Shameless Lies Stoke Fear, Destruction

Seattle’s Enemy #1 — Sinclair Media

Parked on a sidewalk, in a spot maybe not so susceptible to NW rains, a “lucky” camper. Photo by Diane Nilan

I’ve slept in parking lots in and around Seattle. I’ve driven through the downtown and many neighborhoods. I recognize rampant homelessness when I see it. But the Sinclair Media (KOMO-TV) hour-long mocumentary Seattle is Dying left me gobsmacked. They did a bang-up job, not in a good or honest way.

I managed to watch this highly-deceptive, sensationalist production the other night and could not sleep. While I normally focus on families/youth experiencing homelessness, and this video omitted that population, I have worked with homeless adults for decades. So I can weigh in…

God Bless America. Photo by Diane Nilan

Nothing about what the average person sees around Seattle (or most bigger cities in the western part of the country) is pretty when it comes to visible homelessness.

Plenty of people call the streets home. Many are deeply troubled, exhibiting signs of mental and physical duress. In fact, my knowledgable friend Tim Harris, Founder/CEO at Seattle-based RealChangeNews, who has poured his life blood into fighting the inequity that’s at the root of all things evil, made this astute observation about this video’s…