I’ve been to Seattle any number of times over the past few decades, and it remains one of my favourite cities. It has suffered over the years by what ails most big cities, failing infrastructure, rising crime and homelessness. To be fair, the crime rate had been going down as it has nationwide, but the past couple of years have seen a dramatic rise after COVID and an exodus of police officers which sees the department shrinking.
The downtown area where I am is pretty badly hit by both violent crime and homeless. I don’t wander the streets at night, but I have in the past 48 hrs or so been accosted by some pretty aggressive but non violent homeless men and women. They are everywhere on the streets, wandering or sleeping in corners which is where the problem usually arises. You don’t see someone until you are almost on them, and a started reaction usually provokes a loud outburst which follows you down the street, but you hear it all the time. These people are angry, angry at you, angry at me and angry at the world. They are clearly mentally disturbed, either off their meds or on something far more lethal.
There is no easy solution, since the advent of effective drugs meant the homes and hospitals that used to care for these people have been closed - give them a handful of meds and send them on their way. Problem is no-one supervises them and they don’t take their meds. I saw a fire truck pull up in the street this afternoon, no fire, but a homeless person punched a window and cut his hand badly. The EMT’s were his source of help - bandage him up, send him on his way.
All this begs a bigger question - do we as a society owe it to those who through no fault of their own are left to wander and suffer as outcasts and should we provide them with help and shelter..? Many in government say no, let the volunteer organizations and churches show compassion, but don’t ask for money to finance it. Personally I think this is abhorrent, we are an obscenely wealthy country whose gap between the haves and have nots has opened into a yawning chasm, many of the so called middle class now find themselves living in tents and their cars while the über rich become wealthier and wealthier, retreating into their gated enclaves with armies of servants to do their bidding.
Make no mistake, I am no pitchfork wielding communist firebrand, but I am an historian, and I come from a country that has seen it all before. The middle ages in England were dominated by the rich earls and dukes, led by the the most ruthless who devised a system of heredity that would guarantee their holding power for all time. I see some very strong parallels between the former guy and Henry VIII - you can read it in the history books for yourself and make up your own mind. We are a young country and have a lot to learn before we can call ourselves civilized, but just look back to what happened in europe when the downtrodden masses finally decided enough was enough. The best gated community and private security force is no match for a determined mob, I think we saw that on January 6th 2021 as did England on the night of 5th November 1605. And don’t forget the French and Madame Guillotine..
None of this detracts from why I’m here - to see and enjoy a place I love, to photograph what I see (but not the homeless, I consider that exploitation and a violation of their privacy, of which they have precious little), and just smell the scent of pineapples, wafting in from Hawaii.. I try to write about what I see without letting my personal views intrude, that’s not what this blog is about. But sometimes….