SF Weekly Letters

That Other Newspaper
Props for Prop. H column: Finally, somebody says what everyone has been thinking about the Guardian for years — it's a propaganda rag, a sock puppet of the ultra-ideological left of S.F., who would rather promote their radical agenda than find real, meaningful, progressive solutions for San Francisco ["Bay Guardian: Newspaper or Political Action Committee?" Will Harper, Sucka Free City, 10/15].

Same goes for the Yes on H campaign. The Guardian's deeply personal vendetta against PG&E, its cynical branding of this socialization of a utility as a clean energy act, its willingness to pursue its agenda without any regard to the actual, tangible effect it will have on ordinary San Franciscans — I find despicable.

Tom

Web Comment

Guess what day it is?: Wow, the corporate SF Weekly slagging independent competitor the Bay Guardian? An organ of a newspaper chain that forbids endorsements going after the alternative media for being too politically engaged? Must have been Wednesday.

buttler

Web Comment

Not in Vein
All you can do is pray: I am saddened and disappointed to read about the events that led Michael Brandon into the circumstances that he faces ["The Rise and Fall of the Monster," Ashley Harrell, Feature, 10/1]. I can only pray for strength for his partner, and also that some flash or miracle might put Michael back on the right track.

Michael's experiences, while painful, will not be in vain if they serve as an alarm to so many people who struggle with addiction to crystal meth. It's crucial that each of us take responsibility for our own process, share our victories and triumphs — as well as our struggles — so that no person feels he or she has to go it alone.

Sam Page

Pasadena

Not Just a River in Egypt
Praying doesn't help: This is a tragic story about misplaced compassion ["Higher Education," Trey Bundy, Feature, 9/17]. If one cares about people like these two, then everything possible should be done to get them off drugs. Extreme tolerance of drug abuse is just hostility to the drug abuser: "I see that you are killing yourself, but in the name of tolerance I'm going to pretend I don't notice." If these guys were slashing their faces with knives every day, someone would intervene. But because their damage is mostly invisible, we can all pretend it isn't happening.

Yes, junkies can function well enough to get through school or work. But they are dying inside. Read that article carefully. They don't need prayers; they need serious intervention. They need professors and others to give them treatment information every damn week, relentlessly. They need school counselors to insist they get into treatment as a condition for staying in the school. Stop writing and talking about addiction as if it is just an inevitable part of the environment — it is not.

Focus compassion into solutions. Just shaking one's head and saying "Oh, how sad" doesn't cut it. Addiction is beaten every damn day; it is not incurable.

Denial City

Web Comment

RIP Tribe.net
Not just for "freaks": Tribe was more then a place for "freaks." It was a place where people found community ["Tribe.net Going the Way of Friendster?" Bonnie Ruberg, Sucka Free City, 9/24]. I have been on Tribe since the very beginning. I met many interesting people and kept up on the latest Burning Man events; I heard of new DJs and belly dancing galore.

One thing about us "freaks" is that we are not just one community. There are many overlapping communities. Tribe was the device that allowed almost all of them to come together. Because of that, one can buy and sell hard-to-get items. For artists, inventors, and DIY-ers, Tribe is the mecca for info, volunteers, and supplies.

I have relied on Tribe for many such things. I will hate to see Tribe go.

Anthony S. Diaz

Oakland