SF Weekly Letters

Props for Prop. D
Still waiting for a new Market Street: I moved to San Francisco in 1981 ["Billboard Bonanza," Matt Smith, Column, 10/21]. I have seen Dianne Feinstein, Art Agnos, Frank Jordan, Willie Brown, and Gavin Newsom all occupy Room 200 at City Hall. I lived through the "Progressive Revolt of 2000." For 10 years, I have served faithfully under the leadership of District 6 Supervisor Chris Daly and attended countless neighborhood meetings.

Guess what? Nothing has changed at mid-Market; in fact, it's gotten worse. Remember the outcry when a 7-Eleven went in on Market between Fifth and Sixth streets? Guess what? It's out of business!

Prop. D won't magically change mid-Market, but at least it is some sort of action, some sort of plan. We're tired of waiting. What is the other plan? And how long do we have to wait until the alternative plan kicks into action? I'm turning 56 in December. Will I see a revitalized mid-Market before I turn 76?

Fairfield or Bust

Web Comment

I Second that Amendment
The hollow point is in the print: I'd like to be able to say I've never heard such a collection of misinterpretation and a total lack of the facts, but it seems to be pretty common nowadays ["Bang Bang — Gun Control Is Dead," Matt Smith, Column, 10/14]. Hollow-point or "cop-killer" bullets? A "cantaloupe-sized" bullet hole? Please.

Hollow points (for better stopping power), frangible bullets (so shots do not carry through walls), and bullets containing multiple pellets (which accomplish both previous goals) were developed to stop someone trying to do you harm. So-called cop-killer bullets referred to armor piercing because they would penetrate protection vests, and have been against the law for a long time. And while hollow-point and other types of expanding bullets do cause more damage, a "cantaloupe-sized flesh wound" is both untrue and dramatic.

Stating that a gun you have for protection in your home is more likely to be used against you than for protection is stale anti-gun rhetoric and totally unfounded. The truth is, very few people hope for a chance to shoot someone who is breaking into their homes. But, if someone finds themselves in this position, don't they deserve the right to every bit of maximum force to protect themselves, their loved ones, and others if necessary? If and when such things happen, they happen quickly. If the police cannot respond fast enough, it is up to each of us to do something immediately and decisively, or live with irreversible consequences.

I, for one, if put in that situation, want the option. I deserve the option. And there is no question in my mind that nobody else should be able to tell me I do not have that option.

Dave

Web comment

Snitch Blog Comments of the Week
In response to a post about Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi's proposal that shoppers receive a 10-cent discount for supplying their own reusable bags to discourage use of paper bags:

Murders in the Excelsior, schools in crisis, sewers overflowing, sanctuary city issues, Muni in shambles, and we're worried about PAPER BAGS? Paper bags. Ross, come on.

torpor

I use each and every paper bag under the kitchen sink — to collect and hold compostable materials. They then go, in turn, into the green compost bin for my pickup day, which helps the city's stated goal for more compostable material. What again is the problem with paper bags? Nothing. It's how you use them. C'mon.

jc