The Blog

2020-

2020-12-16 h
BETWEEN NUSQUAMA AND UTOPIA VIII
"How did Seattle get here? Look no further than the City Council, which has aided and abetted this rising criminality by crippling the Seattle Police Department."

How Going Soft On Drugs And Crime Has Turned Seattle Into Another American Wasteland

A new documentary takes an unforgiving look at the steady decay of 'the best city in America,' exposing how Seattle’s misguided politicians have accelerated crime, addiction, and homelessness under the guise of compassion.

“Seattle no longer feels the need to stop anyone from doing anything for any reason, at any time. The most stunning city in America is dying, all right.”

So begins “The Fight for the Soul of Seattle,” a 90-minute documentary produced by KOMO News, which for years has reported on Seattle’s pervasive drug problems and associated perils. The local news station, which premiered the feature last weekend, produced a similarly themed broadcast entitled “Seattle is Dying” last year that received more than 10 million views and several regional film awards.

Over the last 10 years, Seattle has experienced a dramatic increase in crime tied to rampant addiction and homelessness. For example, the Seattle Police Department reported a 50 percent increase in calls related to life-threatening emergencies, assault, and burglary, as well as an 80 percent increase in calls for domestic violence. In 2020 alone, the murder rate was double the average of the past decade.

Through investigative reporting that mixes in testimony from citizens, city officials, and even addicts, the film lays out its central thesis: There exists a “philosophical divide” when it comes to governing Seattle, with city leaders on one side and failed citizens on the other. Unless these politicians change course and shift from their misguided compassion to real solutions, these epidemics will escalate and ultimately destroy the Emerald City.

CHAZ: A Symbol of Seattle’s Decay

Perhaps the most significant demonstration of Seattle’s stark divide was in the city’s response to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, also known as CHAZ or CHOP, a six-block stretch that was overtaken and declared independent by local activists amid this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests. In a move that garnered national attention, the City of Seattle instructed police to cede control of the area, which included a police precinct as well as homes, businesses, and citizens suddenly left to fend for themselves.

City officials outwardly touted the zone as a quaint block party where people sang around bonfires and distributed free kebabs. Mayor Jenny Durkan suggested CHAZ would bring about a “summer of love,” and city councilmembers cheered with celebratory selfies.

Those grounded in reality, however, recognized the truth: The zone bred lawlessness and violence. “In eight days, there were five shootings in the CHOP area, with six victims,” KOMO reported. “There was a rape and various assaults and beatings and buildings set on fire.”

Still, the city refused to step in until it was too late. On June 20, 19-year-old Lorenzo Anderson was shot and killed. Police couldn’t clear the area, and first responders were too late. A week later, 16-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. was killed. Police did not arrive until five hours after the shooting.

Even after the zone’s dissolution, violence and protests have continued largely unabated. In August, activists tried to cement shut a police precinct and set it ablaze with the express intent of trapping officers inside to die. Looting and rioting have all but destroyed the city’s retail core, contributing to the closures of more than 140 businesses, from big-name department stores such as Macy’s and Columbia to iconic local businesses such as Bergman Luggage and Zanadu comics.

... The events of this year have brought to the fore Seattle’s preeminent failing: It has mistaken nonintervention for compassion and has tolerated addiction, crime, and homelessness to the point of cruelty. As former addict Ginny Burton warns, leaving addicts unsupported and expecting them to make rational choices for themselves is its own form of insanity. “As a society,” she says, “we’re loving people to death.”

... The fight for the soul of Seattle, it seems, is not between left and right, nor between the government and the people. It is between those who prefer to look away and those who see this crisis for what it is. (read more)

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