In the progressive circus that is Seattle politics, the price of admission is your sanity. The latest act is manufactured outrage claiming that enforcing basic parking laws during a Juneteenth celebration is an act of systemic racism. You can’t make this stuff up, but in Seattle, you don’t have to. The activists do it for you.
Activists held a Juneteenth event at Jimi Hendrix Park that reportedly attracted over 8,500 people, according to organizer Anthony Tibbs. But the celebration, for some, was apparently incomplete without the God-given right to park wherever they pleased. After parking enforcement did what it’s supposed to do—enforce the law—and ticketed illegally parked cars in a residential neighborhood, the predictable screeches of racism began.
Cars were illegally parked in vendor spots, and others were blocking the bus zone and impeding traffic. Another blocked a fire hydrant, and others were generally creating traffic problems for the residents of the neighborhood who, presumably, also have a right to access their own homes.
“The supervisor stated that the impeding of traffic and the bus zone created a safety issue that would have ended up with full blockage as buses tried to stop to load/unload passengers in the lane of travel,” a spokesperson for Seattle Police explained to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.
In the end, there were only 12 citations written. Parking enforcement officers mostly offered verbal warnings. But in the woke logic of Seattle activism, holding people accountable for their actions is a “mishap” or an “issue of disparity.”
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Tibbs complained to The Seattle Medium that “it is unfortunate that such issues of disparity continue to surround our people.”
What disparity is he talking about? The disparity between those who follow parking laws and those who don’t? The expectation that laws apply equally to everyone, regardless of their race or the event they are attending, is the very definition of equality. To suggest that a specific group should be exempt from those laws because of their race is, ironically, the very definition of racism.
It’s an insult to the spirit of Juneteenth itself—a day celebrating the moment the law was finally and equally applied to all Americans, proclaiming freedom for all. To twist that legacy into a demand for special treatment and exemption from the basic rules that govern a civil society is a perversion of everything the day stands for.
Demanding an apology
Arguably, the most absurd reaction came from former State Representative Dawn Mason. The Seattle Medium claimed she was “speaking on behalf of Seattle’s Black community.” Who knew the entire community had a spokesperson?
She described the event as “8,000-plus peaceful, mostly African American celebrants at Jimi Hendrix Park. A family-friendly environment.” The description is meant to conjure an image of wholesome community, which I have no doubt it was. But it’s also a deliberate rhetorical setup. By emphasizing the race of the attendees, she lays the groundwork to frame any enforcement action as a racial attack.
Mason said she “appealed to Chief Barnes to have all the tickets voided and publicly apologize to [the] African American community for this insult.” It’s Mason who should apologize.
An insult? The true insult is the belief that members of the black community are so fragile that they cannot be expected to follow the same basic rules as everyone else. The real insult is the soft bigotry of low expectations, dressed up as progressive advocacy. The notion that you should get a pass on a parking ticket because of your skin color is one of the most absurd and patronizing arguments.
Social justice shakedown
This is a social justice shakedown. It’s the grievance grift in its purest form. It’s the cynical use of historical injustice to demand modern-day privileges.
It’s one thing to argue that drivers were caught off guard because parking is generally free on holidays, including Juneteenth. But in this case, the cars were parked in areas that are always illegal to park in, and no one could reasonably think they can block a bus line or fire hydrant because it’s a holiday.
“We understand and are aware of the frustration felt from parking enforcement that occurred during the celebration—especially given the significance of this federal holiday. While enforcement at paid parking spots and certain restricted areas—that note exemptions on holidays—is adjusted on federal holidays, parking rules that address public safety — such as blocking fire hydrants, bus zones, or load and unload zones —remain in effect regardless of the holiday,” a Seattle Police spokesperson explained to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.
The complaints are uninspired. Activists again seek to create a system where accountability is optional, but only for certain, politically favored groups. What happens when a resident can’t get out of their driveway for an emergency? What about the worker who has to circle the block for 30 minutes, burning gas they can’t afford, because someone decided the rules didn’t apply to them? Their inconvenience, apparently, doesn’t count, no matter their skin color.
The demand for a public apology from the Chief of Police is the cherry on top of this ridiculous grift. Apologize for what? For treating all citizens equally under the law? This is an attempt to intimidate law enforcement, to bully the city into carving out special exceptions based on identity politics.
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