Why I Moved From Seattle Washington
Kenn Spacefield | 06.11.2008 05:45 | Globalisation | Indymedia | Social Struggles | World
I lived in Seattle Washington for 15 years. I worked on computer automated design and drafting for twenty years. My life "fell apart" (yes; - there was mushrooms, a woman, and a brother involved - to add some drama for you!) . I ended up living in my truck and couch surfing with friends for about ten months. Then I got a low rent transitional housing apartment in downtown Seattle - at the Glenn Hotel.
My brother (we had patched things up) came to downtown Seattle the first day of the WTO protests and we met at the Glenn Hotel. We walked a couple blocks and were surprised to see the whole street shut down with a line of police. We jumped up onto a tree planter and held onto the tree so we could see over the crowd, and up the street. We both said to each other that those Seattle Police officers were as scared as hell and this is crazy! Well,; we are both over 6’-3" tall and I guess on that planter we were now targets. Not even there five minutes, and we watch and tell each other to "look out" because we can see the Seattle Police 150 feet away aiming at us. The tear gas canister’s came flying at us and we both jumped down and watched them explode in the street and we started to run. Later people were just lobbing them back, boy were we green!) We left and walked a couple blocks away trying to figure out what the heck just happened!!!
We walked back to the Glenn Hotel (which was not in the "Police zone" yet) and up 3rd street where thousands of union people (mostly 40-50 years old, and older) were marching towards another police line; on another block: And we followed. The street ended up absolutely elbow to elbow people for 200 feet up to the police line, with union members who were now sitting and kneeling and standing in the street in front of the Seattle Police (and "other police"). The Seattle police stood there in a line of defense from all humans.
My brother and I were half way down the block from the police line and union people, we did not want to get fired on again or picked out as a target. About a dozen people came down the street walking together with black hooded heads and bandannas (not a real good disguise - they really stuck out) later they were called "anarchists" by the media. They started smashing windows with crowbars and 100 or so people quickly surrounded the little rats - as the little rat "anarchists" formed a circle. The "anarchists" stayed in a circle, making intimidating moves with crowbars; still they were immobilized as we, like a bunch of monkeys, just kept out of distance of the "anarchists" crowbars. The Seattle police, who are being asked and prodded to help get the "anarchists"; - will not leave their police line. After a few minutes - which was a really long time at the time, the anarchists slinked their circle away - and created more damage.
Boy, it sure would have been hard to catch those well disguised "anarchists".
I stopped going to my home at the Glenn Hotel after the second day of WTO protests. I felt the Seattle Police were going to beat me up, arrest me, or maybe even kill me, these guys were piss poor scared and out of control.
A few months later I got a job and moved out of downtown Seattle and onto Queen Ann Hill overlooking the Space Needle and Downtown. Ahhhh, home again. I did a lot of walking my dog and bike riding. One day I am down in the Denny Regrade area riding my bike; and gun shots break out - many many gunshots. I duck on my bike and slow down and then speed up and go home. I find out later; that it is Seattle Police Officers shooting at Seattle Police Officers! I thought all hell had broken loose and it was the Seattle Police trying to kill the Seattle Police!!!! WHOA; Crazy, I thought…… (These "cops" crashed into each other and emptied out their weapons at each other, never even being charged with endangering the public). The Seattle Police had been chasing someone in a Seattle Police car - that had been stolen before and they knew it had been stolen before; Boy, did they prepare themselves for this one! And not by going to the shooting range and practicing killing who you are shooting at kinda practice, the "we will just wait and see what happens" kinda practice……
Nothing happened, like the wild west; it was all okay. Seattle Police trying to kill Seattle Police, heck; that’s just remote control killing. No FBI, no charges; Nothing.
I can not count the number of times a cop has shot and killed the wrong person for pointing a remote control at them, the number of times police have busted into homes and done this, even on accident at the wrong house; is way too many. Now they were doing it to each other. (I do not know if I could have been killed by a Seattle Police officers bullet trying to "mistakenly" kill other Seattle Police Officers; But it feels like I could have been; and if it was up to me these "officers" - would have done jail time. And the "department" of "security" for the Seattle Police PUNISHED, because it cost them dearly like anyone trying to kill someone else "mistakenly" and putting everyone in the same predicament: Knowingly. PREMEDITATED IGNORENT MURDER.
(Only no one died this time - just stupid lucky cops.).
I moved out of Seattle. Why? Because I like to smoke pot and I do not want to be killed because I do.
(Plus I use a remote control; Dangerously!). I have my "pot paperwork" and I do not trust the FED, but I mostly stay at home.
Sincerely
Kenn Spacefield
The Destroyed Reputation of The United States Federal Government
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/412238.html
Kenn Spacefield