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Edit
I kinda made this post out of spite for the fact the most previous post in this community, whose title I quoted/copied, was getting so many downvotes... At the time I posted this, the previous post had about a 30% downvote rate, and it really, really made me mad.
I am relieved tho to see people in the comments here who have real, actual empathy for their fellow humans. Thank you for contributing here.
It blows my mind how normalized it is to hate on those who are struggling. Especially in 20fucking23 when so many of us now are on the verge of it ourselves. Let's be better, everyone - to everyone. I beg you.
this is entirely valid. and our kids deserve to walk to school without getting stabbed by the needles all over the place.
I think a balance needs to be found and the unhoused communities need to police their own residents; Seattle has had success with this and the tiny housing communities it's established - they give people an address to start seeking assistance for their issues, and don't tolerate violence and dangerous behaviors like leaving needles everywhere.
I don't understand the appeal of going onto the internet just to lie about a group of people who have done nothing to harm you.
I used to live in next to a homeless encampment. I used to walk by it every single day for 2 years. I have never ONCE seen a needle on the ground, day or night. You know what I did see a bunch of? People claiming that there were needles everywhere, without a single shred of evidence whatsoever.
I've lived in Northeast Seattle (near 125th) and South Seattle (othello) - seen needles at the Van Asselt community center when taking my kid to daycare. The staff had to sweep the park and wading pool daily. In Lake City, all around the Lake City mini park and what's now the skate park.
I'm an advocate for finding solutions but to disregard the reality faced by parents just trying to prevent their kids getting stuck with used needles is real man.