California Conservative

There’s a large, granite, bank-looking building down at the end of Columbus Ave. here in San Francisco, which has been home to the Scientologists for several years. I’ve always regarded it a curiosity, as I have no trouble politely waving off people with fliers or sales pitches.

Upon this edifice, however, the San Francisco supervisors continue to demonstrate that ours is a tolerant city, just so long as you’re not different:

The Church of Scientology and other religious groups would be banned from buying a historic San Francisco building in the heart of the city’s North Beach neighborhood under a proposed city ordinance. [...]

[Board of Supervisors President Aaron] Peskin said he sponsored the measure after fielding complaints from neighbors and merchants concerned the church would aggressively peddle religious materials and disrupt the neighborhood’s easy-going ways.

But the measure is not intended to single out the Church of Scientology, he said.

“This legislation is intended to ensure the existing types of uses that have been in the Colombo Building for 100 years,” he said.

My understanding of the Constitution is that all of us have a right to freely practice religion, even if, gasp, it’s not the same as everyone else’s. Let’s look at Mr. Peskin’s two arguments here:

Reason 1: He (or the “neighbors”) are “concerned the church would aggressively peddle religious materials and disrupt the neighborhood’s easy-going ways”.

“Would”? They’ve been there for years. Why the sudden concern? Sounds a bit like guilty until proven innocent. More to the point, if the problem is aggressive peddling, then pass an ordinance against that.

(“Peddling”, by the way, is remarkably similar to “speech”)

Reason 2: “This legislation is intended to ensure the existing types of uses that have been in the Colombo Building for 100 years”. Apparently, it is city policy that building use must not change. For the love of John Travolta, don’t put a museum in there! Or a café! Because, you know, they haven’t been in that building before.

Let’s sum it up. The city is concerned about aggressive peddling in or around the Columbo building, which they want to make sure is used in traditional ways just so long as it’s not a church. Rest assured, though, it’s not about the Scientologists!

Your humble scribe is not a religious person by any stretch, though I still am recovering from a minor in Philosophy. I would like to think I represent the San Francisco which is tolerant enough to allow our generally benevolent neighbors to differ.

Imagine if this building were being used as a synagogue or a mosque. Think Mr. Peskin would magically find some tolerance?

Cross-posted at The Only Republican in San Francisco

Publisher’s note: We’ve always argued that liberal “tolerance” is reserved only for those who agree with them. In San Francisco, it’s more like city policy.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 10th, 2006 at 12:53 am and is filed under Culture, Liberals, Religion, San Francisco. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.