(3/13) Harvey Milk's Political Will
As is mentioned in the play, Harvey Milk recorded a political will in the event of his assassination. This video contains an excerpt of Milk's will set to close up photos of the suit he was wearing the day he was shot
(3/6) Diminished Capacity vs. Insanity (in response to Ronny)
Ronny's post this week talked about the legal presence of "diminished capacity" and "reason of insanity." The difference between these two is very important. "Diminished capacity" is pleading to a lesser crime, whereas "reason of insanity" is the equivalent of pleading "not guilty." Because of his mental state, John Hinkley Jr. was deemed to not be guilty of his crime. Dan White was found to be guilty of a lesser crime because of his mental state.
"diminished capacity" and "reason of insanity" are still controversial defenses. In fact, many jurisdictions no longer accept a "diminished capacity" defense, including the state of California, which abolished the defense in 1982 due to an overwhelming majority vote. Go here for more info
(2/28) Being Gay in 1970s San Francisco
In 1976, ABC7 in San Franisco produced a 3 part news special on the gay community in the city. This special talks about The Castro, gay relationship dynamics, coming out of the closet, and other facets of gay life. While some of the content may feel dated in 2020, the special takes a non-biased stance on the gay community and exposes the audience to real gay people (Including Harvey Milk!) and their stories.
(2/21) How Was Execution of Justice Received?
Since it opened in the 80s, productions of this play have gone on under different cultural contexts. These three links are to reviews to 3 productions. The first reviews the original production, the second talks about the 2007 revival in Chicago, and the last discusses a British production from 2012
(2/7) Dianne Feinstein
Diane Feinstein was the president of the San Francisco board of supervisors at the time of Moscone and Milk's deaths. She was appointed mayor after Moscone, making her the first woman to be San Francisco's mayor. Since 1992, she has been a U.S. senator representing California. She is now 86, making her the oldest sitting U.S. senator.
In this video, Diane reflects on her experience on the day of the assassinations and how this event influenced her career.