3 ms·

> There are entire parts of my city (parks, downtown) I can’t even visit because of the homeless. Maybe someone who falls on hard times doesn’t deserve jail tim

> There are entire parts of my city (parks, downtown) I can’t even visit because of the homeless. Maybe someone who falls on hard times doesn’t deserve jail time but if you steal or break any other laws you need to face the music, just like everyone else. > The homeless deserve dignity and respect but so do the rest of us, I feel like that has been forgotten. How mulmen isn't getting dignity and respect: he's afraid to visit parts of his city (parks, downtown). How homeless people aren't getting dignity and respect: sleeping outside in the very places mulmen is afraid to visit, having to beg for food. To be honest, even if anyone had forgotten about how inconvenient homelessness is for those who live in homes and don't have to go near areas with homeless, I'd be pretty okay with us forgetting that.

mulmen 7y ago
The “areas mulmen is afraid to go” include my daily commute and bus stops. They are very much places I visit frequently. Even if they were not places I frequently visit it would still not be acceptable. The current state of homelessness in Seattle sucks for everyone. Regular citizens of the city are rightfully getting fed up by the lack of progress. That’s important because the only way we can solve it is with the support of the public. Attacking me isn’t doing anything to help. We have law-abiding citizens getting stabbed walking down the street. Trash, human waste and used needles litter parks and public spaces. It’s not a safe place to be and that is not acceptable.
- kerkeslager 7y ago
  > The current state of homelessness in Seattle sucks for everyone. Regular citizens of the city are rightfully getting fed up by the lack of progress. That’s important because the only way we can solve it is with the support of the public. Attacking me isn’t doing anything to help. Okay, yes, we need the support of the public. But if we get the support of the public by appealing to the self-centered fear of people who live in homes, you get more of the solutions we already have: put spikes on the stoops and make benches impossible to sleep on, send cops around to wake people up every 30 minutes, etc. People haven't forgotten about your fear: that's all they care about. That's why they've driven all the homeless into a few select areas which are now scary and dangerous: so you don't have to be afraid, because you don't have to go there. Solving that last little bit of the homelessness problem will never be a priority because the fact that you want to go somewhere you don't have to go but can't because you're afraid just isn't a real problem. And if someone does decide it's a real problem, they can always just deport the homeless to another state[1]. The solution to homelessness is homes. No counseling, rehab, or drug treatment is going to reliably cure someone's mental illness while their basic physical needs aren't met. And giving homes to the homeless is an expensive solution that isn't going to be palatable to people unless they can muster a bit of compassion for the homeless. Because if all you're trying to do is create a safe space for people with homes to walk around, sweeping the homeless under the rug is a "good enough" solution. [1] https://www.nbcsandiego.com/investigations/Nevada-Settles-Homeless-Dumping-Lawsuit-369736411.html https://www.nbcsandiego.com/investigations/Nevada-Settles-Ho...
  - mulmen 7y ago
    The homeless are not driven to a few small areas, I already explained that. I’m also not advocating for doing that, please stop insinuating that I am. The homelessness problem in Seattle is very much something I see in person every day all over the city. You may not understand the nature of Seattle homelessness from New York or from a newspaper article from San Diego. Housing the homeless is an important step and is something Seattle continues to try and do. The problems we face have more to do with the optional nature of rehabilitation and lack of social services that allow people to become homeless to begin with.
    - lazyasciiart 7y ago
      I live in Seattle and I think you're wildly exaggerating to the point where you are sharing an inaccurate story.
- kerkeslager 7y ago
  > Attacking me isn’t doing anything to help. Responding to just this: you're the one who sees people sleeping in the streets and decided to make it about you. Highlighting the incredible disparity between your problems and homeless people's problems isn't intended as an attack on you (although it is also that), it's an attack on your argument.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]

mulmen 7y ago

The “areas mulmen is afraid to go” include my daily commute and bus stops. They are very much places I visit frequently. Even if they were not places I frequently visit it would still not be acceptable. The current state of homelessness in Seattle sucks for everyone. Regular citizens of the city are rightfully getting fed up by the lack of progress. That’s important because the only way we can solve it is with the support of the public. Attacking me isn’t doing anything to help. We have law-abiding citizens getting stabbed walking down the street. Trash, human waste and used needles litter parks and public spaces. It’s not a safe place to be and that is not acceptable.

kerkeslager 7y ago
> The current state of homelessness in Seattle sucks for everyone. Regular citizens of the city are rightfully getting fed up by the lack of progress. That’s important because the only way we can solve it is with the support of the public. Attacking me isn’t doing anything to help. Okay, yes, we need the support of the public. But if we get the support of the public by appealing to the self-centered fear of people who live in homes, you get more of the solutions we already have: put spikes on the stoops and make benches impossible to sleep on, send cops around to wake people up every 30 minutes, etc. People haven't forgotten about your fear: that's all they care about. That's why they've driven all the homeless into a few select areas which are now scary and dangerous: so you don't have to be afraid, because you don't have to go there. Solving that last little bit of the homelessness problem will never be a priority because the fact that you want to go somewhere you don't have to go but can't because you're afraid just isn't a real problem. And if someone does decide it's a real problem, they can always just deport the homeless to another state[1]. The solution to homelessness is homes. No counseling, rehab, or drug treatment is going to reliably cure someone's mental illness while their basic physical needs aren't met. And giving homes to the homeless is an expensive solution that isn't going to be palatable to people unless they can muster a bit of compassion for the homeless. Because if all you're trying to do is create a safe space for people with homes to walk around, sweeping the homeless under the rug is a "good enough" solution. [1] https://www.nbcsandiego.com/investigations/Nevada-Settles-Homeless-Dumping-Lawsuit-369736411.html https://www.nbcsandiego.com/investigations/Nevada-Settles-Ho...
- mulmen 7y ago
  The homeless are not driven to a few small areas, I already explained that. I’m also not advocating for doing that, please stop insinuating that I am. The homelessness problem in Seattle is very much something I see in person every day all over the city. You may not understand the nature of Seattle homelessness from New York or from a newspaper article from San Diego. Housing the homeless is an important step and is something Seattle continues to try and do. The problems we face have more to do with the optional nature of rehabilitation and lack of social services that allow people to become homeless to begin with.
  - lazyasciiart 7y ago
    I live in Seattle and I think you're wildly exaggerating to the point where you are sharing an inaccurate story.
kerkeslager 7y ago
> Attacking me isn’t doing anything to help. Responding to just this: you're the one who sees people sleeping in the streets and decided to make it about you. Highlighting the incredible disparity between your problems and homeless people's problems isn't intended as an attack on you (although it is also that), it's an attack on your argument.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]