Think globally, act locally has taken on new meaning as we face the dictatorial governments in China, the Middle East and South America.

The ugly reality is that when we rely heavily on other members of the “global village” for commodities such as food, manufactured products and energy, we are confronted with being complicit with their internal policies when we purchase their goods. Moreover, by doing so we further our dependence on these countries, which compromises our ability to take moral stands on issues such as Tibet and China.

A country with the economic engine and the population that China possesses is not going to be persuaded to change their behavior by simple street protests. On the other hand, if the United States chooses to take a substantive stand on Tibet and withdraws from or otherwise mitigates its participation in the Olympics, it will result in our alienating and humiliating not only a “most favored nation” trading partner, but also the country that holds the key to keeping “rouge states” such as North Korea in line. Take a look at the manufacturer tag on any product in your house, then ask yourself if the trade agreements we are signing are doing us any good on the world stage.

Matt Mitguard

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San Francisco

In poverty? Sell the house

San Francisco letter-writer and landlord Don Gibbs asks the question: “What about the seniors such as me, age 76, who sacrificed and saved thinking my five-unit building would eventually save me from poverty?” (“Rent control burden on seniors,” letters, April 9). If Gibbs wanted to, he could sell his five-unit building and probably get at least $1 million (or more!). Will that keep you out of poverty, sir? Just wondering.

Joe Mac

San Francisco

Audit S.F. use of feds’ funds

Re: “District attorney works to keep $5.4M in border-related grants,” The Examiner, April 8.

Something just doesn’t compute here. San Francisco, a self-professed sanctuary city, the District Attorney’s Office clamoring for more monies to fight crime, and the unaccounted for millions of dollars for border-related crimes appear very suspicious. Kamala Harris, where did your office spend the monies? An independent audit is necessary to determine if there was fraud. Certainly, the DA’s Office cannot be counted on to do an impartial review.

Robert A. Jung

San Francisco

Metro a unique treasure

Thanks to Ken Garcia for his article on the Metro Theatre (“The show may not go on at S.F.’s Metro,” April 8). San Francisco can’t afford to lose another historic theater such as the Metro — particularly not when there’s a buyer who wants to preserve it.

I am supporting efforts to save the beautiful Metro Theater. The Metro is one of the best and last remaining neighborhood movie theaters in San Francisco and an important attraction for the Union Street neighborhood commercial district, and it is a significant historic resource designed by prominent architects the Reid Brothers. The Metro is also a critical cultural resource — home of the original Film Festival in 1957 — that provides affordable and accessible neighborhood entertainment for all San Franciscans. The 1941 murals in the Metro’s interior are the work of Anthony Heinsbergen, considered the foremost designer of North American movie theater interiors and are in mint condition due to a 1998 renovation.

Thank you for bringing attention to the Metro’s plight.

Gregory Chiampou

San Francisco

Union Street’s Metro Theatre is one of San Francisco’s last great neighborhood theaters and it must be preserved. Neighborhood theatres such as the Metro help to establish the unique character of our neighborhoods, and they’re important civic landmarks that serve as popular community gathering places. San Francisco should know better than to destroy an important civic landmark in favor of generic retail concepts such as gyms and juice bars that are already present or planned for Union Street.

Katherine North

San Francisco

Save UC Hall at UCSF

Re: April 7 article on $38 million grant to fund UCSF Stem Cell Research Facility (“State advised to grant UCSF $38M, The Examiner, April 7).

While I am not opposed to building this stem cell research institute, I am greatly concerned about the fate of the beautiful old UC Hall, whose proposed demolition is continually mentioned in all the UCSF Planning Department reports related to this project. UC Hall is not located anywhere near the proposed construction site, and it is not clear why its demolition is involved in these plans. Destroying this building that has graced Parnassus Heights since 1917 would mean the loss of a cultural and aesthetic resource for the university, the neighborhood and The City.

Chirstin M. Creighton

UCSF Department of Pathology

San Francisco