Free Essay About The Life And Death Of Harvey Milk And His Contributions

People used to think that if you killed a gay person, you were doing a service to the community. In my opinion, I also agree with this statement since this is evident in the history of Milk Harvey and Dan White in Francisco. This is also apparent today as the gay practice is seen as a state of mental illness. White served as a soldier in the war Vietnam War before returning to the United States to operate as a law-enforcement officer and later as a firefighter in Francisco. White was bothered by the increasing official’s tolerance of open homosexuality and offenses. He represented mostly, the white middle-class members of the community that were opposing the spreading homosexual community of San Francisco and joined a coalition established to oppose the liberal opinions of Moscone-Mayor. In the early years, most of the psychiatrists did not look at homosexuality as a mental illness due to lack of appropriate gay association. Moscone was one of the early proponents of gay rights and managed to bring to an end a legislation that prohibits homosexuality. In addition, his first mayoral to elect a considerable number of marginal groups.
He was propelled to resign as a firefighter by the provisions of the City Charter, which prohibited individuals from holding two jobs. However, he later resigned abruptly from his seat as a board member when the Milk’s gay right bill was passed yet he had opposed it. This evidently shows that White was against the homosexual practice in Francisco and was looking for any way possible to serve the community. After meeting with Police leaders and board of realtors who swayed him to withdraw his resignation, he went to Moscone and requested for reappointment back to the governing board. Mayor Moscone accepted the request of Milks’ resignation. However, fearing that the dreams of a new liberal majority would be dashed with the white’s reappointment, Milk organized to meet Mayor Moscone and stressed to him that the reappointment would threaten the Mayor’s agenda and proposed that it may also lead to loss of followers for the Moscone in the city’s gay community a constituency that gave Moscone more votes in the previous election. Convinced by Milk’s wit, Moscone decided not to reappoint White and offered it instead to Dan Horanzey.
White on learning that somebody else has been appointed in his place, he decided to go to city hall with a loaded service revolver, headed to Moscone Office and request to see him in a private room for business talk. Whites shoot Mayor Moscone twice in his body and head. He went further to shoot Milk as he saw him as the one working behind the scene so that he is not re-appointed. Even after assassinating the two individuals in a bloody death, White’s legal team took the stand that Dan was having a long-standing and untreated depression that made him not able to differentiate between the wrong and the right. This state of depression was used to determine grounds for a successful diminished capacity, appeal convicting White of the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. This shows that to some extent, White had done service to the community, and this was the main reason as to why he was receiving favors from the Jury and the Law Court.
Harvey Milk began his life as a young person in Woodmere, New York in 1930. He was from a small middle-class Jewish family and a son of William and Minerva Milk who also worked in a family department store. Upon graduating, from New York state college in 1951, He joined the U.S. Navy and served as a diving instructor at a base in San Diego in California during the Korean War. When they were discharged in 1995, He moved to New York City, where he did various jobs, including teaching in public school. His outspoken political life evolved even further in San Francisco. He found his voice as an activist as Castro camera became a neighborhood center. He declared his contention for a position on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by 1973. He lost the election as he had little money and political experience. Milk later won the seat on the San Francisco City Board in 1997 and was inaugurated on January 1978 becoming the first gay officer frankly and the first gay individual to be elected to office in the United States. He was later shot dead by Dan White in the City Hall in 1978.
Milk's contribution to the gay community in San Francisco has left an impact till today. Even though psychiatrists still see homosexuality as a psychological disorder at this time, the liberal Moscone had been already an early supporter homosexuality removed Francisco anti-sodomy law and chose many lesbians to various top positions in San Francisco. Besides, Milk also tackled a wide variety of issues ranging from child care to housing and finally to a civilian police review board. Milk’ life became significant to the community even after his death. The U.S Navy proposed in 2016 that, they would name yet to be constructed tanker after milk to honor him. The decision was seconded by his nephew as it would encourage all men and women who serve in the nation that truthfulness and legitimacy are held up among the top ideals of the country's military. However, some people criticized the idea as they say that Milk would not have wanted such an honor, citing Milk was opposed to the Vietnam War.