Deliver Thyself

Video Finds of the Day

Last night Seattle government agencies heard public comments on a new draft rule guiding clearings of homeless encampments on city properties. About 55, 56, or so people spoke, including myself. All but one or two were opposed to the policy. All but one or two of those were disgusted by it. All but one or two of those were furious about it. I expressed, anger, disgust, and incredulity.

Given that the actual hearing was that much of a one-sided affair, it was interesting to read the comments to the online Post-Intelligencer article about the meeting, which were written by people far less intimately involved with the issue than the people who troubled to go there.

Most interesting of those was this intriguing missive from someone called Libertarianguy:

"I would find a form of self deliverence before I allowed myself to end up living as these people do and I encourage them to do the same. I am not religious and have no scruples in this regard. I do not think the unfit should be allowed to live in my local park and befoul the environment by constantly tossing beer cans for me to have to pick up. I pay for these parks with my taxes and have a right to see them used for the purposes they were set up for. Let them move to other cities. As a city we have a right to say we don't want them here. I have long said that we are too hung up on suicide in our society and feel we should encourage more people in dead end situations to seek self deliverace and provide painless,pleasant places to seek relief."

I was struck by the fact that, even though Libertarianguy says he is not religious, he uses a term "deliverance" which implies that he adopts the same world-view as a prosecutor at a trial of the Spanish Inquisition.

That led me to reflect that, when one is discussing homeless encampments, the last thing one expects is the Spanish Inquisition.

Monty Python Spanish Inquisition Part 1



History of the World Part One - The Spanish Inquisition



Candide Recital - Auto Da Fe

"What a day, what a day,
For an auto-da-fe!
What a sunny summer sky!"