Pen & Eye # 14 – Violence against unhoused in Seattle
By David Stoesz and Marie Bouassi May 30, 2024
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
Page 1
Image One:
Text: “There’s a spectrum of ‘solutions’ to homelessness that are simply violence against the unhoused themselves.”
ALT Text: A gradient spectrum chart visually displays various forms of anti-homelessness violence, ranging from harassment, jail/sweeps, internment camps, and culminating in “just kill them.” The progression emphasizes the increasing severity of these approaches.
Image Two:
Text: “Burien advocate Kelsey VanHee has seen an increasingly open expression of the homicidal end of this spectrum.”
ALT Text: A screenshot of violent online comments about the unhoused is displayed, including one that reads, “I don’t have enough ammunition,” and another remarking, “This stuff [is] being posted with their real names attached!”
Image Three:
Text: “Rhetoric has already become reality. At least two unhoused people in Seattle, Daravuth Van and Paul Ewell, have been killed this year.”
ALT Text: A solemn depiction of a vigil or memorial for the two victims, with their names written in a somber tone.
Image Four:
Text: “Seattle police failed to inform the community about a possible serial killer targeting our unhoused neighbors.”
ALT Text: A concerned group of people appears, seemingly engaged in discussion or protest, with frustration directed at the Seattle Police Department.
Image Five:
Text: “In February, a masked driver plowed into a group of unhoused people downtown, in one of at least three similar vehicular assaults.”
ALT Text: A dramatic scene illustrates a vehicle speeding toward a group of unhoused individuals, some of whom are seen attempting to escape the incoming attack.
Page 2
Image One:
Text: “One notch away from outright murder: Internment camps, an idea mainstreamed by LA mayoral candidate Rick Caruso and NBA legend Bill Walton, who openly dehumanizes the unhoused.”
ALT Text: A grim depiction of an internment-style camp filled with rows of tents and fenced enclosures. A caricature of Rick Caruso and Bill Walton is shown advocating for such camps.
Image Two:
Text: “Miami passed a bill to build such a camp—a plan that was stopped not by basic humanity but by fearmongering about unhoused people.”
ALT Text: A news headline is displayed, with a quote: “You can’t have a bunch of homeless men around teenage girls in bikinis,” referencing the controversy surrounding the proposed camp.
Image Three:
Text: “Jail is another expensive ‘solution’ that brings death in many forms, including suicide. As of 2017, 45% of people booked into the King County Jail were unhoused.”
ALT Text: A prison cell illustration with a shadowy figure behind bars, conveying a sense of hopelessness. A statistic highlights the disproportionate incarceration of unhoused individuals.
Image Four:
Text: “The notion that jailing addicts will make them get clean is the opposite of true: Jail causes death by overdose to spike.”
ALT Text: A rising bar graph labeled “Death Risk of Overdose” illustrates how incarceration increases the likelihood of fatal overdoses.
Image Five:
Text: “Sweeps are another ‘solution’ our unhoused neighbors must contend with. The Harrell administration spends $38 million annually on this policy that has been proven to kill.”
ALT Text: A city budget document shows a large portion of funds allocated to homeless sweeps. In the background, police officers are seen forcing people out of a tent encampment.
Image Six:
Text: “A short-term emergency response would cost a fraction of what we’re already spending, if we weren’t so invested in punishment.”
ALT Text: A comparison chart contrasts the daily cost of incarceration ($112 per day per person) with the significantly lower cost of housing unhoused people in encampments ($5 per day per resident in the now-defunct Sunnydale encampment).
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