When a Squealer Gets Squealed On
July 21st, 2008 | by Tom Harper |This story doesn’t have a point to it. It’s just one of those neighborhood incidents involving class warfare, neighborhood gentrification and clashing values. Here’s the full story.
In Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood, a homeless person built himself a treehouse in a local park. The locals all knew him as the Squirrelman. He didn’t bother anybody and most of the residents didn’t mind him being there. Except one.
Last March some asshole made an anonymous complaint to the city government about the Squirrelman. The city got right on it and evicted the Squirrelman from the park. They also destroyed the treehouse.
The Squirrelman (his real name is Dave Csaky) is now living in a donated RV on a farm in nearby Skagit County. If you ever read Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins — yes, Skagit County really exists.
Last week, in a local letter to the editor, a defense attorney named James Roe outed the Squirrelman’s outer. Or as the author — Danny Westneat — said, “he snitched on the snitcher.”
Roe referred to the Squirrelman’s outer as “an embarrassment to native Seattle citizens everywhere. To turn in a guy to the city who is only trying to get by, scrapping out a living, just so you can kick him out — morally I find that reprehensible…This is what Seattle has come to. In another era, Seattle had room for people like The Squirrelman. What happened to tolerance? There’s no place for it now, among all the nouveau riche.”
The cowardly snitch turned out to be a couple: Betsy and Dale Sherrow, owners of the nearby Seattle Caviar Co.
Dale Sherrow was away on business when Danny Westneat called them. Betsy Sherrow called their outer “an outrageous jerk.” She said: “We aren’t snitches. We are responsible citizens who felt that if we stayed silent, we would be promoting something that’s wrong…We do cater to higher-end customers, but it’s a small business — we’re not exactly over here eating bonbons and having a maid clean our toenails.”
Well, that’s good to know.
Danny Westneat admits that there can be a thin line between a snitch and a whistleblower; one person’s snitch is another person’s whistleblower.
Sort of like the terrorists and freedom fighters in Central America during our 1980s proxy invasion.
“Oh my God, did you read about this? A bunch of anti-government guerrillas came sweeping into a village and massacred all the women and children and tortured all the husbands!”
“What country was that?”
“Nicaragua.”
“Hail the Freedom Fighters!”
“Oh, wait a minute, no it was El Salvador.”
“What??? Those bloodthirsty F#$%&!$# terrorists!”
3 Responses to “When a Squealer Gets Squealed On”
By Lisa on Jul 22, 2008 | Reply
I bet those people are liberal. Yeah we are all advocates of the poor and the homeless but not in our neighborhood.
By Dusty on Jul 22, 2008 | Reply
I bet those Elitist mutha fuckas are not liberal. Only the rightwing nutjobs turn in someone who is doing no harm because they think he is getting something for FREE!
As for your end about the freedom fighters..that was a hairy time and the media didn’t help sort anything out..they just fed the bullshittery.
I have a homeless man in my poor neighborhood. This is one of the poorest hoods in Bako. I give him warm clothes in the winter and a little food when I can..plus dog food for his little dog. I know where he hangs out and I don’t wish his lot in life on my worst enemy..even George Bush.
Wait..I might make an exception there.
Children taunt him and steal his belongings..it is disgusting what humans will do to each other in the name of fun. Recently four underage teenagers kicked a homeless man to death..for his fucking cans he had collected all day.
By Lisa on Jul 23, 2008 | Reply
Well that is just sickening I agree.
Out here on LI in the richest area the Hamptons where all the rightwing Hollywood types live and hang out they question anyone in that neighborhood they think is illegal and looking for work but then allow them to set up hiring stations in the middle class neighborhoods. As long as it isn’t in their neighborhood.