oh san francisco, where are thou soul?

seeking for our soul and common good

It is with great humility to the unknown that I attempt to identify the soul of a diverse city called San Francisco. The co-existence of progressive thinking and unbounded selfishness and greed is far from unique, but here there are great questions to be asked that reach beyond the politics of a city into the soul of the land itself.

One of the most pressing and fundamental themes of life should be to strive as people towards humanity, equality and freedom, respecting our environment and acting in ways that preserve
it for future generations, and improving the lives of the less fortunate. Sometimes you feel that this is happening When we elected Barrack to be our president, hope for a better future
surges in all of us.

One way a nation can heal the minds and souls of its people is to acknowledge it's wrong doings, apologize, and seek redemption. Then, grow from it, feeling lighter and righter without the massive burden of denied grief and unrepentant suffering of those that came before us, those that called this land their home, just as we do now. Evolving takes human effort, and evolving with progress is an even greater struggle. When we are presented with a choice that would have a positive impact on our evolution we have to make the right choice.

When the city of San Francisco was presented with the choice in 1969 on what to do with the closed prison on Alcatraz Island, they made a choice, and unfortunately, it lacked sensitivity, a respect for the law, higher intelligence, progressive thinking, and humanity. Let me be clear, San Francisco broke the law. There were approximately 500 proposals submitted, ranging from monuments to museums, private properties, candy stores, nudist colonies, apartments, playgrounds, and parks. There was one that stood out to anyone with a human consciousness, intelligence and respect: to build an American Indian University. This proposal was submitted by Troy R. Johnson, who is a professor of American Indian Studies and U.S. History at California State University, Long Beach. He is also the author of the book The Occupation of the Alcatraz Island published in 1996.

His proposal stands out for many logical reasons, but most of all it stands out because it is the one proposal that is based on positive fundamental themes of life, and turns something dark into light, wrong to right, and gruesome into hope for the future. An educational facility dedicated to teaching young people, preparing them to be great contributors to our society serving mankind in all its necessary professions. The fact that it would be an American Indian University seems to be the least amount of retribution by the United States government for its crimes and senseless slaughter of the native people who welcomes them with open arms and caring advice (citations abound), and certainly the most human choice. But instead, the government turned it into a tourist attraction, pumping millions dollars into the renovation of the prison. To attempt to find sound reasoning beyond economic greed is to abandon all your senses.

San Francisco, which has been the generous home to gays and all people of diversity, has sought marriage for all in the name of love, and regards itself as a progressive government, needs to examine the state of its soul.

How can we redeem ourselves with California's native peoples and how can we allow Prop 8 to be passed and homeless people to live on the streets without enough shelters. The answer is in the ineffable, invisibly visible soul.