Take a lesson from Seattle

If a picture truly is worth a thousand words, then one needs only to see the recent broadcast special, “Seattle Is Dying.” The film speaks volumes about the outrageous blight that has settled on our state’s Emerald City. The visual depiction of depravity brought about by drug-driven homelessness, is heartbreaking and appalling.

To dismiss the piece for what it does not address — issues of income inequality, unaffordable housing, inadequate health care or mental health treatment, substance abuse, and addiction — is to miss the point. This powerful presentation has its own message: when policing authority is stripped away, when the criminal justice system is ineffective, when businesses are threatened or forced to close, when civic leaders demonstrate a lack of political will to take necessary action, then property crimes increase, disgraceful behavior perpetuates, and the abhorrent filth mounts.

As Spokane’s leaders move ahead in an effort to find reasonable solutions to the homeless problem, let’s hope that the profound reality portrayed in this film inspires prompt and effective actions.

Donna Fender

Spokane