This is a time when our community was very rusty and was in great need of a polish. In 1940's we had WWII which was the beggining of the recovery of our Nation. Up until recently the Seattle area had been doing pretty good for its self. We now find ourselves in a hard time ounce again. Within the past 8 years there has been an increase in unemployment and increases in rent. What does this mean? This means homless people riseing. There is now a community much like Hooverville in our city called "Nicklesville" (aka Tent City), named after Greg Nicckles, a former Mayor of Seattle**.
Where are we now in society? Are we rusty again? What is going to be the new revolution to take place to bring our nation back to the flurishing economy it was? I don't have the answers. I don't think anyone does. We could all speculat on how to shine up this rust. I think Tent City is a great awakening for many cities and something business owners should consider very deeply. When all of the people who support your life by business no longer have the means to do so who then becomes homless? Guess what, you'll be in the ranks with the rest of us heating a can of beans on an open fire. ***
* http://depts.washington.edu/depress/hooverville.shtml
** http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/housing/tentcity/tentcity.aspx
*** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lIxpiK2lWY
"Hooverville is the abode of the forgotten man." Jesse Jackson, "The Story of Seattle's Hooverville," in Calvin F. Schmid, Social Trends in Seattle (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1944), 286-93
What a truly great blog. Although it is and was sad and terrible for people to go through. My grandma was one of those people. It was so devistating to her that she still brings up stories when she is reminded of something of the same nature. She just told me last week that she remembers her mom trying to sell her clothes for 25 cents. I can't imagine. I feel so bad for the people who dwell in tent city. I hope that things get turned around before our value goes down to a quarter too.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Like Mairi said let's hope we figure out things sooner than later "before our value foes down to a quarter." ~
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. Do you think the occupy movement is also a type of hooverville or nicklevills?
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome blog I really enjoyed reading it. Being from another country I’ve heard of Hooverville in history class many years ago but can’t really remember what was said at the time.
ReplyDeleteReading your blog gives a really insight to what is really going on right now here in Seattle and I think it’s awful that yet a tent city has been developed due to the high unemployment. I’m just amazed that the government isn’t realizing this big problem and doing something radical about it, I mean it’s for their best interest as well.
Thanks all for the feed back! I do think that the occupy movement is kind of about this in a way. I think that these rallies though aren't really effective if everyone doesn't know why they're there or believe in the cause. What I mean by that is, I have to research what the occupy is to find out what is going on. I didn't find out about it until it started, and then I had to find out about it. If they wanted it to be effective they should have spread the word better. Oh and I don't watch TV so the news chennel doesn't come through to me. And yes, I too am shocked that the government doesn't help these people.
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