I found your post very insightful in terms of seeking simplicity as a foundation for happiness rather than materialism. I actually recently went camping myself for the first time in my life (I know, it's crazy), and I was astounded by the amount of peace and tranquility offered by nature. Everyday we're surrounded by television screens, iPods, buses seeping poisonous exhaust, streets crowded with capitalistic ventures...it gets to be a little bit much at times. Sometimes I wish I could just live in a forest, but I suppose that's kind of unrealistic. Maybe the problem here is that it doesn't seem possible - and yet millions and millions of people live in that kind of simplicity outside of industrialism on a regular basis. What is it that drives us to the belief that we need technology to be at ease with our existence?
I was enlightened by your response referencing Tom Jefferson Scribner as a labor organizer (among many other talents). Although the issue at UCSC concerning lack of wages and benefits for workers – the AFSCME strike – is largely related to a systemic issue within the UC system itself, I still find it interesting that “liberal” Santa Cruz prides itself in equality yet denies laborers their fundamental rights to a sustainable income. I also find this jarring in the case of UCLA, which prides itself on the diversity of its staff while refusing to acknowledge that Hispanic service workers receive the lowest wages. These contradictions seriously need to be confronted.
I love that, instead of talking about how this statue reflects Santa Cruz's worker-friendly atmosphere, you presented it as part of the city's liberal facade. There is a feeling of easy-going fairness that Santa Cruz boasts, but which I have not necessarily found in my time living here. I always assumed, maybe too naively, that Santa Cruz used to be this way, that it fell to the inevitable forces of competition and capitalism, and that the reputation is simple a remnant of the "old days."
Your interpretation of the Tom Scribner monument helped me see this phenomenon in a different light. It could be that an effort has been made to encourage this image to mask the harsher realities of Santa Cruz. Perhaps our carefree image of the city is only an illusion we've accepted because we are protected from "the real world" by our status as students. It paints a much darker picture of this place.
What struck me about your choice of monument of laughing Sal was that I had seen this stature many times at the boardwalk and have never taken the time to notice where it was from or the history behind it. I always thought of it as some creepy old clown.
As far as San Fran goes as becoming a "commodity", I think it does show with the selling of Sal. Something with so much history and in this instance, literal joy, should be part of the community forever. However, to make way for more prosperous buildings, laughing Sal was sold and Santa Cruz took grabbed a part of San Fran history and took it as its own.
I enjoy the fact that you used a local surfer landmark for this response. I live only a few blocks away from it and I pass it on a weekly basis on my walks down the coast. I especially liked the fact that you gave an extensive history of the surfer culture it was bred out of here in Santa Cruz. The monument is a marker of a social movement which helped to pave the way for surfers of the present and future. I agree, and it's comforting to think that a quintessentially california lifestyle continues to thrive here in Santa Cruz and that this monument stands to mark this population of Californians.
I was quite surprised by the discoveries that you made in your research. The library built upon the site of a cemetery is a fascinating metaphor for imperialism as well as capitalism because it is a city founded (literally) upon the deaths of thousands of people and at the expense of many lower class citizens (which I can only assume were the people buried in that cemetery). The fact that there is specifically a library on top of the cemetery also brings to my mind an image of words on top of bones, and knowledge on top of death. To the imperialists, knowledge was power, and they would do anything to attain that power. They raped and plundered the planet in order to gather as much knowledge as possible. So the relationship between the library and the cemetery is similar to the concept that imperial knowledge was founded upon destruction. The walls and gutters made out of broken headstones is another fantastic metaphor for this. Our deceased are literally in the gutters! This also reflects our relationship with death and the lack of respect with which we handle our deceased citizens. Lastly, the connection you made between the inscription on the Ben Franklin statue and the people buried beneath the city was very ironic and observant.
I thought your analysis of the Pioneer Monument was extremely interesting. I also wrote about this monument and while I covered the positive things it brought to our state, you also covered the negative. While the Gold Rush was very prosperous for the city and for some pioneers, mining is extremely dangerous and this is not seen in the monument. The Gold Rush here is displayed in a glorious and honorable way, but the pioneer life was anything but glamorous. The statue also ignores the massacre of Native Americans that occurred because of the Gold Rush. A Native American is on the statue but it does not represent any of the pain and death that he or she experienced. Despite this, the monument represents an important part of California history as it gave way for progress and prosperity.
I'd agree that the De Young hosts a collection of art and artifacts rich in culture, history and other truly important, truly inspiring things. Which makes it all the more ironic that the De Young and other museums like it, not to mention practically all philanthropic endeavors made by people with substantial wealth, contain an underlying hypocrisy. Whether by corruption, deception, or even of done legitimately, people like de Young amassed their fortunes by taking money out of the hands of people less well-off. Bright and beautiful things can be constructed out of wicked and ugly things. This paradox certainly exists within the De Young museum, which is not to say that all philanthropy is bad, just that it is not purely good.
I found myself agreeing very much with the overall message of this post. It is interesting that the Golden Gate Bridge has sort of become a symbol for progression through technology in San Fran.
I can definitely understand how the Bridge can represent greed and a need to constantly expand. Though this is not the most positive interpretation it is definitely a realistic one.
The point that you bring up about the contradiction between images or people which we choose to celebrate or "immortalize" and the people whom society (or perhaps better called capitalism, or--in tune with Brechin--phantom capitalism) choose to exploit and ignore. Although I do think it is important to distinguish the town of Santa Cruz from the university (as the two communities have fairly different politics and values), I still find this contradiction to be very poignant. I also think that it is key that this statue is on Pacific Avenue considering the class divide seen daily on this street being a main hangout for those willing and ready to spend money on various forms of entertainment and those without any money at all forced to beg for their lives.
Your blog reminded me a lot of the works of Heny David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson in the sense that each of those authors found clarity within their solitude. It shows that even in the most natural and simple times, we can become at one with ourselves and ignore all the misconceptions and appropriations put out by the media. I also agree with Kim's comment about your blog. I recently broke my cell phone and I've beeen without it for a few weeks, bu I'm waiting until i go home to get a new one, but the fact that i have no obligiation to answer a text message or phone call is suprisingly satisfying. When all my romates want to make plans it's out of my hands, I simply set back and let the technology command their lives.
I've passed this statue so many times and never really thought about what it stood for. To me, it just looked pretty cool and fit in well with Santa Cruz. However, Pablo, your commentary is really intriguing in that you make the connection between Scribner's ties to labor movements and the recent worker's union strikes here in Santa Cruz. Ya, Santa Cruz supposedly is so liberal and accepting, but many people can barely make a living and are being ignored. The supposed liberal Santa Cruz of the '60s is no more thought the town holds on to that tradition to draw tourists and students. There is a certain allure that the town is not keeping up with. Every time I pass this statue now, I'll look at it in a different light! Thanks, Pablo
I really enjoyed your take on Alcatraz! The history of the prison is interesting, and I really appreciated the way you juxtaposed the captivity and loss of freedom of the prison with the beauty and purity of San Francisco’s white urban landscape. Your opinion on the mental effect Alcatraz has on the prisoners is also very insightful, and I’m glad you mentioned the prisoners isolation and how they are virtually unable to escape. I have always thought about the panoptical effect, and how prisoners behave when they feel they are constantly under surveillance (as the prisoners of Alcatraz are with all of San Francisco watching). In general, Alcatraz is definitely the most fascinating part of SF to me, and reading your explanation on the monument definitely appealed to me!
I wanted to comment on this particular post about the Golden Gate Bridge simply because you addressed the issue of the many suicides that have occurred at that site. In regard to the bridge itself, I believe it represents progress and has become a symbol of San Francisco as a world class city. When many think of San Francisco, it is true that what comes to mind is revolution and political freedom, which in turn sparks memories of anti-war and human rights demonstrations, much of which has taken place on the bridge itself. What is interesting is that the issue of suicide itself has become and issue with two sides to it, differences in opinion and beliefs that are highlighted with the proposition of a suicide barrier as you mentioned in your post. While suicide is tragic and while it may make perfect sense that a barrier be built to prevent people from taking their own lives, as you know, there are those who oppose the barrier. When I first became interested in the topic I read that those opposed were concerned about ruining the aesthetics of such a grand structure. Ok, I can see that, but that wasn’t convincing enough. Then I read Ann Garrison’s article in Reclaiming San Francisco which shed light on other more important reasons behind the opposition, pointing out that many San Franciscans have always defended the right to suicide by jumping of the bridge. For the many anti-suicide activists that hope to do whatever they can to prevent individuals from taking their own lives, there are just as many pushing back, arguing that suicide is a personal choice which should be valued. While this debate will likely rage on for years to come, what is important to take from it now is that the real beauty of it all is that this is kind of debate is even allowed to happen. The Golden Gate Bridge has become a great symbol of San Francisco not only based on its image, but also based on the issues that happen around it. San Francisco is a place where individuals as well as groups are allowed to voice their beliefs in public places, even when it comes to such a “touchy” and heavy topic such a suicide.
Kate Ayers/Trying to interpret Richard Brautigan’s writing is like trying to ride a horse on fire.
Kate I really like your interpretation of the motto "Gold in peace, iron in war." The idea that the United States treats everyone with respect as long as they don't do anything the country doesn't like. And you also acknowledge that even in times of peace San Francisco is exploiting other cultures. The question we must ask ourselves is how deep that gold facade that we overylay everything is and what lies beneath it? What is San Francisco trying so hard to cover up? The horrible truths that lie beneath the gold lame are going to have to be dealt with. How can San Franciscans deal with them and still love and celebrate their city?
Sam I agree with you that the current representation of Alcatraz, as a tourist destination it does a disservice to the darker history of the island. When I was younger you could go and spend the night on the island with Girl Scouts a night described as a fun, spooky, and mysterious adventure, which included sleeping in a cell and visiting the haunted infirmary. The trip and the current advertising for the sight neglect the true history of a psychological nightmare of the crimes and horrors of the island and its resident inmates. Additionally, the post-prison history of the island is often over looked which include the occupation of the island by Native Americans from 1969 to 1971. A lack of guaranteed federal assistance caused Native Americans to advocate for their rights. A group of Native Americans from various groups occupied the island after the prison closed in 1963. The group claimed: "We native peoples of North America have gathered here to claim our traditional and natural right to create meaningful use for our Great Spirit's land." The group hoped to challenge the conditions that resulted from a 1953 Congress resolution that removed more than one million acres of Native American land. These events show the greater history of monuments and destinations within all great cities and that social, economic, and political history of a place or space always reaches much deeper than what is presented to the tourist.
Kate Ayers/“The Red shadow of the Gandhian nonviolence Trojan"
I totally agree with you on trying read Brautigan-it is pretty difficult- and I feel like his writing is so simple that the point (if there is one) can go right over your head/or not even make sense. There's an analogy with America and the rich and dynastic San Franciscans: As America takes advantage of other people/countries, the wealthy San Franciscans exploit SF and its poor. SF's social pyramid is a reflection of the mining pyramid: the most poor and the greatly damaged at the bottom, and at the top is the grandeur of the few wealthy.
I was also considering writing about this building, and your post points in the same direction which I would have gone. The name of the building itself signifies its desire to be known worldwide, existing as the envy to all other architecture across America. The fact that it was also designed with the goal in mind for Bank of America employees to look up to it signifies a power struggle between the two imperialistic powers,who both appear to be reassuring us that their primary dedication is to America. In reality, I find the building visually unappealing, and think it is a shame that such a monstrosity is synonymous with the San Francisco skyline.
I liked your piece on laughing Sal. When I was little, laughing Sal was on display in the arcade in the Cliff House by Ocean Beach in the city. I always thought that she was a little creepy. I did not know until recently that the Boardwalk had bought her, when I was down there and saw the same creepy clown from my childhood.
I agree that San Francisco is becoming a commodity. But isn't everything these days? I wonder how much money is made off of pictures of San Francisco monuments and the monuments themselves. But perhaps this helps the city progress and profit- which aren't always bad things. I guess we could think of it as sharing history with the rest of the bay area.
Nick Furnal/ Coit tower I find it very interesting how the Coit tower has changed over time in meaning. Starting off with an effort to promote beautification and then transforming into a message of peoples' struggles through the murals. And today it is dwarfed by all the skyscrapers in San Fransico show how the city has changed.
I found the idea of Alcatraz’s geographical situation as a demoralizing effect on the prisoners it once housed to be a very interesting notion. Do you think it might have also been a motivation for some of them to strive towards rehabilitation? Not every prisoner can look at a view like that when they’ve been sentenced to live in a cramped cell for a chunk of their lives. Maybe their view of the outside world and the cityscape of San Francisco could have served as a reminder to how much better the outside world is than any kind of life on Alcatraz. Although admittedly anybody on death row or undergoing a life sentence would have probably not had this kind of feeling.
Sam, Your post was really interesting to me, because it brought up a whole reality that I had never thought of before (because it was masked!). The idea of Alcatraz as a contingently mental prison is super crazy to me in that it is hardly ever brought up. Although the island was probably chosen for its easy to get to/hard to escape factor, the idea that prisoners could see San Francisco in all its glory and be stuck in the confines of the jail cells must have really weighed down on them. I'm sure in like San Quentin all you see is like desert and maybe a strip mall or something. Perhaps, you may be on to the reason why escaping from Alcatraz was so popular among inmates (aside from the fact that jail sucks) in that maybe if they were in a less desirable jail locale, they would not feel so inclined to try to get to the sights they saw out their windows.
Great post. I was thinking about what you said about the beats disapproving of what the sale of Sal represented, and I couldnt help but wonder...What is Sal in the first place? She's a mechanical clown, right? Part of an amusement park, part of a business venture: she existed solely to attract customers and increase business. Would the beats really have seen her journey as anything but a continuation of her purpose? She's moved from San Francisco--where she made money--to Santa Cruz, where she continues to make money (supposedly. I wouldn't trust her with a child...). Is Sal representative of a past that the beats would have wanted to hold on to all that badly?
When researching San Francisco monuments I came across the Pioneer Monument as well. After reading about the Native American anger with the monument, I feel that Pioneer Monument brings up many concerns about equality and diversity in America. I do agree with your discussion of the monument as showing honor to the pioneers who hopes to profit for themselves and their families, and there is no doubt that this movement west overwhelmingly helped to transform California into the very open and prosperous state that it is today. By open I mean that California in general, but especially cities such as San Francisco, allow for a huge, diverse movement of people; it is expected that San Francisco is composed of different ethnicities, people from different religious backgrounds, and people from different social tiers.
Though even in representing such a multitude of people, I think it is very interesting to consider exactly how easily most of us take our ability to promote diversity for granted. I consider California to be more tolerant than other states in terms of promoting diversity positively. However, Native Americans were angered by the Pioneer Monument because when they complained about the statue that did not depict any Native Americans, a plaque was installed that listed inaccurate number of deaths, including the statement "In 1769, the missionaries first came to California with the intent of converting the state's 300,000 Native Americans to Christianity. With their efforts over in 1834, the missionaries left behind about 56,000 converts -- and 150,000 dead. Half of the original Native American population had perished during this time from disease, armed attacks, and mistreatment." This does sound very plain and simple, and does indeed overlook the actual number of deaths and cruelties Native American's underwent.
As a classical studies student, we often discuss the similarities between ancient Greece and Rome, and modern day America. I agree with your statement that much of the East Coast and Europe has stagnated. They hold onto traditions and old world ideals, while San Francisco and the West Coast tries desperately to push forward. California is the starting place for new and liberal education and ideas.
However, scholars have begun pointing out the similarities between the Roman empire at its fall, and America today.... just something to consider.
(I'm sure that it's in the library too--and you can also sit in the Bay Tree Bookstore and read it right there for free).
And feel free to hang out and talk with Rob about it after class. He's got some interesting things to add to the really great story that you've told yourself about the surfers and barn.
Wow, what a pretty building. Your description of this philanthropist reminds me a little of our good friend Willie Hearst! Had a well-meaning side, at least for a while, but he weidled much capital and power and often used it questionably. I've never been to this particular museum, but I wonder if I would patronize it (assuming it has a cover charge) having read all of your post. For example, I'm not going to apply to Thomas Jefferson School of Law simply because I don't want to support the positive reputation of this man. We all know what he did on his plantation, and I feel it to be inexcusbale. I'd have to think more about the recpective eggregous-ness of de Young's questionable deeds, but I would need to think about it before going there. Thanks, Kelsey, for the info!
28 comments:
Nick Furnal/Finding Simplicity
I found your post very insightful in terms of seeking simplicity as a foundation for happiness rather than materialism. I actually recently went camping myself for the first time in my life (I know, it's crazy), and I was astounded by the amount of peace and tranquility offered by nature. Everyday we're surrounded by television screens, iPods, buses seeping poisonous exhaust, streets crowded with capitalistic ventures...it gets to be a little bit much at times. Sometimes I wish I could just live in a forest, but I suppose that's kind of unrealistic. Maybe the problem here is that it doesn't seem possible - and yet millions and millions of people live in that kind of simplicity outside of industrialism on a regular basis. What is it that drives us to the belief that we need technology to be at ease with our existence?
Pablo/Monument: Tom Jefferson Scribner
I was enlightened by your response referencing Tom Jefferson Scribner as a labor organizer (among many other talents). Although the issue at UCSC concerning lack of wages and benefits for workers – the AFSCME strike – is largely related to a systemic issue within the UC system itself, I still find it interesting that “liberal” Santa Cruz prides itself in equality yet denies laborers their fundamental rights to a sustainable income. I also find this jarring in the case of UCLA, which prides itself on the diversity of its staff while refusing to acknowledge that Hispanic service workers receive the lowest wages. These contradictions seriously need to be confronted.
Pablo/Tom Scribner
I love that, instead of talking about how this statue reflects Santa Cruz's worker-friendly atmosphere, you presented it as part of the city's liberal facade. There is a feeling of easy-going fairness that Santa Cruz boasts, but which I have not necessarily found in my time living here. I always assumed, maybe too naively, that Santa Cruz used to be this way, that it fell to the inevitable forces of competition and capitalism, and that the reputation is simple a remnant of the "old days."
Your interpretation of the Tom Scribner monument helped me see this phenomenon in a different light. It could be that an effort has been made to encourage this image to mask the harsher realities of Santa Cruz. Perhaps our carefree image of the city is only an illusion we've accepted because we are protected from "the real world" by our status as students. It paints a much darker picture of this place.
Amanda Lopez/ laughing sal
What struck me about your choice of monument of laughing Sal was that I had seen this stature many times at the boardwalk and have never taken the time to notice where it was from or the history behind it. I always thought of it as some creepy old clown.
As far as San Fran goes as becoming a "commodity", I think it does show with the selling of Sal. Something with so much history and in this instance, literal joy, should be part of the community forever. However, to make way for more prosperous buildings, laughing Sal was sold and Santa Cruz took grabbed a part of San Fran history and took it as its own.
Superman/ Surfer Statue
I enjoy the fact that you used a local surfer landmark for this response. I live only a few blocks away from it and I pass it on a weekly basis on my walks down the coast. I especially liked the fact that you gave an extensive history of the surfer culture it was bred out of here in Santa Cruz. The monument is a marker of a social movement which helped to pave the way for surfers of the present and future. I agree, and it's comforting to think that a quintessentially california lifestyle continues to thrive here in Santa Cruz and that this monument stands to mark this population of Californians.
Ryan/Cemeteries Underfoot
I was quite surprised by the discoveries that you made in your research. The library built upon the site of a cemetery is a fascinating metaphor for imperialism as well as capitalism because it is a city founded (literally) upon the deaths of thousands of people and at the expense of many lower class citizens (which I can only assume were the people buried in that cemetery).
The fact that there is specifically a library on top of the cemetery also brings to my mind an image of words on top of bones, and knowledge on top of death. To the imperialists, knowledge was power, and they would do anything to attain that power. They raped and plundered the planet in order to gather as much knowledge as possible. So the relationship between the library and the cemetery is similar to the concept that imperial knowledge was founded upon destruction. The walls and gutters made out of broken headstones is another fantastic metaphor for this. Our deceased are literally in the gutters! This also reflects our relationship with death and the lack of respect with which we handle our deceased citizens. Lastly, the connection you made between the inscription on the Ben Franklin statue and the people buried beneath the city was very ironic and observant.
Lilja/Pioneer Monument
I thought your analysis of the Pioneer Monument was extremely interesting. I also wrote about this monument and while I covered the positive things it brought to our state, you also covered the negative. While the Gold Rush was very prosperous for the city and for some pioneers, mining is extremely dangerous and this is not seen in the monument. The Gold Rush here is displayed in a glorious and honorable way, but the pioneer life was anything but glamorous. The statue also ignores the massacre of Native Americans that occurred because of the Gold Rush. A Native American is on the statue but it does not represent any of the pain and death that he or she experienced. Despite this, the monument represents an important part of California history as it gave way for progress and prosperity.
Kat/Irony of philanthropy
I'd agree that the De Young hosts a collection of art and artifacts rich in culture, history and other truly important, truly inspiring things. Which makes it all the more ironic that the De Young and other museums like it, not to mention practically all philanthropic endeavors made by people with substantial wealth, contain an underlying hypocrisy. Whether by corruption, deception, or even of done legitimately, people like de Young amassed their fortunes by taking money out of the hands of people less well-off. Bright and beautiful things can be constructed out of wicked and ugly things. This paradox certainly exists within the De Young museum, which is not to say that all philanthropy is bad, just that it is not purely good.
Lisa / Golden Gate Bridge
I found myself agreeing very much with the overall message of this post. It is interesting that the Golden Gate Bridge has sort of become a symbol for progression through technology in San Fran.
I can definitely understand how the Bridge can represent greed and a need to constantly expand. Though this is not the most positive interpretation it is definitely a realistic one.
Pablo/Tom Scribner Statue:
The point that you bring up about the contradiction between images or people which we choose to celebrate or "immortalize" and the people whom society (or perhaps better called capitalism, or--in tune with Brechin--phantom capitalism) choose to exploit and ignore. Although I do think it is important to distinguish the town of Santa Cruz from the university (as the two communities have fairly different politics and values), I still find this contradiction to be very poignant. I also think that it is key that this statue is on Pacific Avenue considering the class divide seen daily on this street being a main hangout for those willing and ready to spend money on various forms of entertainment and those without any money at all forced to beg for their lives.
Nick Furnal/Finding Simplicity
Your blog reminded me a lot of the works of Heny David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson in the sense that each of those authors found clarity within their solitude. It shows that even in the most natural and simple times, we can become at one with ourselves and ignore all the misconceptions and appropriations put out by the media.
I also agree with Kim's comment about your blog. I recently broke my cell phone and I've beeen without it for a few weeks, bu I'm waiting until i go home to get a new one, but the fact that i have no obligiation to answer a text message or phone call is suprisingly satisfying. When all my romates want to make plans it's out of my hands, I simply set back and let the technology command their lives.
Pablo: Tom Scribner statue
I've passed this statue so many times and never really thought about what it stood for. To me, it just looked pretty cool and fit in well with Santa Cruz. However, Pablo, your commentary is really intriguing in that you make the connection between Scribner's ties to labor movements and the recent worker's union strikes here in Santa Cruz. Ya, Santa Cruz supposedly is so liberal and accepting, but many people can barely make a living and are being ignored. The supposed liberal Santa Cruz of the '60s is no more thought the town holds on to that tradition to draw tourists and students. There is a certain allure that the town is not keeping up with.
Every time I pass this statue now, I'll look at it in a different light!
Thanks, Pablo
Sam Evans//Alcatraz
I really enjoyed your take on Alcatraz! The history of the prison is interesting, and I really appreciated the way you juxtaposed the captivity and loss of freedom of the prison with the beauty and purity of San Francisco’s white urban landscape. Your opinion on the mental effect Alcatraz has on the prisoners is also very insightful, and I’m glad you mentioned the prisoners isolation and how they are virtually unable to escape. I have always thought about the panoptical effect, and how prisoners behave when they feel they are constantly under surveillance (as the prisoners of Alcatraz are with all of San Francisco watching). In general, Alcatraz is definitely the most fascinating part of SF to me, and reading your explanation on the monument definitely appealed to me!
Sarah Welsh/Golden Gate Bridge
I wanted to comment on this particular post about the Golden Gate Bridge simply because you addressed the issue of the many suicides that have occurred at that site. In regard to the bridge itself, I believe it represents progress and has become a symbol of San Francisco as a world class city. When many think of San Francisco, it is true that what comes to mind is revolution and political freedom, which in turn sparks memories of anti-war and human rights demonstrations, much of which has taken place on the bridge itself. What is interesting is that the issue of suicide itself has become and issue with two sides to it, differences in opinion and beliefs that are highlighted with the proposition of a suicide barrier as you mentioned in your post. While suicide is tragic and while it may make perfect sense that a barrier be built to prevent people from taking their own lives, as you know, there are those who oppose the barrier. When I first became interested in the topic I read that those opposed were concerned about ruining the aesthetics of such a grand structure. Ok, I can see that, but that wasn’t convincing enough. Then I read Ann Garrison’s article in Reclaiming San Francisco which shed light on other more important reasons behind the opposition, pointing out that many San Franciscans have always defended the right to suicide by jumping of the bridge. For the many anti-suicide activists that hope to do whatever they can to prevent individuals from taking their own lives, there are just as many pushing back, arguing that suicide is a personal choice which should be valued. While this debate will likely rage on for years to come, what is important to take from it now is that the real beauty of it all is that this is kind of debate is even allowed to happen. The Golden Gate Bridge has become a great symbol of San Francisco not only based on its image, but also based on the issues that happen around it. San Francisco is a place where individuals as well as groups are allowed to voice their beliefs in public places, even when it comes to such a “touchy” and heavy topic such a suicide.
Kate Ayers/Trying to interpret Richard Brautigan’s writing is like trying to ride a horse on fire.
Kate I really like your interpretation of the motto "Gold in peace, iron in war." The idea that the United States treats everyone with respect as long as they don't do anything the country doesn't like. And you also acknowledge that even in times of peace San Francisco is exploiting other cultures. The question we must ask ourselves is how deep that gold facade that we overylay everything is and what lies beneath it? What is San Francisco trying so hard to cover up? The horrible truths that lie beneath the gold lame are going to have to be dealt with. How can San Franciscans deal with them and still love and celebrate their city?
Sam Evans – Alcatraz
Sam I agree with you that the current representation of Alcatraz, as a tourist destination it does a disservice to the darker history of the island. When I was younger you could go and spend the night on the island with Girl Scouts a night described as a fun, spooky, and mysterious adventure, which included sleeping in a cell and visiting the haunted infirmary. The trip and the current advertising for the sight neglect the true history of a psychological nightmare of the crimes and horrors of the island and its resident inmates.
Additionally, the post-prison history of the island is often over looked which include the occupation of the island by Native Americans from 1969 to 1971. A lack of guaranteed federal assistance caused Native Americans to advocate for their rights. A group of Native Americans from various groups occupied the island after the prison closed in 1963. The group claimed: "We native peoples of North America have gathered here to claim our traditional and natural right to create meaningful use for our Great Spirit's land." The group hoped to challenge the conditions that resulted from a 1953 Congress resolution that removed more than one million acres of Native American land. These events show the greater history of monuments and destinations within all great cities and that social, economic, and political history of a place or space always reaches much deeper than what is presented to the tourist.
Kate Ayers/“The Red shadow of the Gandhian nonviolence Trojan"
I totally agree with you on trying read Brautigan-it is pretty difficult- and I feel like his writing is so simple that the point (if there is one) can go right over your head/or not even make sense. There's an analogy with America and the rich and dynastic San Franciscans: As America takes advantage of other people/countries, the wealthy San Franciscans exploit SF and its poor. SF's social pyramid is a reflection of the mining pyramid: the most poor and the greatly damaged at the bottom, and at the top is the grandeur of the few wealthy.
Sebastian Fernandez/Transamerica Building.
I was also considering writing about this building, and your post points in the same direction which I would have gone. The name of the building itself signifies its desire to be known worldwide, existing as the envy to all other architecture across America. The fact that it was also designed with the goal in mind for Bank of America employees to look up to it signifies a power struggle between the two imperialistic powers,who both appear to be reassuring us that their primary dedication is to America. In reality, I find the building visually unappealing, and think it is a shame that such a monstrosity is synonymous with the San Francisco skyline.
amanda lopez/laughing Sal
I liked your piece on laughing Sal. When I was little, laughing Sal was on display in the arcade in the Cliff House by Ocean Beach in the city. I always thought that she was a little creepy. I did not know until recently that the Boardwalk had bought her, when I was down there and saw the same creepy clown from my childhood.
I agree that San Francisco is becoming a commodity. But isn't everything these days? I wonder how much money is made off of pictures of San Francisco monuments and the monuments themselves. But perhaps this helps the city progress and profit- which aren't always bad things. I guess we could think of it as sharing history with the rest of the bay area.
Nick Furnal/ Coit tower
I find it very interesting how the Coit tower has changed over time in meaning. Starting off with an effort to promote beautification and then transforming into a message of peoples' struggles through the murals. And today it is dwarfed by all the skyscrapers in San Fransico show how the city has changed.
Sam Evans/Alcatraz
I found the idea of Alcatraz’s geographical situation as a demoralizing effect on the prisoners it once housed to be a very interesting notion. Do you think it might have also been a motivation for some of them to strive towards rehabilitation? Not every prisoner can look at a view like that when they’ve been sentenced to live in a cramped cell for a chunk of their lives. Maybe their view of the outside world and the cityscape of San Francisco could have served as a reminder to how much better the outside world is than any kind of life on Alcatraz. Although admittedly anybody on death row or undergoing a life sentence would have probably not had this kind of feeling.
Sam Evans/Alcatraz
Sam,
Your post was really interesting to me, because it brought up a whole reality that I had never thought of before (because it was masked!). The idea of Alcatraz as a contingently mental prison is super crazy to me in that it is hardly ever brought up. Although the island was probably chosen for its easy to get to/hard to escape factor, the idea that prisoners could see San Francisco in all its glory and be stuck in the confines of the jail cells must have really weighed down on them. I'm sure in like San Quentin all you see is like desert and maybe a strip mall or something. Perhaps, you may be on to the reason why escaping from Alcatraz was so popular among inmates (aside from the fact that jail sucks) in that maybe if they were in a less desirable jail locale, they would not feel so inclined to try to get to the sights they saw out their windows.
Amanda Lopez/Laughing Sal
Great post. I was thinking about what you said about the beats disapproving of what the sale of Sal represented, and I couldnt help but wonder...What is Sal in the first place? She's a mechanical clown, right? Part of an amusement park, part of a business venture: she existed solely to attract customers and increase business. Would the beats really have seen her journey as anything but a continuation of her purpose? She's moved from San Francisco--where she made money--to Santa Cruz, where she continues to make money (supposedly. I wouldn't trust her with a child...). Is Sal representative of a past that the beats would have wanted to hold on to all that badly?
Addie / Pioneer Monument
When researching San Francisco monuments I came across the Pioneer Monument as well. After reading about the Native American anger with the monument, I feel that Pioneer Monument brings up many concerns about equality and diversity in America. I do agree with your discussion of the monument as showing honor to the pioneers who hopes to profit for themselves and their families, and there is no doubt that this movement west overwhelmingly helped to transform California into the very open and prosperous state that it is today. By open I mean that California in general, but especially cities such as San Francisco, allow for a huge, diverse movement of people; it is expected that San Francisco is composed of different ethnicities, people from different religious backgrounds, and people from different social tiers.
Though even in representing such a multitude of people, I think it is very interesting to consider exactly how easily most of us take our ability to promote diversity for granted. I consider California to be more tolerant than other states in terms of promoting diversity positively. However, Native Americans were angered by the Pioneer Monument because when they complained about the statue that did not depict any Native Americans, a plaque was installed that listed inaccurate number of deaths, including the statement "In 1769, the missionaries first came to California with the intent of converting the state's 300,000 Native Americans to Christianity. With their efforts over in 1834, the missionaries left behind about 56,000 converts -- and 150,000 dead. Half of the original Native American population had perished during this time from disease, armed attacks, and mistreatment." This does sound very plain and simple, and does indeed overlook the actual number of deaths and cruelties Native American's underwent.
Sadie/Hippocrates
As a classical studies student, we often discuss the similarities between ancient Greece and Rome, and modern day America. I agree with your statement that much of the East Coast and Europe has stagnated. They hold onto traditions and old world ideals, while San Francisco and the West Coast tries desperately to push forward. California is the starting place for new and liberal education and ideas.
However, scholars have begun pointing out the similarities between the Roman empire at its fall, and America today.... just something to consider.
Superman/Surfer Statue
By the way Professor Wilson has written about this surfer statue in the Worlding Project. see:
http://www.literaryguillotine.com/npp/worlding.html
(I'm sure that it's in the library too--and you can also sit in the Bay Tree Bookstore and read it right there for free).
And feel free to hang out and talk with Rob about it after class. He's got some interesting things to add to the really great story that you've told yourself about the surfers and barn.
Kelsey/M.H. de Young Memorial Museum
Wow, what a pretty building. Your description of this philanthropist reminds me a little of our good friend Willie Hearst! Had a well-meaning side, at least for a while, but he weidled much capital and power and often used it questionably. I've never been to this particular museum, but I wonder if I would patronize it (assuming it has a cover charge) having read all of your post. For example, I'm not going to apply to Thomas Jefferson School of Law simply because I don't want to support the positive reputation of this man. We all know what he did on his plantation, and I feel it to be inexcusbale. I'd have to think more about the recpective eggregous-ness of de Young's questionable deeds, but I would need to think about it before going there. Thanks, Kelsey, for the info!
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