The Real Crisis In Olympia is Not Homelessness

Tolerance for harm is destroying our city

by Candace Mercer, Olympia, WA

Our regional government has been treating our problems solely as a homeless issue, but it is far greater. It also involves mental illness, substance abuse and crime. Each piece of the problem needs solutions. Housing, especially affordable rent, is a large component, but addiction, an emerging street subculture and law enforcement are factors we have been reticent to address directly as we watch our city decay in real time.

The 4th Avenue Bridge in downtown Olympia at the foot of Puget Sound is in an environmentally sensitive area. An unsanctioned homeless camp has set up under the bridge. Water testing has revealed fecal coliform bacteria due to untreated human waste. The camp is scheduled for removal on September 11th, some campers have indicated they will refuse to leave.

People are upset about changing norms for what is considered permissible behavior in our community. This is the root of our collective distress and the cause for deep moral reflection. In the name of tolerance, we are allowing anti-social behavior to become entrenched.

Some even defend theft and violence as a reasonable response if it originates with the “oppressed.” This is a rationalization used by homeless advocates and addiction evangelists to challenge the very legitimacy of the social contract. Neutralizations are euphemisms designed to loosen norms, allowing deviance to flourish unchecked.

In an attempt to quell the natural moral dissonance that comes from doing something wrong, these repositionings allow people to litter without shame, steal without guilt and…