I love the Opt Ed section of the paper. I believe we all need to write at least one letter on something we're passionate about in our lifetime. In saying that, I applaud this reader
Re: "Drug use on Sound Transit trains is intolerable" [Feb. 19, Opinion]:
Kudos to cartoonist David Horsey for advocating some tough love!
I am a recovering addict and much invested in a compassionate, harm-reduction model, so this is not coming from a place of judgment or intolerance for those who are still out there using. I want people to be given the best chance to live long enough to make it to the rooms of recovery, but that does not mean being so "tolerant" that we are allowed to endanger others, and/or not be held accountable.
When I was out there using, if we got caught using on the bus, monorail or Seattle Waterfront Streetcar (that's all the public transit there was then), we got booted off. It wasn't tolerated. Period. And if we were confrontational about it, the cops were called, if they weren't already on the way.
Yes, we need compassion, but not at the expense of accountability and public safety. Many of my friends in recovery got to the (Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous/Crystal Meth Anonymous/Cocaine Anonymous/etc.) program through the legal system, or other forms of adversity caused by our use, and a lot of us would have died out there, had we been coddled by "compassionately" turning a blind eye.
Khaos WolfKat, Lake Stevens
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