San Francisco City Hall was lit up red, white and blue on Saturday night, and there was plenty of discussion and confusion among Van Ness Avenue pedestrians about what the color scheme might mean. Since city government, with their millions of dollars worth of PR professionals, can't be bothered to share information, we were all guessing.
Was it a nod to the Gala Opening of the San Francisco Opera's Andrea Chenier on Friday night, which was set during the French Revolution? Or was it a pre-emptive commemoration of the 9/11 attacks fifteen years ago?
Nothing about that disaster makes me feel patriotic, particularly the subsequent 15 years of murder and torture of thousands of people by U.S. armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan nor the ridiculous, wasteful, and expensive security theater at U.S. airports. Though the Veterans Building across the street from City Hall was lit red on the same evening in honor of the world premiere of the opera Dream of the Red Chamber, it seemed a more fitting color scheme for 9/11 and the horror it unleashed than the old red, white and blue.
Good morning, Mike. I love this post and tried to post it on my Facebook page. I got this message from Facebook: "Message Failed. This message contains content that has been blocked by our security systems. If you think you're seeing this by mistake, please let us know."
ReplyDeleteOf course they don't say how to let them know, so I decided to write you.
Do you think this came up by mistake? Or is Facebook really blocking this because they find it insufficiently patriotic? For some other reason?
Dear Markley: It has something to do with my photos being hosted on Dropbox, and Facebook doesn't think it's secure. Nothing political. I'll friend you on Facebook and you can share it that way if you'd like.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael,
ReplyDelete9/11 was first attack since Pearl Harbor, and the first mainland attack since the War of 1812. We have since assumed the USA to be the bomber, not the bombee. Like a former starlet's first mom-role, we sense there's no turning back.
Obama's stump drawl drops the first and third syllables from the word "America." He says 'me'ca, more or less a homonym for "Mecca."
No wonder he said he'd veto the bill allowing U.S. victims of 9/11 to sue Saudi Arabia. Cheap oil lights City Hal, as your post beautifully illustrates.
It also lights City Hall.
ReplyDelete