Connelly: Message to political extremes left and right - Don't mess with Seattle
Amidst all the noise and posturing over the CHOP occupation, the Rev. Harriett Walden, co-chair of the Community Police Commission, recently reminded us of a key fact about the SPD's East Precinct.
Our city's first African American councilman, Sam Smith, campaigned for the police station, as a way of providing faster service to folks living in the Central Area. "The idea is to increase service. The people in the Central community pay the tax that supports the north and south precinct ..." Smith told a 1977 Council meeting.
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Rev. Walden put it well not long ago, saying of CHOP: "The people have a right to protest that's what this is about — but there's a difference between protesting and occupying. Accountability is for everybody, and now we need some accountability for the other residents in Capitol Hill and other (area) residents."
Seattle is a beautiful, exciting city. I'm constantly reminded of the former by old friends who come visiting, and mindful of the latter for working in journalism nearly 47 years.
Ideologues on the far right hate the place, and are forever predicting businesses will flee. Huh? The city has gained more than 100,000 residents in the last decade. It is such a driving place that newcomers have driven up the cost of living here.
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