Dori: We need to reclaim our language in Seattle

I want the help of every one of our listeners — we have to reclaim our language. We must reclaim our language, because the people in power around here are really good at screwing with the language to make it seem like things are 180 degrees different than they actually are.

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For example, last week on our show we talked about Sabrina Tate, the woman who died from drug-related causes alone in an RV in Seattle’s last “safe lot.” Does that sound safe? It is just total BS to call that a “safe lot.” What it is, in almost every circumstance, is a “drug lot.” It is not a “safe lot.”

The place where they want to let people shoot up heroin — the politicians call it a “safe injection site.” That is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard; you cannot safely inject heroin into your veins. That is why I call those sites “heroin death centers.” I guarantee you that my definition is a billion times closer to reality.

Another word we need to take back is “homelessness,” which has become a catch-all. “Homelessness” includes the woman in a domestic violence situation who has two kids and needs to get out, but has no place to go. That’s who we need to be helping. We need to provide refuge for that woman and her kids. But the heroin addict who wants to continue to use and refuses treatment is different. To lump that person in with the mom and two kids is insane. But according to our politicians, they’re just all homeless.

There are some people who are innocently and tragically homeless, whom we should support as a compassionate society. The people who have made drug addiction their chosen lifestyle do not need us to keep shipping money down that black hole. We need to talk about the innocent homeless, but also the vagrants and drug addicts that are part of that community of people. There are an awful lot of people who don’t want help. We should still be there with offers of drug counseling and mental health treatment. But if people don’t want those things, then they should not get a penny. We should not be building these “drug lots” of tiny homes.

Here’s what I’m begging of you — help me reclaim the language. Don’t call a place that you would never let your kids walk through a “safe lot.” Call it a “drug lot.” Call a place where people are injecting heroin a “heroin death site.” And don’t call the heroin addict a “homeless person” — they have chosen to be a drug addict. Let’s reclaim our language.

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