New York attack

New York attack
: A gunman opened fire in New York’s City Hall today, apparently shooting two councilmen, killing one…. UPDATE: Both victims are now dead….UPDATE: Now they say the second dead person was the assailant. Why the hell did it take them so long to get the news straight? New York feared an assassin was out on the streets when he was dead.

: I was a columnist in San Francisco when Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were murdered by Supervisor Dan White.

George and Harvey were both friends.

It was a terrible time for the city. More than 900 had died in Jonestown. Now City Hall ran with blood. And soon, thousands and thousands would die of AIDS. Then let’s not forget the lies and busted dreams of the bubble.

I don’t think San Francisco ever fully recovered from its tragedies. I haven’t been there in too long but I never hear people talk about it — as everyone used to — with sighs about its beauty, charm, innocence, and magic. I hear people complain how crowded it is and how it mismanages the homeless problem and how its politics are a carnival sideshow.

Damn, I used to love that city.

Now New York is just trying to rebuild after 3,000 were murdered at the World Trade Center. And now City Hall runs with blood.

But New York cannot suffer San Francisco’s fate. It can’t take on the face of a loser. This is a tougher town. And unlike San Francisco, it’s not a luxury but a necessity for America and the world.