THE LIVING DEAD

This young woman came to me for real help. She was living with her 3 month old baby and another one 3 years old - both girls at Potrero Hill in Public Housing. March 15, 2004 a young male punk comes by her house with two other thug women and demands money. A scene that is common at night in some areas all over Public Housing. Next he and the two thug women accuse the single mother of harboring some men from Sunnydale. A hood some miles away and their archrival. This is turf war of sorts. "We want the Sunnydale N****** out of your house". She was NOT harboring any one and it is no one's business to inspect anyone house when they have no business being there in the first place. An exchange of words takes place and the next thing you know the young black thug fires a sawed off shotgun missing the woman and her child but making a big hole in her door. The woman calls the police and they come. They hear, take the report, and are still looking for the punk who is around. The paradox is this same punk has driven everyone from the block. On some days, high on drugs he will intimidate anyone who becomes a prey and part of his hallucination - mostly using his gun to demand money and scare the inhabitants away forever. I had to call the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and my good friend Joseph Flood for urgent help. It will take some time and the woman may see the light of day in another project - mostly Sunnydale that has a problem of its own. For these victims it is mostly jumping from the frying pan into the fire. An endless circle of violence that surrounds them perpetuated by years of neglect. There is talk from the Mayor's Office of Economic Development (MOED) but it is mostly hot air. Right now the Director and the Mayor are in Washington DC trying to mess with the Navy which does not give a damn about San Francisco officials. The bottom line is no one can force the Navy to hand over the Hunters Point Shipyard because it is very polluted. It is so polluted that billions of dollars are need to clean it up and the City has the talk but does not have any money to do its own laundry. A Superfund Site is no mean joke. Back on track a couple of days ago a black man who killed execution style and thrown on the playground of a school and the whole world knows about this - this happened the night of March 23, 2004. This also happened on Potrero Hill. March 24, 2004 two more shootings. One person was killed and by the time you read this the other one may die from his wounds. This time the shooting took place at Hunters Point, on Kiska Road very near the place where 4 young kids were brutalized by the Police two years ago on Dr. Matin Luther King's holiday. Can you tell me which has a higher priority the killing and maiming of human beings or a trip to Washington DC and the fun fare of having Basketball tournaments? Somewhere, some how, our City Leaders have it all screwed up. You cannot dance in the middle of DEATH in a home where everyone is mourning and traumatized. Just drive by any Public Housing but especially Sunnydale, Potrero Hill, and up on the Hill we call Hunters Point and you can see the sad state of affairs. It shocked me that thousands were being spent, asphalting the road with taxpayer money when that money could go to help people buy food and provide them with health needs. Some of the folks need cleaner better housing. One cannot live on the newly paved roads but it would be nice to have plumbing and other amenities that work at home. I see the Living Dead and I see it all the time. I see City Officials and the Mayor - playing with fire and not knowing how to help those who need help most. It is a dying shame that politicians will pander and stoop so low, will not help the humanity that is crying for dire assistance. The drive by shootings is on the increase. Even peace groups have been shot at. The execution style shooting demands zeroing on the thugs on a war footing. If need be the Federal Bureau of Investigation should be called in or even the National Guard. Believe me they would have done it - if White Folks were taken aim at and were being killed like pigeons. Gavin Newsom you may talk the talk - but I challenge you to walk the walk. Stop listening to the Willie L. Brown Jr. cronies who hang around your neck - like filthy flies who should not be there in the first place.

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