Pelosi: Health Care Rhetoric Reminiscent of 1970s San Francisco

by Rhonda J Mangus | September 18, 2009 at 04:15 am

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On Thursday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed concerns that the angry rhetoric over the President's Plan for Health Reform is reminiscent of the rhetoric over Gay Rights that occurred in San Francisco in the 1970's and created a climate in which violence took place.

“I have concerns about some of the language that is being used because I saw this myself in the late ’70s in San Francisco,” Pelosi said, suddenly speaking quietly. “This kind of rhetoric was very frightening” and created a climate in which violence took place, she said.

Former San Francisco Supervisor Dan White was convicted of the 1978 murders of Mayor George Moscone and openly gay supervisor Harvey Milk. Gay rights activists and some others at the time saw a link between the assassinations and the violent debate over gay rights that had preceded them for years.

During a rambling confession, White was quoted as saying, “I saw the city as going kind of downhill.” His lawyers argued that he was mentally ill at the time. White committed suicide in 1985.

Pelosi is part of a generation of California Democrats on whom the assassinations had a searing effect. A resident of San Fransisco, Pelosi had been a Democratic activist for years and knew Milk and Moscone. At the time of their murders, she was serving as chairwoman of her party in the northern part of the state.

On Thursday, Pelosi was answering a question about whether the current vitriol concerned her. The questioner did not refer to the murders of Milk or Moscone, or the turmoil in San Francisco three decades ago. Pelosi referenced those events on her own and grew uncharacteristically emotional.

“I wish that we would all, again, curb our enthusiasm in some of the statements that are made,” Pelosi said. Some of the people hearing the message “are not as balanced as the person making the statement might assume,” she said.

“Our country is great because people can say what they think and they believe,” she added. “But I also think that they have to take responsibility for any incitement that they may cause.”

Related Health Care Reform articles on NowPublic, here.

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Roy C

at 07:37 on September 18th, 2009

The anger of San Franciscans was not over gay rights, but rather over the corrupt administration of Mayor Moscone. The city always had an accommodating attitude.

You have to remember that the People's Temple of Jim Jones, where 900 people were FORCED to drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid, happened then, too.

Milk and Moscone were big supporters of Jim Jones as was the editor of my favorite San Francisco newspaper, the Examiner, at the time.

We all felt this undercurrent of rather radical left policy and program in the air, but the newspapers refused to cover the Jim Jones scandal.

In fact, the editor of the Examiner actually had a story on the corruption buried.

So, yes, there are parallels to today. ACORN is corrupt in much the same way that Jim Jones' organization was.

Jones was a Marxist. Not a Christian. And Moscone himself was known as someone with "exotic" sexual tastes that some alleged including sadism.

This was not used in the recall campaign against Mocsone. His opponent, Barbagelata, refused to use Moscone's personal life against him.

But, it has to be said that Moscone, Milk and the Examiner editor were complicit in the deaths of the 900, actively aiding Jim Jones and actively suppressing information that kept coming up about them.

Yes, what Dan White did, assassinate Moscone and Milk because Moscone broke his promise to White that he would reappoint White to his seat, was an atrocity.

There was, however, no justification for the riot of gay men that happened afterward.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 08:22 on September 18th, 2009

Let me add that the original author of this article evidently made 'a connection' with what Speaker Pelosi was saying and San Francisco in the 1970s.

Also from the article:

"Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to a request for examples of contemporary statements that reminded the speaker of the rhetoric of 1970s San Francisco."

Rhonda J Mangus

at 08:04 on September 18th, 2009

Roy, enlightening as usual! The connection alleged between Milk, Moscone, Peoples Temple and Jim Jones can be further pondered in "Research on Harvey Milk Renews Calls for Reappraisal of Peoples Temple" by Michael Bellefountaine".

158

at 08:10 on September 18th, 2009

I disagree with her.

This debate and rhetoric is more like the democratic opposition to the Iraq war under Bush.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 08:22 on September 18th, 2009

Thanks for your thoughts, 158!

Roy C

at 08:16 on September 18th, 2009

Thanks, and I will read it.

Dan White killed himself a few years after getting out of prison. He had been both a fireman and policeman and was elected supervisor of SF in his neighborhood in the first elections in which there were specific representatives to neighborhoods.

White apparently killed Milk because Milk was present in Moscone's office at the time that White had asked to be reappointed to his seat and Milk had "smirked" at White, according to White.

Hey, I am reading that article. Great choice and shows a lot of objectivity on your part to have suggested it.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 08:24 on September 18th, 2009

Thanks, Roy!

"Hey, I am reading that article. Great choice and shows a lot of objectivity on your part to have suggested it."

I try:)!

Amy Judd

at 08:39 on September 18th, 2009

I agree with her here:

"But I also think that they have to take responsibility for any incitement that they may cause"

Rhonda J Mangus

at 08:45 on September 18th, 2009

Absolutely agreed, Amy. Thanks for reading, commenting, and for the recommendation!

hidflect

at 11:04 on September 18th, 2009

Nancy Pelosi's husband is a multi-millionaire, real-estate tycoon in San Francisco. It would seem to me all she really cares about is the properties of herself and the others in her owner class. She has nothing in common with the people she pretends to represent. She is a Limousine Liberal. That is why she doesn't fight for single payer, or for Bush's impeachment, or for breaking up of the corrupt Corporations... on and on.