Hi Cameron,

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I think that you’re misunderstanding the crux of my piece, particularly because we’re more in agreement than you would think.

The goal of my writing was to get San Francisco to address basic assumptions about itself, as well as speak to the fact that we historically have had major industries (shipyards, finance, and now tech) that have brought people in from around the world. And the politics of our city has left many believing that we’re a much more diverse — and tolerant — place than we frequently live up to be. I’m challenging the very narrative that’s so pervasive among San Francisco’s contemporary residents by exposing the very gap of what we claim to be versus who we actually are. This is exactly why I focused on the horrific sidewalk graffiti as an example of such intolerance.

We’re very much in agreement that we shouldn’t vilify workers en masse because they’re from particular industries. And we’re in agreement that there are many other cities that are much more diverse than San Francisco, and in reality, I’m trying to push the conversation in my own small way in directions where we can learn from others in order to create a city that’s more socioeconomically inclusive than the one that exists today.

Thanks again for taking the time to read my op-ed and I look forward to further constructive engagement.

Best,

Joe