Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the memory of two
of San Francisco's great and most beloved heroes.
A quarter century ago, on November 27, 1978, two of San Francisco's
best and brightest were assassinated in a dark week for our city.
Still reeling from the Jonestown Massacre only days before--the worst
mass murder-suicide in American history and the murder of Bay Area
Congressman Leo Ryan--San Francisco was dealt a catastrophic blow.
Politically and personally it was a horrific tragedy. San Francisco
lost two great progressive leaders, two champions of human rights.
George Moscone, our beloved Mayor, was a hero of the poor and the
working class. A native San Franciscan, civil rights leader, State
Assemblyman, State Senator, and Mayor, he devoted his life to serve his
City of San Francisco, and his State of California. The devoted husband
of Gina Moscone and father of four beautiful children, Jennifer, Rebecca, Jonathan and Christopher, he was taken from us in the prime of his life.
Harvey Milk, originally from New York, was a local merchant, the
owner of a camera shop. As a member of the San Francisco Board of
Supervisors, he was the first openly gay elected official in
California, and only the second in the nation. He was a neighborhood
leader and a passionate advocate for seniors and all minorities.
Both men were exuberant, expansive, compassionate, and enormously
popular political leaders. They were visionaries.
George Moscone and Harvey Milk instigated a historic transformation
of San Francisco political life, pioneering an open, participatory
government, accessible to all, especially those who never before had
been included. For the first time neighborhood and ethnic community
activists, and openly gay men and lesbians were appointed to positions
of power and authority. The number of women in leadership positions
expanded dramatically. No longer were public policy decisions the
exclusive province of the wealthy and powerful.
George and Harvey transformed the political and social culture of San
Francisco for all time. They were beacons of hope to people who had
felt alienated from and neglected by City Hall. They incubated a new
generation of talented public servants, who have gone on to secure San
Francisco's position today as a national model of enlightenment and
progressive values.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of the tragic events of November 27, 1978 gives San Franciscans an opportunity to reflect on the unique contributions George Moscone and Harvey Milk made to bettering the lives of us all. These extraordinary men continue to inspire us as we strive for a society that provides unlimited and equal opportunities for all our diverse citizens.
We never will forget George Moscone and Harvey Milk. We are grateful
for their lives, and we honor their immeasurable contributions to our
city, our state and our nation.