Imperial San Francisco : Depressing

Reading Imperial San Francisco was depressing and enlightening. My viewpoint of California and San Francisco is kind of skewed since I'm not from here. I lived in Danville, in the East Bay, when I was younger and my father worked in the city, however I unfortunately moved to Houston after only a few years in California. I have so many happy memories of going into the city with my dad when I was little and thinking it was the best place in the world and I like to keep that glorified idea in my head. This book kind of ruined it for me. I'm familiar with the idea that the history I learn is the history of white men oppressing pretty much everyone else. However, for some reason, I like to think of California as beyond that, although quite clearly it is not. Will we ever get past the history of power hungry and dominant white men? I hope so. From what I learned of San Francisco history, since I never took a California history class obviously since I didn't grow up here, was mainly focused on the Gold Rush. History textbooks like to focus on the idea of pioneering young American men going out west to start from scratch and gain a fortune of wealth, however that's not how it was. Learning of all the corruption, real estate speculation by a few, and sublimation of nature kills that image of the enterprising every man and the whole American dream thing.

Many people say what separates humans from animals is that we have culture. However, I think more importantly we have the potential to be corrupt. In the animal world, there is power struggles and domination particularly among male animals, but it is more natural, in favor of procreation and survival, not money. They know when to stop, we don't. 

In the formation of San Francisco as a burgeoning metropolitan city, the founders had absolutely no concern for the environment. "The apostles of progress equated smoke with economic health and bought country estates to escape it" (27). As long as you can't see it and aren't directly impacted by it, it doesn't matter, right? NO! Humans treat the Earth so badly as if we have a right to destroy it. "The fountain of wealth, power, and glamour, that issues from the mine and the oil well has also decisively shaped the way humans perceive and treat their planet--not as a farm, let alone as a garden, but as a mine head and battlefield" (25). Throughout the history of city building, humans have constantly disrespected our planet. What do we think is going to happen? You don't shit where you sleep, but you can pollute and trash your environment. 

Having a better understanding of the history of San Francisco, makes me see it a little more clearly and less idealistically. So long wonderful San Francisco of my youth.