Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Is Seattle Racist???
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
June 23, 2008 at 7:04 pm #587271
AnonymousInactiveAt Houses request, I started a new thread, as it seems this topic is interesting to people.
In response to Kayleigh – I am stunned that we have both been bothered by the same thing!
What I found alarming was in the post (under “Full Tilt” thread) where is was assumed that because someone was told NOT to move to a certain area of WS, it was immediately assumed that everyone who doesn’t live in that particular area (WC) is racist.
I find it extremely ignorant and irresponsible to say that everyone in Seattle is afraid of a neighborhood simply because of the color of the people there.
I agree, Kayleigh, I think the bothersome issue for most people is the high crime rate, not skin color. To turn this into a racist issue is offensive.
June 23, 2008 at 7:31 pm #628377
KayleighMemberApparently so, NewRes.
It rubbed me wrong. Maybe I am just cranky. Maybe I just need some Full Tilt Swiss Chocolate Ice Cream and a nap. ;-)
June 23, 2008 at 7:36 pm #628378
TheHouseMemberI don’t know. I’ve never met Seattle and spoke to him or her.
June 23, 2008 at 7:48 pm #628379
KenParticipantPerhaps you should make clear what you are talking about? I don’t read every thread, but I am pretty well acquainted with racism.
Concerning racism in general..
Here is a quote that I find illustrative.
J.C. Watts, a former congressman, African-American, and a Republican, inspired this comment from his father:
“A Black man voting for the Republicans is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders”
June 23, 2008 at 7:49 pm #628380
TrickParticipantRecently I noticed a pattern of all the crime in the Admiral Area (burgalaries mostly) and did not hear one comment suggesting people are afraid to live in Admiral.
Just my observation, make it as you wish.
June 23, 2008 at 8:00 pm #628381
charlabobParticipantI am so angry, I can barely type. Once again, we’re being told what we think (that everyone in Seattle is afraid of WC because of the color of the people). Once again, we’re being castigated and called Offensive, ignorant, and irresponsible. Make up a straw man, and dare anyone to disagree with the “analysis.”
Nobody said everyone who doesn’t live in WC is racist!!! Nobody!
I notice no one did respond to the posting of the actual crime statistics, in which WC is smack in the middle.
Does anyone else see a pattern developing here?
June 23, 2008 at 8:07 pm #628382
hopeyParticipantcharlabob, funny but I was just working up links to the crime stats as you posted. It’s not easy to compare because you need to use both the King County Sheriff site as well as the City of Seattle site.
According to the King County Sheriff’s 2007 Annual Report, White Center (defined as King County precinct 4, patrol district K1) had a total of 696 Part I crimes. For the entire precinct, Part I crimes went down 11% from 2006 to 2007.
This is the same crime density ranking (508-1011 Part I crimes) as Westwood and the Junction… and lower crime density than Fremont, Ballard, South Lake Union, Northgate, First Hill, Judkins Park, Central District; and significantly lower than UDistrict, Capitol Hill, Interbay and downtown.
King County Sheriff 2007 Annual Report, see page 27 of 67 for Precinct 4 info: http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff/CrimeStats/~/media/safety/sheriff/documents/StatReports/KingCounty/KingCoAnnual2007.ashx
City of Seattle statistical map: http://web1.seattle.gov/seastats/doStatistics.aspx
You can check current statistics for KC Precinct 4 Patrol District K1 here: http://www.metrokc.gov/CrimeStats/WebDistricts.aspx?Ty=D&id=K1&sDate=5/1/2008&eDate=5/31/2008
June 23, 2008 at 8:15 pm #628383
AnonymousInactiveCrime statistics show WC has a medium level of crime, not middle. It also shows the Junction as being medium. So technically, in all of West Seattle, the Junction has the highest crime rate. WC not being officially in WS.
So that begs the question, why is the Junction thought of as the most family friendly destination in WS, and WC is considered scary by some.
June 23, 2008 at 8:16 pm #628384
TrickParticipantJune 23, 2008 at 8:23 pm #628385
AnonymousInactiveIf this thread offends anyone, I apologize.
It was requested that the debate, becoming more and more heated, be moved to it’s own thread.
The whole issue, for me anyways, came about with post #44 in the “Full Tilt Ice Cream” thread.
Within that post is the accusation that because you do not live, or wish to live in WC, or because you do not hang out there, it is solely because of the color of people’s skin. I believe the post ends with, “People are afraid of this neighborhood because not every face is white.”
If that isn’t jumping a huge leap of assumption, I don’t know what is.
charla – I, too, don’t like being told what I think and don’t think, that is why I spoke up about it.
Ken – By posting mostly quotes, you enable your points to be vague. Are you implying that all Republican’s are racist?
You can search every statistic on record to find the exact crime rate and how it compares to the rest of Seattle, Detroit, Chicago, etc.. It doesn’t matter. The feel of the neighborhood and what one personally feels there (as far as comfort level) is what matters, as Kayleigh so eloquently tried to explain.
The subject of race never came up in this discussion until someone (or some people) started using that as the *reason* for people having concerns with the area.
June 23, 2008 at 8:24 pm #628386
inactiveMemberWell, JT and Trick. I must say you’ve made me recall the big story from the WSB front page a few weeks back about Husky Deli Jack pursuing and chasing a thief from his parking lot in broad daylight. Had kind of forgotten about that already. Hmmm.
June 23, 2008 at 8:26 pm #628387
vincentMemberyes, but its OK because they are so nice about it.
June 23, 2008 at 8:30 pm #628388
JanSParticipantWhat? We have crime up here in the Admiral District? No way, I can’t believe that (firmly inserting tongue in cheek). Actually, I’ve been paying a lot of attention to it lately, and yes, it is happening.And I think it’s the age of the “perp” that alarms me the most…seems to be young people who have too much time on their hands? Just my impression…
so, does that make me a child hater? well, maybe a disliker? lol..no..only certain ones..
NR…I refuse to believe that Seattlites are anymore “racist” than anywhere else. We all have our biases, some blatent, some hidden…will that ever be not the case? It’s a hard world to change…
June 23, 2008 at 8:35 pm #628389
KayleighMemberTrick, do you think I’m racist? Just spit it out, if you do.
I have said, several times, that White Center was a dump, but that I am glad to see it gentrify. I mean, it was gross when I was a kid. It’s still gross in parts, while other parts are nicer.
White Center’s crime rate didn’t drop down to “medium” or “comparable” levels until the last 4-5 years or so.
http://courses.washington.edu/pbafrgk/560/pdf/crime_and_police_2005.pdf
June 23, 2008 at 8:37 pm #628390
charlabobParticipantI don’t think Seattle is more (or less) racist or sexist or … I do suspect Seattle may be more classist, but that’s just a hunch.
I believe that the Seattle “nice” which, imnho, is a great hiding place for passive aggression, allows us to hide our racism better and to be a bit smug, when we have absolutely no right to be.
June 23, 2008 at 8:42 pm #628391
hopeyParticipantright on, charlabob.
June 23, 2008 at 8:44 pm #628392
TrickParticipantI don’t think you are Kayleigh.
We all know what comes when we ASS/U/ME on here.
I didn’t grow up in W.C. and I can see it has come a long way even since I’ve been here.
June 23, 2008 at 8:48 pm #628393
longtimelurkerMemberAfter a year of lurking here something finally got me to post.
If the data says that WC has a similar crime rate to the Junction but a person ‘feels’ less safe in WC that person might want to examine that feeling and understand why. Knowing what it is you are afraid of can be a liberating experience. sometimes it does all of us good to move out of our comfort zones.
June 23, 2008 at 8:50 pm #628394
KayleighMemberI think we are less racist here in Seattle.
But I do agree that there is a flavor of classism here—some people who will judge you based on your education level, where you live, how much $ you make, what you do for a living, etc.
And a subset of hipsters/scenesters who well into their 30s judge people based on what music they listen to, the color of their hair, their mainstream-ness, etc.
June 23, 2008 at 8:52 pm #628395
SueParticipant>>The whole issue, for me anyways, came about with post #44 in the “Full Tilt Ice Cream” thread.
Within that post is the accusation that because you do not live, or wish to live in WC, or because you do not hang out there, it is solely because of the color of people’s skin. I believe the post ends with, “People are afraid of this neighborhood because not every face is white.”<<
And this is why I don’t post here much anymore – because I’m the author of that post #44 in the other thread, and I find it laughable how my post was misinterpreted. I think you’re combining (at least) 2 different posts in your memory. Yes, I said (paraphrasing) that I believed that people were afraid of WC (and south Delridge) because it wasn’t 100% white. And why did I say that? That’s from my own experience of listening to people talk to me about the neighborhood and its inhabitants. I never said I was afraid of the neighborhood, nor its inhabitants, and I lived their happily and uneventfully, never feeling unsafe. Nor did I ever say that if you didn’t go to WC that it meant you were racist. But it was said to me many times by people I knew, as well as total strangers – that they avoided the neighbood because of the race of the inhabitants. I can only speak of my own experience and what I’m told, and that’s what I shared.
And incidentally, while I’m one of the least racist people you’ll ever meet, I don’t think that anyone can truly say they are 100% free of prejudice. It’s just not PC to admit that, which is why people here will no doubt argue that it’s a lie. I was in a museum once (I think it was the Holocaust museum in Washington DC, but I could be wrong) and there was an exhibit on prejudice and racism. There were 2 doors to leave the room. One said “prejudiced” on top and the other said “not prejudiced.” Of course, everyone opened the “not prejudiced” door to leave. When they opened the door, it opened to a brick wall with a sign that said “think about it again, then go through the other door.”
June 23, 2008 at 8:53 pm #628396
JanSParticipantCharla…..you may have something there.
It’s funny…when I grew up in PA, the town that I lived in was the safest place to me…I went everywhere in the little city, always by bus. And never felt unsafe. Things there have changed for the opposite…and now one doesn’t go out at night in the downtown area at all.
I also think about other areas of seattle that have changed for the better…Columbia City, for example. I posted a link on the other thread,…but will add here, too. If people care enough, things can change.
http://www.columbiacityseattle.com/id55.html
Charla…yesterday when they introduced the wine called “Broadmore”, I immediately thought of the area of Seattle called “Broadmore”, an area that us “poor folk” always considered a “snobby” area..yes, classist is a good word :)
June 23, 2008 at 9:12 pm #628397
TheHouseMemberWhat perfect timing:
“Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a race car not called a racist?” – George Carlin
R.I.P, Good buddy!
June 23, 2008 at 9:37 pm #628398
KayleighMemberLongtimelurker, my ex-husband had a gun fired at him while innocently driving down Delridge. Delridge was one of the most dangerous streets in the city and it wasn’t all that long ago. I’m sure it’s better now, but some of us remember.
Should I call and remind him of how he expanded his comfort zone that night? ‘Cause I don’t recall him feeling warm and fuzzy and personally actualizing-y at the time.
June 23, 2008 at 10:19 pm #628399
WSBKeymasterA fascinating and ugly part of Seattle history that may or may not explain some of how we got to where we are today:
http://depts.washington.edu/civilr/covenants.htm
Many interesting links within that, such as the maps and past census data
June 23, 2008 at 10:28 pm #628400
keleesoMemberInteresting maps lowmanbeach. I am stunned about the wording in the contracts.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.