In 2010, I went to San Francisco for a convention. It wasn’t my first time in the city but it was the first time I walked around the streets at night. What I saw was very discouraging. There were certain things that simply didn’t add up.
- San Francisco is considered to be one of the most progressive cities in the world
- Progressives are supposed to be the most caring and compassionate people
- Homeless people on the streets asking for help were ignored by the masses
Perhaps I was too naive back then to comprehend it. My clearer understanding of progressivism has made me believe those who practice it are generally more self-serving. The anecdotal data I collected while sitting in a coffee shop witnessing literally hundreds of people step around those in desperate need without even offering a look – let alone a dollar – really changed my perspectives when it came to how the whole leftist model at the city level works.
For this reason, I am not shocked at all to find out there are more drug addicts in San Francisco than there are students enrolled in public high schools.
San Francisco – where drug addicts outnumber high school students https://t.co/lZdC1cp4rz
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) February 4, 2019
Compassion comes in many forms, but all of these forms require attention. It seems that San Francisco politicians are so busy being “woke” they forget to actually address the problems within their communities. It’s not for a lack of revenue; nearly 20% of households make $200,000 or more. But as they donate big money to progressive political candidates, Planned Parenthood, or other leftist organizations, they miss the problems of the people they walk around every day.
It’s not my place to judge the people of San Francisco (or anyone for that matter) but it’s telling that the realities of the city do not match the rhetoric of their beloved progressive politicians. They claim the mantle of compassion, yet they ignore the needs of those in their midst. They are all in to stop the globe from experiencing climate change, but they do very little to help people on the streets get out of the cold.
San Francisco is the epitome of the greater challenge for big government proponents. When all the focus is on making sure this social group or that protected class is given as much superiority over others as possible, they miss the people who need real help.
