The New Flag of San Francisco
We have discussed San Francisco’s flag in the past. It is a flag for a city defined by fire. (BTW go read Black Fire OMG)
But just as much as fire, San Francisco is a city defined by assholes.
While the recent influx of Software-Americans has upset many, assholes have been moving into SF for the last 238 years. Spanish missionaries. American traders. Gold miners. Water lot speculators. Railroad barons. Bankers. Sailors. Prohibitionists. Anti-prohibitionists. Soldiers. Hippies. Assholes are not a new phenomenon here.
But despite this constant influx of asshatery asshattery, San Francisco has absorbed those assholes who chose to remain after their bubble burst, and the city has stayed interesting. I have faith that this pattern will repeat with the current influx, if we stay true to this advice:
…there is hope for the jerks, and framing it as a “tech” versus “anti-tech” dichotomy just sets up an “us” versus “them” dynamic that is not what’s going to turn them around. Instead, it’s a false dichotomy that turns *all* of us into jerks – and the Molotov’s situation is the perfect example. Light-heartedly calling out the jerks in their moments of jerkiness, so that they can recognize and improve their behavior, is very different from vilifying an entire industry that is made up of (mostly) good people. There have always been jerks in SF – well, at least since the Gold Rush — and there always will be. And it has always been the responsibility of good people to lead by example and not, by trying to teach the jerks a lesson, turn into jerks themselves.
I’d rather have a city that is interesting enough to attract assholes than one stagnating and in decline.
So thanks to the awesome @therealwbtc and the epic @40goingon28, and prompted by the magnificent @cjam…
https://twitter.com/TheRealWBTC/status/447103773958082560
…I hereby present the new flag for San Francisco:
Burrito Justice 
This is a great post, of course. It does however call into question how many T’s are in “asshatery”/”asshattery”. I’d vote for 2 based on analogy with, say, the Mad Hatter, but that’s just admitting I’m too lazy to look it up in the OED.
hmm, I think that’s a typo, but searching my Twitter archive an argument could be made for both depending on the message you are trying to send:
Right, asshatery is a special subset of asshattery…
LOVE! (Actually I love this blog – but I particularly love this post – and Flag)
I smell a t-shirt. Ironic or not?
pretty please
Perfect. Thank you.
I made an asshole icon, and would upload it here, if I could fig out how to do so…
I’ve always been a fan of Vonnegut’s. http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Vonnegutanus.jpg :-)
I think the banner text should be replaced with a translation of the phrase…l