Insensitiveleftygate
A couple dozen cops, directed by Officer Andrew Cohen of Bayview Station, produced a number of skits for a DVD to be shown at the station’s Christmas party. On 7 December, a copy of this DVD was brought to Police Chief Heather Fong’s attention. She, in turn, brought the DVD to Mayor Gavin Newsom, who considered the skits to be ‘the most offensive, egregious skits that I’ve seen [in] San Francisco.’ These are skits ‘that mock the African American community, that mock the Asian community, that mock the transgendered community, and mock women in general.’ Two dozen police officers were immediately suspended. As of yesterday the fifteenth (hot-damn, it’s late!), they were reinstated, though the City may yet take disciplinary measures.
You can watch the clips that have been made public here. I’m very leery of cops, but I’m having a hard time getting offended by these clips. Am I missing the point?
In fact, I’m far more annoyed by having having -gate tagged onto every minor scandal that makes the news. If perchance, dear reader, you are a journalist who has ever referred in print or on air to any post-1974 scandal as whatevergate, please do contact me: We have certain business to settle.
Interestingly, I haven’t seen any comparisons drawn in the press, yet, to the far more offensive 49ers video scandal of June. (Footage here.)
One last kvetchery: What the Hell is wrong with this city? We have one newspaper that actually covers news on a daily basis, and the Associated Press regularly gets to San Francisco stories a day earlier. When a homeless man was burned alive a block away from Market Street at the beginning of November, the Chronicle ran its first story on the matter from the AP. Now, again, with the “Videogate” reinstatements, the AP is twenty-four hours ahead of the Chronicle. This is what happens when you allow media monopolies. I’ve half a mind to leave flaming bags of the Examiner on the Hearst and Fang doorsteps.