have in Holland every May 4, the anniversary of the Nazi invasion, to mourn that tragedy. The whole country silent and still for five minutes, ended by the ringing of bells throughout the land. We could mourn as a nation, once a year, mourn the terrible tragedy of the enslavement of African-Americans and all the brutality since. I think that would be a good idea. Anyone who has studied history knows that it is all so much worse than one could imagine. And it still goes on today. Officer Chauvin must have known his knee on George Floyd's throat was being witnessed, recorded. But he must also have been certain that he would never be held to account for the murder. And why WOULDN'T he believe that? The entire nation kneeling on one knee at the same moment for five minutes. Admittedly, they'd be mostly YOUNG people kneeling. I've noticed that, as I've aged, the very first sign of physical decline was difficulty with changing levels. I would need, not only kneepads, but someone to help me get down without toppling and probably two people to help me with getting up. But with the appropriate assistance, I could join the masses. I would do that. It's just so awful that the same gesture was used for protest and for murder. Hard for me to get my head around that. But maybe that's okay, that when we mourn, we are reminded of the crime. No, it's not okay. Of course many young people of all races are joining the protests. I understand their anger, their frustration at the injustice of George Floyd's death -- and the injustice of so much more. The deterioration of our democracy, the huge economic inequality that cramps their future, the climate crisis they've inherited from the generations before, we who partied too well with fossil fuels... At this moment, their future is in tatters, and the present doesn't look so hot either. I wish I could say that no one in the richest country in the world needs to loot a store for food or diapers, because everyone has enough money for necessities. But I know that's not the case right now. Davey Cook writing in 48 HILLS wonders why, when people in other countries who are not black protest against injustice, even spiraling into violence, the media lauds them as heroes. In fact, the Hong Kong protesters were named TIME Magazine's 2019 Person of the Year!

Do I feel differently when I look at a photo of Asian people fighting the police than when I look at a photo of black people fighting the police? Yes. I think I do. For all my politics and compassion and reading of black history and WITNESSING black oppression ...... I am more afraid of black people, at least black men. I'm not happy to admit this. Cook also reminds us that, in terms of looting, the people who ran off with merchandise and set stores afire

don't hold a candle to the big corporations that just got a bailout of 500 BILLION DOLLARS from a subservient Congress. Now that's some SERIOUS looting! Still my timid, middle-class soul recoils at seeing a window purposely broken. In 1992, after the police were acquitted of beating Rodney King in Southern California, I went to a protest in Civic Center in San Francisco. It was not a large group. This was a very early protest. People started marching to Market Street. I was in the back of the crowd. And suddenly I saw that all the cars I passed had their windows broken. I was SO finished with protesting injustice. I wanted to get out of there, away from the terrible people who broke car windows. I knew rationally that the windows were trivial compared to what we were protesting. But deep down, I couldn't handle it. Then, when I was living in Amsterdam, I had a terrible argument with a close friend who called me "a Jewish princess." This is antisemitic misogynist code for a selfish lazy woman, which Jewish women are supposedly apt to be. It didn't matter that I had done nothing selfish or lazy. He apparently wanted to hurt me and he could use those words to do it. He was sick with HIV/AIDS at the time. After a very intense and horrible discussion, I left, never to see or speak to him again. The fact that he had seen me as a Jewish Princess rather than a human being was unforgivable. After that, when I would pass his house, I would look up at his window and have an almost overwhelming desire to throw a rock through it. I thought, "Oh! So this is what it's like to want to break a window!" Yes, I felt that would have been the perfect expression of the anger and hurt I felt, to shatter the glass of his window. Of course I never did it. I was afraid to get caught. The fact that he had not seen me as a human being.... I dealt with a lot of antisemitism when I lived in Amsterdam, and I realized that it was equivalent to what black people have to deal with in the U.S. all the time -- the (very big) difference being that only the people who knew me knew I was Jewish. I didn't walk out the front door knowing I would be seen as a Jew. One of the reasons I decided to move back to the U.S. was to escape being seen as a Jew rather than a human being, even by my close friends. But of course black people would have to leave their own country to escape it. So it's just part of their lives. Kinda makes you want to throw a rock through a window, doesn't it? Well, Bloggelinis, I would like to end with two links: Obama's Advocacy Toolkit for Fair and Effective Community Policing Anti-Racism Resources -- Lots to Read, Watch & Listen To. Oh, and here's a very nice short video, Bike lane Surprise Terry

5/27/20: Memorial Day Ramble

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May 27, 2020 MEMORIAL DAY RAMBLE PREVIOUS BLOGS: TERRYBAUM.BLOGSPOT.COM PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED. I had finished my morning blog, which always makes me feel very virtuous. So it was time for a long walk with the pups, since they hadn't gotten one the day before. It was warm, maybe TOO warm in the sun. But dappled shade would be delightful. Let's face it: You might as well enjoy global warming when it's pleasant. For the first 25 years I lived in San Francisco, I didn't own a pair of shorts. There were no shorts-wearing days to be had. Now I own TWO PAIRS. Not that I would wear shorts for a long walk like this. But I was dressed in a very light summery way. It was Memorial Day, which meant that many would be out in the parks. I needed to go somewhere unpopular, somewhere shady.... I know! Sutro Forest! I myself have only been there twice in all the 43 years I've lived here! It's really not a park, more an undeveloped patch of eucalyptus trees and tangled vines between U.C.S.F. and the Haight. No one ever goes there. I went over the Romain St. pedestrian bridge, turned right on Corbett, walked past the Rooftop School mosaics. Why were there people on that street? There are NEVER people walking there!

I peered through the fence at Rooftop's courtyard/amphitheater with mosaics everywhere.

I've always admired the tiles and climbing roses on this house, but wasn't moved to take its picture until they added chalk hearts to the garage door.

Portrait of a Woman, Two Poodles, a Cat (perhaps Schrodinger's), & the Theory of Relativity

At the top of the hill! What a view! There's a tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, on the far left. It's a little misty.

Now I'm turning left to go down the hill to Sutro Forest, which you can see in the background. It IS misty, but I'm not worried! I've got my down jacket in its little bag in my knapsack. Yes, it's there all the time, because I don't want to be driven from any walk by the cold. My friend Elizabeth told me that her Swedish friend said, "There is no such thing as bad weather. There is only not being dressed appropriately." Or something like that. I took Elizabeth's Swedish friend's saying to heart (even though I can't remember the exact words), after the last time I left Golden Gate Park because of the freezing fog. Yes! I just leave that little down jacket in my knapsack permanently so I never have to worry! I'm so proud of myself for having solved this problem! I've always got it in my... in my.... my knapsack. ..... My knapsack. I forgot it. I had taken it out. I had put it on the table next to the door. I never put it on. Oh well. When I get to the end of the street, there are the stairs up to the path into Sutro Forest. Someone is coming down the path, leaving the forest, so I wait. Then some people are coming from the right on the street. They can't possibly be going into Sutro Forest. But they are! Then MORE people stream in! What the fuck is going on? Is it rush hour in Sutro Forest??? I never saw anyone there, the two times I went. But it looks like everyone has the same idea I had: a cool, secret place.... Secret! Hah! I have already discovered in Glen Park that it's no fun to be on narrow trails with a whole bunch of people during the pandemic. However, I did see this on one of the posts of the stairway into Sutro Forest:

"Thelma (feister?) I sidetrack love you I want 2 marry you 4 reals." What is "sidetrack love"? So hard to keep up with all the new jargon. Is this a marriage proposal? Did the person who wrote this intend to bring Thelma for a walk in the forest and then arrange things so that she discovered this writing? Or is this a public and anonymous statement of longing? I do believe this person really does love Thelma and wants to marry her. Call me a romantic. I just love "4 reals." Onward to Golden Gate Park! Fog be damned!

I do hope, when COVID-19 is a distant memory, that people will still write and draw with chalk on the sidewalks. I'm deprived of visiting museums, so this is my new gallery. Even when the museums return, why waste all this great space for expression? Makes no sense. You know, the very first public exhibition Keith Haring ever had was in Manhattan subway stations. He drew with chalk on the matte black paper that covered the out-of-date advertisements. I took photos of those drawings, whenever I came upon them. Haring, knowing how good he was, traveled with a photographer friend who took pictures of the drawings as soon as he finished them. Wouldn't Keith be having a great time with the sidewalks if he were still alive?

I love this one. I know it isn't easy to discern, but it's someone walking a dog on a leash. Perhaps the artist or perhaps the artist's parent. It does seem to be a rear view of the pup, so that yellow blot could be the anus -- often so visually prominent on a dog. An adult would never emphasize it, but the artist probably did. Or maybe it's just a yellow blot.

Golden Gate Park! AND IT'S NOT CROWDED! YAY! Of course, the reason it's not crowded is that it's really a little chilly.

First terrier I've ever seen with shocking pink ears, paws, nose and tail. Must be a new breed.

I was very happy to see that the drum circle was still happening, although the social distancing was a bit tattered. But then, that's EVERYWHERE now! And I would love to see a woman pounding away. Never have. The Last Bastion of Male Privilege: The Golden Gate Park Drum Circle! I don't care. I still love them.

It really is getting a little cold. And I have many blocks to go before I'm in my cosy flat. Better start heading home. I head back home on Page Street, which I used to live on. My former very funky old building has been replaced by an ugly new one. So no photo of THAT. But there were many worthy houses to see.

Two parts of one spectacular house

Another beauty, above and right

A copper bannister?? Unheard of!

Does someone know the name of this style? This is a masterpiece.

A for Effort

Okay folks, the blue flyer on the bottom right is announcing the services of Perfect Strangers, who do FREE SHOPPING AND DELIVERY FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED! GO TO THEIR WEBSITE! Even if you don't need their services, go to their website to feel good and even get a little verklempt (Yiddish, overcome with emotion, on the verge of tears). Okay, now I'm really getting cold. I'm almost home, back in the Castro.

It was Harvey Milk's birthday recently.

Many shops are boarded up. Very sad.

But then again, it's another space for ARTISTIC EXPRESSION!

AND SO, TO HOME.

Well, Bloggelinis, that was quite a long walk! And I didn't even use all my photos. Is this all starting to seem normal to you, this weird life we're living -- waiting hoping wondering surviving working? Truly, I am learning to enjoy living alone because I MUST be alone. Hard to remember, while we live in this limbo, we must FOCUS on making the future better than the past. Don't forget saving the Post Office!