Homeless in Seattle
This is my first post tackling something not rosy about travel. Many places I go, including my home city, have people who are who are homeless. Sometimes it's subtle, other times, you can't miss it.
Shortly after I arrived in Seattle, I saw the tents. I was in the cab heading into town from their airport, and my first thought was "that's kind of a strange place to go camping." However, it quickly became apparent that what I was seeing was row after row of a tent city. While I was glad people had decent tents for shelter, I was also surprised and depressed. There were just .... so many.....! Or perhaps in this case it was more in the open and easier to see.
Downtown that weekend, I saw a panhandler get treated rudely by a more affluent resident, and I felt bad for the panhandler. By the end of the weekend, I must admit I felt some of that rudeness toward panhandlers on every corner myself. I felt like I couldn't walk one block without being asked for something or sometimes mumbled or shouted at. And then I felt guilty for feeling that way.
It's a tough issue. How is it that we as a country haven't figured out how to solve this? I found this article at the end of the trip for some additional context: Article about Seattle homelessness.
Shortly after I arrived in Seattle, I saw the tents. I was in the cab heading into town from their airport, and my first thought was "that's kind of a strange place to go camping." However, it quickly became apparent that what I was seeing was row after row of a tent city. While I was glad people had decent tents for shelter, I was also surprised and depressed. There were just .... so many.....! Or perhaps in this case it was more in the open and easier to see.
Downtown that weekend, I saw a panhandler get treated rudely by a more affluent resident, and I felt bad for the panhandler. By the end of the weekend, I must admit I felt some of that rudeness toward panhandlers on every corner myself. I felt like I couldn't walk one block without being asked for something or sometimes mumbled or shouted at. And then I felt guilty for feeling that way.
It's a tough issue. How is it that we as a country haven't figured out how to solve this? I found this article at the end of the trip for some additional context: Article about Seattle homelessness.
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