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Alcatraz torn down to make way for peace center?
If you still haven't made it to San Francisco's second-most-popular attraction (the first is cable cars), you might want to start planning that vacation before long. It's possible that Alcatraz, that formidable white structure hunkered out in San Francisco Bay, might be converted into an international peace center, if voters so choose.Reuters reports that a proposition (on ballots Tuesday) comes from the director of the California-based Global Peace Foundation, who gives his name as "Da Vid." Da Vid and his supporters would like to tear the prison down and in its place erect "a medicine wheel, a labyrinth and a conference center for non-violent conflict resolution."
Although the idea sounds pretty far-fetched, Da Vid and volunteers were able to collect the 10,350 signatures needed to put the proposition on the ballot.
Gallery: San Francisco
| Get rid of it | |
|---|---|
| No way | |
| Who cares? | |
| I'm hungry |
Filed under: North America, United States, News
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 6)
Cal30M1 Feb 6th 2008 10:33PM
It went down 72% opposing the peace center and 28% supporting it.
bats Feb 6th 2008 10:35PM
peace center my butt. it's not going to change anything, and they would be stupid to give up a really good tourist attraction.
ted Feb 6th 2008 10:41PM
It shouldn't be up to any one community to change/destroy a national landmark. Is this the face of the future? Are communitys near other landmarks going to be able to change what belongs to everyone? If so does the community pay for the change or does the US foot the bill?
NAT Feb 6th 2008 10:44PM
I think it would be a shame to tear it down, I went there when I was a child and was fascintaed, I still plan on going back(if it stays open) to bring my kids there. I think it would really be an awful thing to tear it down.
Robert Laurie Feb 6th 2008 10:42PM
Tear down one of this country`s most noticable landmarks? Tear down Alcatraz? Just as stupid as when some developers wanted to turn Gettysburg into some kind of a big shopping center.I`ve been to Alcatraz 4 times in 15 years,and the history of that place,and the prison itself,should stand forever.
tom Feb 7th 2008 4:29AM
DaVid is an asshole, and so are the 10,350 morons that signed the petition. Are they all gonna hold hands and sing Kumbaya....gimme a fuckin' break! Jerks.....
gbthrone Feb 7th 2008 9:24AM
Another note on this. It was a COUNTY ballot, only in SF, not on the State-wide ballot. Anyway, there's enough ill-informed folks who will sign anything to put on a ballot. And getting 10,000 signatures to qualify anything for the ballot isn't too hard in SF.
gbthrone Feb 7th 2008 9:25AM
Oh, to the person who suggested Alcatraz be used as a military facility. Please be informed it originally was an Army Coast Artillery fort, then became an army "disciplinary barracks"...i.e., a military prison. The War Dept didn't want to keep it, so the Bureau of Prisons got it.
Ross Gonyer Feb 6th 2008 10:50PM
International Peace center??!! What a bunch of liberal whackos! Why not the world homo center? Maybe the: "lets give all of our hard earned money to illegals and lazy pieces of crap center for understanding"? Or the "lets teach homo marriage to young children in public schools so we confuse them further while they are trying to find their true sexual identity center". They are nuts if they start tearing down historical landmarks to make way for more of their gayness. If schwartzenegger wasn't such a puss he would stop this nonsense. Arnold is controlled by that skeleton he calls a wife. He's a closet Liberal.
Leo Feb 6th 2008 10:54PM
Alcatraz should be presved it has a lot of history. The US Army owned frist then it was a prison lots of people and tourist have visted that place. I say it should stay the way it is now.
Gambler Feb 6th 2008 10:51PM
TEAR IT DOWN AND BUILD A CASINO ON THE ISLAND.
J Feb 11th 2008 1:11AM
i say blow it up and build a new 1 because we need a new 1. they say we dont have room for prisoners now well we can make room and build a new alcatraz. better than ever. or rebuild it and send all death row prisoners there to wait to be put tp death. still, make it a prison would make more room.
Randy Feb 7th 2008 5:46AM
TEAR IT DOWN ?????? NO WAY !!!!!! I LIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE UNITED STATES IN VIRGINA , AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF VISITING SAN FRAN ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO , AND PLAN ON GOING BACK , AS THIS WAS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE VACATIONS , AND WE WENT TO ALCATRAZ WHILE WE WERE THERE, AND LOVED IT VERY MUCH , AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE THERE FOR US TO DO AGAIN WHEN WE GO BACK , SOME CRAZY PEOPLE GET THESE CRAZY IDEAS,,,, SHIP THIER AS_ _ ES OFF
Pamela Feb 11th 2008 1:10AM
build new prison. know matter what use it for a prison they say they never have room well there you go. blow it up make new or rebuild. and if want send all death row prisoners there till time for death. one way or the other new prison there makes room. we need it.
EDDIE R Feb 6th 2008 11:17PM
WHY WOULD YOU EVEN THINK OF TEARING DOWN A NATIONAL LANDMARK. LOT'S OF HISTORY THERE, REMEMEBER AL COPONE AND ALOT OF OTHER BAD GUYS MADE IT THERE HOME. SHOULD MAKE ALL OF US REMEMBER WHY THEY BUILT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.TO KEEP PEOPLE LIKE THAT, IN A PLACE LIKE THAT.MAYBE THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE WILL THINK OF THAT ALSO, AND NOT WANT TO VISIT AN INSTITUTION LIKE ALCATRAZ
ponytailal Feb 6th 2008 11:17PM
I believe that Alcatraz is a national icon and should be protaceted as a national historical monument. if they want a peace center tell them to swing a deal with the local native americans and buy and build on nearby angel islands. it already generates more revenue than a peace center would.
briguy925 Feb 6th 2008 11:17PM
The voters have spoken by a large majority......The Rock Stays....I don't know why AOL starts up BS with teaser stories that don't go anywhere. It was a nut group that wanted to change it, and people here in San Fransico rejected it. And for the rest of you across the country that don't like the people out here, thank you....We will stay out here, if you promise not to come visit.
rose Feb 6th 2008 11:21PM
Last time ivisited Alcatraz as a sightseer there were many people from all over the world. Alcatraz has made a name for itself. Everyone knows about it.
It's so east to get to and so interesting they make it easy with the individual headphones so you can tour it at your own pace..My boyfriend Bob and I went there and he was in his last stages of ALS... he was on a wheelchair which made no difference to the Park personnel they helped him into a tour bus with a ramp on it. What a great day we had there and so nice and cool too ..beautiful views all around the island. Many wonderful memories for me. Rose Young-Stewart
Fernando Feb 6th 2008 11:22PM
Hippies are easy targets, you don't need to lead them, much.
Historical Landmark here people. Medicine Wheel? more like a Cosmic Co*K Ring. Save Planet.
j Feb 6th 2008 11:33PM
if they tear down Alcatraz where are the ghost going to go? And if they tear it down the ghost might get mad and haunt ad do bad thing to the new building and people in side using it