In the zeal to “do something” about racial inequality post the Black Lives Matter movement, Marin has done its part. We made a valiant effort to re-name Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to some kind of Miwok name. That didn’t go so well because, as my uber-woke friends will tell you, there are so many freakin’ unwoke white people of extreme privilege in Marin, it’s damn near impossible to do anything of social substance around here.
But, on a positive note, we did get Drake High School changed to Archie Williams High School. That was nice, especially since Williams was a long overlooked Black favorite son for whom Marin County neglected for decades to name anything after. Hell, we named stuff after Robin Williams before we got around to the more politically correct Williams, Archie. Shame on us!
But now, if we can be true to our wokeness just a bit longer, we can strike a real blow on a grand scale by recalling the too white Gavin Newsom and replacing him with Larry Elder, a very, very Black man from California who somehow managed to raise himself out of poverty despite our best efforts to put the “white oppression” on him.
Voting for Elder would make amends for our Sir Francis Drake boulevard failure. Vote out the white guy and replace him with a Black guy. Imagine, a Black governor. That’s the dream, right?
Hey, I’m trying to be as woke as possible. How am I doing?
IF YOU CAN’T SEE THIS ETHICAL LINE …
If I’m being honest, I have very low expectations for ethics in government. So, it came as no big shaker to me that San Francisco Mayor London Breed has agreed to pay a $22,792 city fine to settle allegations that she committed a series of ethics violations while in office, including asking former Gov. Jerry Brown to release her brother from prison.
She used her office to lobby the governor to release her brother from prison. Yikes! If as an elected official you can’t see that bright ethical line, then I’m afraid that when it comes to unethical future behavior, the world is your oyster. Mayor Breed will be accused of unethical behavior again. You can count on that.
IT’S OFFICIAL; CUOMO IS A TOTAL ARSE
Update: Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday, Aug. 10, that he will resign.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released a report finding that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women. Oddly, crime fighter AG James did not file charges against the governor in any of the cases. Even more remarkable, President Joe Biden urged Coumo to resign. (Good for the president.)
Who knows how this soap opera ends. But, there’s two things I think we can deduce at this point: 1) Andrew Cuomo is, indeed, a total arse. 2) Cuomo will not be writing a book extolling the virtues of his “performance” in this chapter of his life.
STAY SAFE, AVOID OAKLAND THINKING
Chinatown in Oakland has hired what they call “ambassadors” to walk around the tourist destination area. Story on them begins this way:
“Sakhone Lasaphangthong starts his day at 5 a.m. power-washing the streets of Oakland’s Chinatown.
“As he cleans, he keeps his ears and eyes open in case there is a cry for help.’ Sometimes help means offering water or food to passersby — which Lasaphangthong keeps in the back of his truck. Other times, it means working with police to de-escalate a tense situation with a bystander.”
This essentially is a work-around to the city defunding police. BTW: Remember that former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, 80, just got mugged in another part of Oakland.
Oakland has so many problems with crime, it’s hard to pinpoint one single error that has led to the current state. But 5 will get you 10 that defunding the police did not help.
Keep Marin safe. Do the opposite of Oakland. Only way to be sure.
ONE MORE THING
— I asked my doctor how long this COVID thing was going to last. She said: “How should I know? I’m a doctor, not a politician.”
— Mom lies: The dog went to live on a big farm.
— In California you drive for two hours and you are still in California. In the UK, you drive for two hours and the local accent has changed twice and bread has a new name.
— Tips for a happy life: 1) Dance like nobody’s watching. 2) Email like it will one day be read aloud in court.
— The Ironwoman competition began today in West Marin.
Hopefully, I’m not going to hell for that picture or anything else in this column. So, let’s call it a day and risk no further damnation. Mucho gracias for tuning in. Until next time, live free, exhibit kindness in all that you do, and always question authority.
(Sherman Frederick is a Hall of Fame journalist and owner of Marinscope Community Newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com, or by phone at 415-408-1073.)
M G C says
I hope Elder makes it . He will be able to help the BLM movement as much as Biden has.