San Francisco Exemplifies ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes’

In The Emperor’s New Clothes by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, two charlatans successfully pull off a fraud on a flamboyant emperor who spends lavishly on fashion and clothing by telling him they will tailor an outfit that only the most wise can see.

As the charlatan tailors announce that the emperor’s suit is finished, they pretend to dress him and he sets off in a procession before the whole city – naked. The townsfolk pretend to go along with the charade, not wanting to appear inept or stupid, until a boy suddenly shouts, “the emperor has no clothes,” and everyone laughs.

“The emperor has no clothes” is an expression used to describe when people are afraid to criticize something or someone so obviously ridiculous because the perceived wisdom of the masses is that the thing or person is good or important.

San Francisco has become the Emperor: pompous, ridiculous, flamboyant, and spends lavishly.

Too many of the residents are afraid to criticize the obviously ridiculous elected officials and policies.

Those of us outside of the City by the Bay see the naked ridiculousness.

Case-in-point: The San Francisco gallery owner who sprayed water from a garden hose on a drug addicted homeless woman squatting in his business doorway, which was video recorded by a bystander, has been arrested.

“The San Francisco Police Department arrested Collier Gwin, the 71-year-old gallery owner, and charged him with Battery on Wednesday after he sprayed the homeless woman with a water hose,” Fox News reported.

San Francisco police did not arrest the drug-addled vagrant who on a daily basis used his business doorway to shoot up drugs, she defecated in the doorway, called the owner vile names, and taunted the owner when he asked her to leave.

The gallery owner defended his action during an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, where he said the woman “had become psychotic and was turning over garbage cans,” Fox News reported. “I said, ‘You have to move, I cannot clean the street, move down.’ She starts screaming belligerent things, spitting, yelling at me,” Gwin told the paper. “At that point, she was so out of control… I spray her with the hose and say, ‘Move, move. I will help you.’”

San Francisco police arrested the business owner, who on a daily basis has to wash away human poop and urine from his doorway and sidewalk so patrons can enter his business. He has to plead with the woman to leave his doorway as she openly does drugs and passes out.

“I understand that there is frustration out there and there is an impulse to act. Right now, what we need is civility,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott tweeted. “If you are frustrated with a situation, please do not act on your anger. Take a step back and call the police so we can help. That is why we are here.”

Isn’t that special. Except San Francisco police don’t come out and remove the drug-addled, mentally ill, obviously sick homeless persons from business doorways or sidewalks.

Mr. Gwin told KPIX-TV, “I feel awful, not just because I want to get out of trouble, or something like that, but because I’d put a tremendous amount of effort into helping this woman on the street.” He apologized for his actions.

And then San Francisco police arrested, charged and booked Mr. Gwin for assault.

“San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday said the incident reminded her of how police treated civil rights protesters during the 1960s,” CBS News reported.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins Tweeted Wednesday afternoon, “Following @SFPD‘s investigation & reviewing all the evidence provided, my office has issued an arrest warrant for Collier Gwin. Gwin is charged w/ misdemeanor battery for the alleged intentional & unlawful spraying of water on & around a woman experiencing homelessness on 1/9/22.”

Following @SFPD's investigation & reviewing all the evidence provided, my office has issued an arrest warrant for Collier Gwin. Gwin is charged w/ misdemeanor battery for the alleged intentional & unlawful spraying of water on & around a woman experiencing homelessness on 1/9/22.

— Brooke Jenkins 謝安宜 (@BrookeJenkinsSF) January 19, 2023

She followed up her original Tweet about arresting the gallery owner with this preposterous Tweet: “The alleged battery of an unhoused member of our community is completely unacceptable. Mr. Gwin will face appropriate consequences for his actions. Likewise, the vandalism at Foster Gwin gallery is also completely unacceptable and must stop – two wrongs do not make a right.”

The alleged battery of an unhoused member of our community is completely unacceptable. Mr. Gwin will face appropriate consequences for his actions. Likewise, the vandalism at Foster Gwin gallery is also completely unacceptable and must stop – two wrongs do not make a right.

— Brooke Jenkins 謝安宜 (@BrookeJenkinsSF) January 19, 2023

The vandalism is also completely unacceptable and must stop, says the District Attorney, which means absolutely nothing will happen to the “unhoused” vandals. “It must stop,” says to top law enforcement official in San Francisco.

The emperor has no clothes, and is looking more ridiculous than ever. Particularly when San Francisco Mayor London Breed just announced, San Francisco nonprofits will be allowed to manage supervised open drug injection sites.

Maybe the “unhoused” drug addicted woman squatting in Collier Gwin’s gallery doorway and sidewalk can move over to the supervised open drug-injection site.

Senate Bill 57 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would have allowed California cities and counties to establish taxpayer-staffed and funded drug dens, but was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor said in his veto message that while he is a supporter of “harm reduction strategies,” he was concerned about not having “strong, engaged local leadership” and “well-documented, vetted operational and sustainability plans.”

Most of the state is combating the deadly fentanyl epidemic, while Democrats appear to be normalizing substance abuse – as long as it is done out in the open.

San Francisco has been grossly negligent leaving drug-addicted and mentally ill homeless vagrants on the streets, as have most of California’s largest cities. Yet billions of dollars have been spent on housing for homeless.

If someone broke into Mr. Gwin’s gallery, robbed and beat him, if the perp was even caught by police, he’d be back out on the streets within 24 hours.

The San Francisco Mayor, District Attorney and police chief can’t possibly be serious going after Mr. Gwin whose business was impeded by a drug addict, who harassed the owner and his customers, and pooped in his doorway. When do elected and appointed officials ever take responsibility for their policy failures?

Mr. Gwin said he repeatedly called city officials to intervene. He said he called the cops, and no one could be bothered to help out the tax paying business owner. This appears to be more of an act of desperation by a 71-year old business owner fed up with his ridiculously naked city.

San Francisco is a dumpster fire, and its elected and appointed officials are throwing fuel into the flames. Law and order is desperately needed in the chaotic seemingly lawless city.

This is textbook Marxism: Marxists create chaos, and then impose draconian policies and pass laws removing freedom and liberties of the law abiding, tax-paying citizens, while criminals roam freely.

A man on Twitter summed it up well, directing his comment to the DA: “Hundreds of dealers of illegal fentanyl are walking around within 6 blocks of city hall. Yes you waste resources on this?”