Opinion

Real Rainier Valley Girl on “Man Stabbed in Violent Seward Park Area Street Robbery”:

Cripes. Law-enforcement authorities warn us that it’s dangerous to walk to and from at the link light rail stations between “1 pm and midnight” (according to the Seattle Police Department and Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council) because gang bangers are stalking people who use light rail. Crime convey that it’s dangerous to walk in the parking lots of our local supermarkets because of purse-snatching teens. Now we read that dangerous to walk in our neighborhoods because of perpetrators wielding butcher knives.

Is there a point when the Seattle Police Department (SPD) will tell us that it’s too bloody dangerous to live, work and shop in southeast Seattle? The south precinct reluctantly acknowledges an increase of street robberies in the Rainier Valley, but nobody – not the SPD, mayor’s office or the city council (which boasts two people who claim southeast Seattle as their homes) – is undertaking significant steps to correct this situation. Instead, the SPD admonishes people with pithy safety tips (don’t walk alone at night, don’t walk with iPod buds in your ears) that imply that those who are attacked, assaulted, etc. are complicit in what took place.

What will it take for somebody in charge to do something to make the Rainier Valley safer? Are we are our own because the city has written the area off because it’s too hot to handle? Or is the Rainier Valley becoming some kind of “Deadwood” where people pack heat and take matters into their own hands? I hope not, but we’re running out of alternatives.

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CBO on “Open Thread Thursday: What’s on Your Mind, Neighbors?”:

It’s like a cruel joke. I have off all week but I can’t get to my pub on cap hill and get drunk with all my loser friends.

Instead I’m gonna have to drink at home while my pregnant wife scowls at me.

I gotta get out of this house before I lose my mind.

The dialogue that occurs here between friends, neighbors and engaged citizens is one of the features that makes your RVP such a valuable community resource. Your RVP does not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed in the Comment of the Week.

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Most anything is open for discussion, please just keep it clean and civil and remember the established RVP rules of conduct:

Opinions that are derogatory, attack other users, offer unsubstantiated facts or are offensive in nature can and will be removed as defined by the Terms of Service.

Trolls will not be tolerated. IOW, if you frequently set out to incite flame wars for the sole purpose of offending or irritating other posters, expect to be dissed, banned, disallowed and/or deleted.

Your RVP is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section, and reserves the right to remove any offensive remark or thread.

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Seattle Weekly:

To the grave with him, Richard (Rick) Nelson took the answers to, and the ultimate responsibility for, his death. For reasons we’ll never precisely know, the 50-year-old Seattle police officer drove to a forest trail in the morning last week and, walking through the woods, took a last look at life and shot himself in the head. Nonetheless, some of his fellow officers and close friends ask if there wasn’t more his department could have done to prevent it.

In interviews, in blog comments, and particularly on Nelson’s memorial web site, they call him a “cop’s cop,” a “force” at the South Precinct, a tough-but-respected “one of a kind” street cop. “He was very intense, had very strong opinions, was extremely loyal and extremely dedicated,” said one friend.

And they point out that his supervisors knew as early as July that Nelson was suspected of stealing drugs that were confiscated as evidence. If – as Mayor Mike McGinn said at a news conference last week – Nelson was “apparently” a cocaine addict, why wasn’t an intervention held rather than a trap set?, some ask.

“I am so very sorry and sad that the SPD command staff failed you,” retired SPD officer Jack Meduna wrote to Nelson’s family on the memorial site. An unnamed colleague complained that “SPD command has a problem. Our department is being destroyed from the top down. If there was any trust, it is probably gone now.” Adds Mariana Quarnstrom, ex-chairwoman of the Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council, “I think the department handled it very poorly for one. This thing has totally scarred his family. The department has had no regard for his family.” Read more.

Photo courtesy of Flintofts Funeral Home

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Jill on “Police: One Killed, One Seriously Injured in Rainier Beach Shooting; No Arrests”:

Kari, I knew and adored your cousin, Ashton. Our nick name for her was “Bug-Cute” and I always loved seeing her around Juneau. I first met Ashton on the playground of HB Elementary School while I was playground attendant and we would have the best conversations. Years later she became my son’s girl friend and spent time with us out in Pelican. She remained a very good friend of our son’s through the years. Our hearts are broken and I can only imagine the heartache you and your family must be feeling. Unbelievable…. Prayers for Ashton’s family as you work through this terrible and senseless loss.

The dialogue that occurs here between friends, neighbors and engaged citizens is one of the features that makes your RVP such a valuable community resource. Your RVP does not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed in the Comment of the Week.

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Most anything is open for discussion, please just keep it clean and civil and remember the established RVP rules of conduct:

Opinions that are derogatory, attack other users, offer unsubstantiated facts or are offensive in nature can and will be removed as defined by the Terms of Service.

Trolls will not be tolerated. IOW, if you frequently set out to incite flame wars for the sole purpose of offending or irritating other posters, expect to be dissed, banned, disallowed and/or deleted.

Your RVP is not responsible for the content posted in this comment section, and reserves the right to remove any offensive remark or thread.

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By Myra

I was perusing the Seattle Times recently when I came across an article about an attack on a 69-year old man in downtown Seattle. He was taking a picture of the Macy’s Christmas star when he was beaten and robbed of his iPhone.

“We hear about it happening in the Rainier Valley, but not on the main street of downtown Seattle,” said the victim.

The comment speaks volumes about what the Other Seattle thinks of our community. Most people, including our elected officials, just don’t care what happens down here.

Last month, Danny Vega lost his life while walking down a busy Seattle street. There have been no arrests in his murder. In addition, the number of robberies and violent crimes on the streets of the Rainier Valley seems to have skyrocketed lately.

And in the usual manner of look the other way and whistle, not one of our elected officials has anything meaningful to say or do about the public safety crisis facing our community.

Wait, I take that back, Mayor McGinn and Councilmember Sally Clark did give heartfelt shout-outs on their blogs.

So there we have it, another year has passed us by and the number of victims continues to grow. We also have a recurring theme that takes us into the New Year: The Rainier Valley will always have crime, so it’s no big deal when it happens.

This mindset makes it seem OK for our elected officials to write punk blog posts instead of standing up and addressing the issues.

Well, they are not fooling anyone. Their lack of leadership when it comes to public safety in the Rainier Valley speaks volumes about their indifference to what happens in our community.

When is enough going to be enough? When are we going to start taking back our right to live in a safe neighborhood?

I don’t have all the answers but I know I’m tired of waiting on people to realize that my life is just as important as that of someone who lives in Belltown.

Myra is semi-regular columnist who gives it to you real with no chaser.

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