“…Happy Watching People Die in the Gutter with Their Civil Rights Intact”?
1. The Crisis: Paralysis Over Real Solutions
In a recent Seattle Times editorial, a striking quote caught my attention: “Seattleites are perfectly happy watching people die in the gutter with their civil rights intact.” [See editorial link below.]
While the statement was aimed at Seattle, it rings painfully true here in Spokane, where nearly one person dies every day from a drug overdose. And yet, rather than treating the situation as an unprecedented emergency that demands immediate corrective action, many of our elected officials seem paralyzed—unwilling or unable to confront the crisis with the urgency that we are all demanding.
2. A Practical Solution: Geiger Corrections Center
Here is just one emergency response solution we could be looking at: Spokane has a resource in the Airway Heights Geiger Corrections Center, but it needs to be updated with a focus on rehabilitation and qualified under Washington’s Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA).
Our law enforcement officials consistently identify crisis beds that qualify for involuntary treatment as their number-one need. Reconfiguring Geiger Corrections Center would cost a fraction of what other large, impactful solutions would require. Furthermore, it would provide a humane and effective next step for the vast majority of the individuals we all see sleeping—and often dying—on the streets of Spokane. Estimates vary, but it appears only about 10% of those individuals are engaging in felonious activities, such as dealing drugs, which might require incarceration.
3. The Debate: Civil Rights vs. Public Safety
So, what stands in the way of this, or other quick, economical, and common-sense solutions? First of all, no solutions are without challenges and the need for hard work and collaboration, otherwise, they would have happened long ago. But another big hurdle—and a distraction from real solutions—is the endless debate over preserving the civil rights of those struggling with addiction.
(Consider HB 1380, our state legislature’s latest attempt to allow public camping on our rights-of-way—effectively overriding last year’s Proposition 1, which passed with over 75% support from Spokane voters.)
This debate must end. Prioritizing the civil rights of individuals who are incapable of caring for themselves over the preservation of their lives—and over the health and safety of our communities—is neither moral nor compassionate.
Furthermore, it is a false solution that helps no one—least of all those struggling with addiction or a mental health crisis—while pretending that life on the streets is any kind of solution.
As we weigh these moral considerations, it might help to consider the voices of parents whose children are caught in the grip of addiction. Every parent I’m aware of—including myself—who has had a child struggle with addiction passionately supports involuntary detainment for those who cannot make rational decisions for their own well-being. These parents understand what’s at stake—they’ve lived it. They know that without intervention, their child’s life—or the lives of others like them—will likely end in tragedy. Intervention might mean incarceration as a last resort, but for the vast majority, it’s about placing their child on a path toward recovery.
We all need to consider the meaning of compassion in these situations:
✅ True compassion demands an immediate, full-scale emergency response—one that defines a solution, collaborates across jurisdictions and sectors, and makes it happen rapidly, no matter the obstacles.
✅ Compassion also means recognizing when individuals are incapable of making life-saving decisions and stepping in to give them help—even if that help is involuntary.
We owe it to our community—and to the families of those watching their loved ones spiral—to act with the urgency and boldness this crisis demands.
➡ Link to Seattle Editorial:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/portland-goes-where-seattle-wont-on-homelessness/