Initiative proposes peace center on the Rock

AP via SFGate ^ | 2/1/8 | MICHELLE LOCKE, Associated Press Writer

[SmithL]

San Francisco (AP) -- Along with prosaic proposals to renovate parks and tweak police retirement going before San Francisco voters next week is something just a little bit different:

Proposition C, "Shall it be City policy that the City should explore and facilitate the acquisition of Alcatraz Island from the United States government to transform it into a Global Peace Center?"

With no legal force or funding behind it, and a host of obstacles before it, not least of which is the act of Congress it would take to switch the island from federal to city hands, the measure's purely symbolic.

But that doesn't meant it hasn't stirred debate.

"VOTE NO ON THIS RIDICULOUS PROPOSAL," the San Francisco Republican Party (yes, there is such a thing) thundered in a ballot argument against the measure.

"Perhaps we haven't reached the proper stage of enlightenment yet," was the San Francisco Chronicle's more tempered editorial recommending a "no" vote, "but we're more inclined to support propositions with defined sources of funding attached to them."

But the man behind the proposal is undaunted.

"Great ideas, very often, inspired ideas are always resisted.

[SmithL]

I remember those ads:

Get a Peace of the Rock

[lormand]

Liberalism is self defeating.

I visited Alcatraz for the first time last August and loved the visit. It was one of the main reasons I went into the city.

If they take that away, tourism will suffer.

[Dilbert San Diego]

This will make San Francisco a utopia. All those mean people who blow up other people and make war against the infidels will see the light with this. I bet that Bin Laden himself will come out of hiding and come to the Peace Center to discuss peace in the nation he hates. I’m sure that a companion law will be passed by S.F. granting immunity from arrest or prosecution of the enemies of the U.S. who go to the Peace Center to discuss peace.

sarcasm done.

[Argus]

I’m for it if they put Jimmy Carter in charge and make him live in one of the cells.

[quadrant]

Turning the Island into a peace center will close the city’s budget deficit, end the homeless crisis, bring affordable housing to the city, solve the problem of health care, and ease congestion.

[Carry_Okie]

Proposition C, "Shall it be City policy that the City should explore and facilitate the acquisition of Alcatraz Island from the United States government to transform it into a Global Peace Center?"

Shall we tax the public to make jobs for corrupt liberal control freaks?

[Michael.SF.]

I visited Alcatraz for the first time last August

I hope you paid extra for the 'Phil Hartman' Tour:

CHARLIE
Tony, get your mind out of the gutter. All you need to know is that she's a sweet, kind and loving person.

PARK RANGER
Now this is something none of the other tour guides will tell you. In this particular cell block Machine Gunn Kelly had, what we call in the prison system, a "bitch." And one day, in a jealous rage, Kelly took a makeshift knife, or "shiv," and cut out his "bitch's" eyes.

CHARLIE
Look, what can I tell you. I'm smitten. I'm in deep smit. I dunno. I just don't wanna talk about it, because then I start analyzing and that's not good for me.

[lormand]

I miss Phil Hartman

[MEGoody]

Good grief, what a stupid proposition.

Well, this is SF. What else could I expect?

[HKMk23]

Actually, that’s not a half-bad idea; make a Global Peace Center out on an isolated island, somewhere. It’s a PERFECT dipiction of how the entire concept is fatally detached from the “mainland” of Reality. It could only be improved upon if the island in question were 2500 miles from any major continent.

Personally, I’d go the full distance and locate it on some unnamed asteroid in space, but we’re limited by practicality, at present.

[DPMD]

Dear San Francisco:

Peace on you.

[SmithL]

Cross-Link: San Francisco To Vote On Alcatraz As Peace Center