Letters to Editor in San Francisco Examiner on January 6, 1965
Dublin Core
Title
Letters to Editor in San Francisco Examiner on January 6, 1965
Description
San Francisco Examiner, January 6, 1965, page 30.
Source
Repository: San Francisco Public Library
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Roust of Homos
The police action, Friday night... was clearly an attempt to intimidate and terrorize a minority group. We have seen and heard of this sort of thing from the south where the police ignore the law in their determination to terrorize the colored minority group.
The act of having a police photographer take pictures of all attending a party designed to bring the sub-culture of homosexuals into the main stream of American life, to integrate the homosexual, is clearly designed to discourage such integration. The homosexuals know quite well what will happen. The police will look at the photographs, and constantly stop and run identity checks on those persons, plus throwing the book at them for minor and traffic offenses...
I think it is evident that the police are not capable of ruling themselves. I there propose that we set up a "grand jury" sort of civilian control to review police actions to keep the police operating within the law...
Harry Lancaster
San Francisco
Some years ago, I came upon a police officer wrestling with a drunk. The officer was not having the better of the battle, his opponent was heavier, stronger, and managed to break every hold the officer got on him.
Because I was the only person present, the officer called to me for help. I came to his assistance. Between the two of us, we managed to subdue the other man.
And now, in retrospect, I can only regret having rendered this aid to the authorities. After the incidents of Friday night at California Hall, this New Year gesture of utter and unforgivable cruelty on the part of our local police department. I hereby make my own resolution to never give any assistance to any policeman in any situation whatever.
Abe Greenstein
San Francisco
The police action, Friday night... was clearly an attempt to intimidate and terrorize a minority group. We have seen and heard of this sort of thing from the south where the police ignore the law in their determination to terrorize the colored minority group.
The act of having a police photographer take pictures of all attending a party designed to bring the sub-culture of homosexuals into the main stream of American life, to integrate the homosexual, is clearly designed to discourage such integration. The homosexuals know quite well what will happen. The police will look at the photographs, and constantly stop and run identity checks on those persons, plus throwing the book at them for minor and traffic offenses...
I think it is evident that the police are not capable of ruling themselves. I there propose that we set up a "grand jury" sort of civilian control to review police actions to keep the police operating within the law...
Harry Lancaster
San Francisco
Some years ago, I came upon a police officer wrestling with a drunk. The officer was not having the better of the battle, his opponent was heavier, stronger, and managed to break every hold the officer got on him.
Because I was the only person present, the officer called to me for help. I came to his assistance. Between the two of us, we managed to subdue the other man.
And now, in retrospect, I can only regret having rendered this aid to the authorities. After the incidents of Friday night at California Hall, this New Year gesture of utter and unforgivable cruelty on the part of our local police department. I hereby make my own resolution to never give any assistance to any policeman in any situation whatever.
Abe Greenstein
San Francisco
Citation
“Letters to Editor in San Francisco Examiner on January 6, 1965”, The Council on Religion and the Homosexual, LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed May 18, 2024, https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/exhibits/show/crh/item/1783.