We all know what a dirtbag Bill O'Reilly is. Recently, O'Reilly aired a brief "documentary" segment on San Francisco as a "warning" about what Obama's secular-progressive agenda could mean for America. Needless to say, it's highly sensationalized, focusing exclusively on the more "colorful" aspects of our city. It's amusing to watch, but of course it's not at all an accurate representation of what it's like to live here.
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Hehe...I knew there was a reason you moved there...:)
I actually disagree with both your assessment, Jules, and O'Reilly's rationale. Everything in the video of S.F. is, of course true (okay, not everything; O'Reilly is wrong about the Presidio and North Beach being dangerous, but these are minor issues). So, on some level, one could argue that the video does show some of what it is like to live in certain parts of San Francisco. (It is this sort of truth without context that makes O'Reilly so seductive to some people.) What's truly ridiculous, however, is that O'Reilly suggests that the homeless situation in the city is a result of "liberal politics" and/or might in some way be related to Obama's recent election. Actually, the number of homeless, drug-addicted and mentally unstable persons on the street can be traced directly to conservative, Reagan-era policies that reduced health care coverage, eliminated long-term mental health facilities and substantial drug rehabilitation programs. Okay. I'll get off my soap-box now!
I don't dispute that the things in the video are true. There certainly are a lot of homeless people in the city and there are some places in the city where drugs are fairly visible. This is no different, really, than any major city. But the video presents this as ubiquitous in the city. Yes, there are some parts of the city where the homeless are very visible. And yes, there are many "hippie" types smoking pot around the part of Haight Street near the park. But "walking over used needles"? I've never experienced that. And cannabis clubs, while some do exist, are not "all over". My assessment is that O'Reilly focuses on a few negative aspects of the city and presents it as the definition of the city.
If you wacky Left Coasters would just get in line w/ the status quo, we wouldn't have to worry about this.
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