We're in San Francisco, again.
With flowers in our hair, we will discover this wonderful city, with all its aspects.Politically there is much to say about San Franisco: Since the 1960’s, the Summer Of Love, the city has become the liberal center of the United States and a stronghold of the Democratic Party.
The rather left-wing-orientated political attitudes are also reflected in an outstanding law, which is still discussed, which says, that the carrying, possessing and selling of handguns within the city area should be prohibited.
What has happened to the “City of Love”, which San Francisco had been during the flower-power time? Think about Robin Wright’s poster from the summer of love: Flowers coming out of the barrels of the gun.
The people of San Fran are very active: They supported actor Richard Gere during the Tibet conflict, when he was organizing a protest march against the Olympic Torch Run, when the torch was carried through San Francisco. The city was also a big focus of the demonstration marches against the war in Iraq. The up-coming elections are a big issue in the city. Many signs can be seen in the windows of the city apartments saying "Ron Paul" or "Change" and "McCain and Palin" - support with metropolitan charm. You can see joggers running through the city and through the parks, wearing T-Shirts with Obama's face on it or just saying "John for President". This city is political, of course. There are many stories to tell.
Here is the hotel's security man - Samuel, 45 years old, originally from Tuxpan in Mexico, he came to America 20 years ago. Sam has got a little pin on his jacket, which looks like the American flag, he speaks with an strong accent, when he tells me about his disappointment. Sam loves the United States: "It is the best country I could imagine!", but there is one thing, which is really bad for him: Sam is not allowed to vote. Sam has no American citizenship and even if he is living in the United States, his questions was never passed and he never got an American passport. He has been expelled from the country several times, but Sam always came back. Legal and illegal. A marriage with an American woman? Sam laughs: "No, this is not as easy as it sounds. And I do not want to be a criminal!"
Obama would be his choice. "He has charism. Sometimes, when I come home from the hotel, I watch his speeches on TV. When I look in his face I see the hope, that I lost many years ago. He talks about change - and I would vote for him, to be a part of the change, that he will bring as the American President.
"Barack Obama speaks a lot about integration programs and helping immigrants to integrate in the US. A chance for Sam? "America needs an multi-cultural president. The United States are a melting pot of cultures. Our president needs to have experiences, not only theoretically."
Sam does not want to tell much about his past, his story, why he left Mexico. He has no family in America, no wife. He has got two jobs: From 10 am until 17 pm he works in a supermarket in downtown San Francisco, and in the evening from 9 pm until 1.30 am he works as a security man for the hotel. "I got this job over a friend. He works as a doorman in another hotel."
Sam sits in the chair in the little "lobby", a room with a computer and ragtaged chairs and couches. Mirrors are on the walls to make the room look bigger. The carpet had been orange, years ago, now it is a dirty brown, with scuffed ornaments. The hotel clerk is in a back room, a Chinese TV program is playing. Sam sits in the chair, the baseball cap covers half of his face - his eyes are closed, the head sinks deep on his chest. He sleeps. Until the clerk knocks loudly with a ruler on the counter of the reception: "Wake up!", he yells. Sam opens his eyes and rises from his chair - cumbersomely, tired. He will start his next walk around the hotel. He will look if everything is okay. Sam has got a job to do. In a country which belongs to him, but which is not willing to give a hard-working man a citizenship. "I will keep my fingers crossed for Obama - I hope he will win the elections, even if I cannot give him my vote."
With flowers in our hair, we will discover this wonderful city, with all its aspects.Politically there is much to say about San Franisco: Since the 1960’s, the Summer Of Love, the city has become the liberal center of the United States and a stronghold of the Democratic Party.
The rather left-wing-orientated political attitudes are also reflected in an outstanding law, which is still discussed, which says, that the carrying, possessing and selling of handguns within the city area should be prohibited.
What has happened to the “City of Love”, which San Francisco had been during the flower-power time? Think about Robin Wright’s poster from the summer of love: Flowers coming out of the barrels of the gun.
The people of San Fran are very active: They supported actor Richard Gere during the Tibet conflict, when he was organizing a protest march against the Olympic Torch Run, when the torch was carried through San Francisco. The city was also a big focus of the demonstration marches against the war in Iraq. The up-coming elections are a big issue in the city. Many signs can be seen in the windows of the city apartments saying "Ron Paul" or "Change" and "McCain and Palin" - support with metropolitan charm. You can see joggers running through the city and through the parks, wearing T-Shirts with Obama's face on it or just saying "John for President". This city is political, of course. There are many stories to tell.
Here is the hotel's security man - Samuel, 45 years old, originally from Tuxpan in Mexico, he came to America 20 years ago. Sam has got a little pin on his jacket, which looks like the American flag, he speaks with an strong accent, when he tells me about his disappointment. Sam loves the United States: "It is the best country I could imagine!", but there is one thing, which is really bad for him: Sam is not allowed to vote. Sam has no American citizenship and even if he is living in the United States, his questions was never passed and he never got an American passport. He has been expelled from the country several times, but Sam always came back. Legal and illegal. A marriage with an American woman? Sam laughs: "No, this is not as easy as it sounds. And I do not want to be a criminal!"
Obama would be his choice. "He has charism. Sometimes, when I come home from the hotel, I watch his speeches on TV. When I look in his face I see the hope, that I lost many years ago. He talks about change - and I would vote for him, to be a part of the change, that he will bring as the American President.
"Barack Obama speaks a lot about integration programs and helping immigrants to integrate in the US. A chance for Sam? "America needs an multi-cultural president. The United States are a melting pot of cultures. Our president needs to have experiences, not only theoretically."
Sam does not want to tell much about his past, his story, why he left Mexico. He has no family in America, no wife. He has got two jobs: From 10 am until 17 pm he works in a supermarket in downtown San Francisco, and in the evening from 9 pm until 1.30 am he works as a security man for the hotel. "I got this job over a friend. He works as a doorman in another hotel."
Sam sits in the chair in the little "lobby", a room with a computer and ragtaged chairs and couches. Mirrors are on the walls to make the room look bigger. The carpet had been orange, years ago, now it is a dirty brown, with scuffed ornaments. The hotel clerk is in a back room, a Chinese TV program is playing. Sam sits in the chair, the baseball cap covers half of his face - his eyes are closed, the head sinks deep on his chest. He sleeps. Until the clerk knocks loudly with a ruler on the counter of the reception: "Wake up!", he yells. Sam opens his eyes and rises from his chair - cumbersomely, tired. He will start his next walk around the hotel. He will look if everything is okay. Sam has got a job to do. In a country which belongs to him, but which is not willing to give a hard-working man a citizenship. "I will keep my fingers crossed for Obama - I hope he will win the elections, even if I cannot give him my vote."
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