Comments

1

Tent architecture can be quite (watch your step) hostile, unfortuantely. Good for SAM.

4

I want to see one of those bollards used in a Stranger Hump (TM) film!

5

"The workers' representative admitted that there have been needles, feces, and other belongings left around the building that their Environmental Services department—the janitors—is expected to clean up. While the group respects that it's "not fair" to the staff to clean up hazardous waste, they felt the museum took a top-down approach to solve these problems instead of consulting with security or janitorial staff affected by the change"

The museum is not a worker collective. They have no obligation to ensure everyone is comfortable and supportive of every action. They are doing the right thing in prioritizing the safety of patrons and staff ahead of the comfort and coddling of people with addiction and mental issues. As #3 noted, SAM is not responsible nor are they equipped to be a social service agency. If these employees are so concerned then I encourage them to get involved with some of the actual outreach providers and do something beside bitch and moan to The Stranger.

Also are the 230 signatures actual employees or just rando's who signed the petition? I'm guessing the latter.

6

Thanks for covering this, Jasmyne.

7

This is a complex issue that requires a thoughtful and empathetic solution. The amplification of fear towards those who are our most vulnerable is shameful. The museum has the chance to show their company values match their actions. They are choosing to favor the “safety” of the patrons who have privilege to enter the building and generating fear around those outside in the most danger. Again it’s complex, there is no doubt but I hope the Seattle arts community (especially a nonprofit) does the right thing in exploring empathetic human focused solutions.

8

Hostile Architecture needs to be the name of a band with Charles Mudade on vocals and lead guitar.

9

@7: It's not fear, it's dealing with a problem. Don't conflate the two.

10

As expected there’s a bunch of disgusting rhetoric about “dangerous junkies.” SAM has every right to manage their property as they see fit, but I hope the higher-ups realize they’re contributing to the demonization of part of our community. I would expect an arts organization like this to put someone’s need for shelter over the comfort of their wealthy donors. I doubt that the museum is less safe than anywhere else downtown. Homelessness won’t be solved by simply making the homeless people go somewhere you don’t have to look at them.

11

@10

IANAL but I don't think they do have every right to manage their property as they see fit. They can't decide not to be ADA compliant, for example. And I think they are required to let anyone into Asian Art Museum to use the bathrooms (presumably only during open hours) because the city of Seattle made it a condition of their renovation.

I'm sure they must be on solid legal ground with the hostile architecture at the main museum, but like you note, that doesn't make it right, and clearly this is turning into a PR nightmare for them.

12

First, turn all museums, libraries, and parks into emergency shelters, until a more permanent solution can be implemented. Next, commission a study to find that solution. Wait a couple years. Then, when the commission fails to return a viable proposal, shrug and say "Libraries? Museums? Parks? What are those?"

13

Honestly, it won't be a "PR nightmare" for them. There is a sizable chunk of the population that is tired of walking through trash, drugs, feces, etc. anytime we want to go somewhere in this city. Those people will come to SAM because of these measures. And speaking of which, how do you think SAM gets $?? Rich donors and people who buy tickets to the museum. If those 2 things disappear, they won't have the money to keep going. But then I guess the building will be empty so all the homeless can move in.

17

My question for all the people who think this is such a great idea is do you have any ideas for where to put these people? Or is the plan to just push them from one place to the next? Sure, we can move homeless people out of downtown. Would you rather they were in Queen Anne? The problem isn't solved by not letting them sleep in an alcove at the museum. If you don't want to see homeless people, you're just gonna have to pay for a place for them to live. We've been trying sweeps and hostile architecture for decades and it's obviously not working. I strongly doubt some of you actually read the article, where the museum admits itself they mostly have regulars who are not causing problems. I'm seeing a lot of profiles that just comment on every single article specifically to complain about having to see homeless people.

20

I'm curious what sort of article we would see written if it were at the entrance to The Stranger's HQ that employees were being punched, threatened with broken bottles, and having to walk through shit and used needles.

21

@20 has clearly never been to the corner of 11th and Pine.

22

@21 Is your avatar a gay superhero/art thief? Its origin is probably more interesting than this tired old debate.

23

Homeless people are a feature of our community, not a part of our community. It's important all you bleeding hearts remember this. Community: A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as norms, religion, values, customs, or identity.

The only thing most people have in common with homeless people is that we all had a mother at some point or another.

32

There are also some very angular and aesthetically unpleasing conflagrations down the street at 2nd and Seneca. They look like space junk, pose a safety and visual hazard and should be recycled. This entire anti-homeless agenda is inappropriate and picayune.


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