In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

Post by rdtwo » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 6:44 PM UTC

downandout wrote: post #146

just_lurkin wrote: post #17

The reporters designation of "figured out" seems to stem more from the fact that the solution fits his own view than any actual real evidence. There is mention of the difficulties such lax policies has brought to the city, but they are waved away as being "growing pains" toward a new utopia. I can't say, living here, that I feel that the problem is solved. I view the needles outside my apartment as evidence to the co…

Eventually a junkie will commit a serious crime against one of the tech luminaries that live in and around Seattle. I’m guessing that the lax enforcement environment will be gone within about a day of that incident. Seattle is playing with fire here. I wouldn’t set foot in a city where hard drug use is tolerated, and seemingly celebrated, by many of the people that live there. Junkies will do whatever is necessary to…

Post by derefr » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 6:45 PM UTC

UnpossibleJim wrote: post #120

asdfgasd wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you offer an alternative solution then? Throwing the homeless people in jail is ineffective and immoral. If your solution is drug treatment programs, great, but then don't argue against raising taxes to pay for them.

Seattle loves to pass new taxes that are "supposed" to go towards certain things (and do for a year or two), but then end up in a general fund. Just like the tobacco tax, the alcohol tax and the marijuana tax. These were all supposed to go towards roads and schools, at one point and, yet didn't.

Post by crawfordcomeaux » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 6:46 PM UTC

nostrebored wrote: post #107

crawfordcomeaux wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hiding the world from our children instead of letting them see how awful the adults have made it is dishonest, at best. I prefer to teach kids how to find compassion for people in such situations.

This might break the hacker news civility rules, but fuck this. Heroin has torn my family apart, resulted in multiple deaths (some of entirely unrelated people), and ruined my childhood. These people aren't pity props in some sort of fucked up game, they're humans and they're hurting themselves.

Post by chrisdhoover » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 6:47 PM UTC

allana wrote: post #164

notadoc wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's certainly not just Seattle either, the large-scale homeless/junky situation describes basically every west coast city. There's obviously a much deeper problem.

The severe wealth stratification that has occurred over the last few decades has left the majority of Americans facing a grim future of low earnings and unstable employment. Its easy to see how that would make many people depressed and lead to a cycle of addiction to escape this crappy reality.

Post by fzeroracer » Fri, Aug 23, 2019, 6:47 PM UTC

CPLX wrote: post #98

empath75 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When people say things like this, I do have to wonder if they've ever lived in a city before. Seattle's crime rate, like most American cities, has been steadily declining since the 1980s. There is just a certain amount of crime and drug use that will always exist in the big city. No amount of 'tough on crime' policing will make it go away.

When people write responses like this I wonder if they’ve ever been to New York City. We don’t really have comparable problems. For me visiting LA, SF or Seattle is jaw dropping. I totally reject this idea that these situations are just inevitable.