Opinion: Reminiscences of a Seattle once worth living in

I found a home in Seattle in 1963 to finish college at the University of Washington and look for a job.

I moved to Seattle from Missouri, and the contrast was stunning. Seattle’s climate was excellent, compared to the heat and humidity of Missouri. The food was terrific (especially if one liked seafood).

The clothier John Nordstrom lived there, famous for the service rendered in his stores. For instance, if you bought a pair of shoes at Nordstrom, and they didn’t fit, you could exchange them for another pair, even if they had been purchased from another store. The Nordstrom family bought the Seattle Seahawks, and owned the team until 1987.

Even though the Boeing Co. no longer has its world headquarters in Seattle, the company still builds planes there.

If you have paid $5 for a cup of coffee lately, thank Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks and one-time presidential candidate.

And if your house has been built of 2x4s, the lumber well could have come from a Seattle mill.

Seattle was a city of hard workers whose children were studious.

That has changed. Seattle is now a city of thugs and idiots whose citizens have no idea how much they gave away of their civility by inviting idiots and thugs, sometimes called “Boogaloos,” who take money from rich thugs to burn down or otherwise ruin business buildings. These Boogaloos are thieves and murderers, and dang proud of it.

The people of Seattle are afraid of the Boogaloos and they stay as far away as possible from the action as they can, as well they should.

But some day they will have to pick up some 2x4s and 2x2s and go after the thugs.

It will be up to the fishermen and carpenters and plane mechanics to go after them, because the mayor and police chief and members of the City Council and the sheriff’s department had the poop scared out of them the last time the boogaloos paid a visit.

I haven’t lived in Seattle for more than 20 years (thank the good Lord), so I haven’t seen the social collapse and law-enforcement embarassment that occurred when so many of the cops were fired.

I think they might have been drinking a little too much Starbucks and have permanent cases of the trembles.