Jon Mays’ recent column, “Again with the troops,” mocking President Trump’s call to bring in the National Guard to San Francisco, was incredibly tone-deaf. His line that “the Tenderloin is always going to Tenderloin” isn’t witty — it’s dismissive of the real suffering happening there every day.
A recent poll showed that a majority of San Franciscans support bringing in the Guard to remove the drug dealers, because the city’s streets have become unsafe and unsanitary. As someone who frequents the Civic Center area, I constantly have to watch my step for human waste, navigate around people in mental crisis, and witness drug dealers, many here illegally, selling fentanyl in the open.
Do the children growing up in the Tenderloin not deserve safe, clean neighborhoods? The vast majority are low-income and minority residents, among the most vulnerable. They shouldn’t have to live surrounded by addiction, filth and fear while local leaders turn a blind eye and columnists make jokes about their community.
If only the National Guard’s role weren’t limited mostly to protecting federal buildings and agents; if Gov. Newsom allowed, they could actually protect the people suffering on our streets. City officials have failed to do their jobs for years, and residents are paying the price. San Francisco’s poorest neighborhoods deserve action, not mockery.
(1) comment
Thanks for your letter Grace which also sums up my feelings on Jon's column. The usual suspects in the DJ comment section seemed to find it witty and clever though so I guess he got what he wanted. Sad, would have preferred a real discussion about the humanitarian crisis happening on the streets of San Francisco and potential solutions instead of childish mockery.
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