I grew up going to the Bite of Seattle. As youngsters, the homies and I would hop on the bus downtown with nothing but our backpacks and a few dollars in our pockets. For the most part, all we really had enough for was a cheap pint of gin (usually bought/donated by the homies’ older cousin), a one-dollar Arizona iced tea for a chaser, a little bit of greenery to blow on, and whatever was left over was dedicated to food. And though the struggle was real, we all still managed to have on all the fly gear. At least we had our priorities straight, right?
We’d spend our day cracking jokes all around Seattle Center and double backing on all the free samples from various vendors. I can still remember those warm summer evenings clearly. Just sitting there on the steps that lead down to what used to be called Key Arena. Sharing a plate of what tasted in the moment like the best food ever. Passing around what was left of the pint. Shooting our shot at every girl that looked our way. Yeah, we were young and didn’t have a care in the world outside of what was right in front of us.
As I got older, the Bite remained a staple for me and my friends and family. And while the old days of having to scrounge up enough money to buy food with the homies were over, and the only girl that had my attention was my daughter, the spirit of the festival remained the same. And though I can’t really put into words what that spirit is like, anybody who’s from Seattle knows exactly what I’m talking about when I say that. It’s just Town business as usual!
By now, I’m sure all of us have already heard about the tragic news of what has been categorized as a mass shooting at this year’s Bite. For those who may not know what I’m talking about, here’s a quick recap. The reports are that three or more people were shooting at each other at approximately 6 p.m. on the last Sunday of the festival. Three people have died, including one of the alleged shooters who was only 19 years old. At least four more bystanders were shot and injured, one reportedly a two year old. And at the time of this writing, a 15-year-old is currently in custody and facing multiple charges from the incident. Police are still searching for a third potential shooter. Authorities have also stated that they believe the shooting was gang-related.
Unfortunately, these types of things are starting to become normal in our city. Well, actually, our whole state. It feels like we can’t even turn on the local news anymore without hearing about yet another shooting or act of violence. As somebody who’s from Seattle and has loved ones living throughout King County, I’m terrified for my community. This shit is wild! And what’s even more tragic is that the people allegedly involved in most of these incidents are becoming younger and younger. I empathize with all those who are impacted and forced to survive through all this. I’m also sad. I’m also angry. I’m also confused. I’m also scared.
But it’s also these same emotions that have me concerned. Because as there’s an uptick in the violence that invokes these emotions in the first place, there becomes more calls for surveillance, policing, and incarceration. An emotional reaction. I get it. Our community is desperate for solutions right now. Desperate for some relief from the pain. But as we’re all in pain together, I still don’t believe our answers rest within the carceral system.
I’ve been incarcerated for 16 years and counting now, and I know for a fact that the Washington State Department of Corrections is unqualified to address our issues. Trust me on this one, y’all. I’ve seen youngsters coming in with football numbers (a term used to describe a lengthy prison sentence) and elders who’ve been locked in these cages for nearly 50 years. What has changed? Has our community become safer? Has mass incarceration stopped the mass shootings?
Look, I’m not saying that people shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions when they cause harm, I’m just inviting us to think of solutions outside of what we’ve been doing, which is just locking people up. We can’t just always assume that hyper-surveillance, over policing, and more prisoners somehow equates to safer communities. If that were true, we’d already be the safest nation in the world. And we all know that’s not the case.
I definitely don’t have all the answers, far from it. If any of us did, I’m sure we’d all be in a better place by now. But damn, something’s gotta change. Our community deserves better, and so do our youth. And running to fund the police and politicians to solve community problems is not us doing better. It’s a copout … pun intended.
I look back and reminisce about the amazing times I had at the Bite of Seattle and other functions around the city. It’s sad to think that those types of events that were the pulse of my youth may be just too unsafe now. But what’s equally sad is imagining those festivals with CCTV cameras everywhere, police harassing people, and random stop and frisks. What’s worse, not going to the Bite of Seattle at all, or going to a Bite held in an open-air prison with no spirit? Feels the same to me …
At the end of the day, I hope that our community is able to come together and resist the urge to be afraid of each other. I know that’s easy to say from the “safety” of my prison cell, but I’m gonna keep saying it. I hope we can still find the compassion to be with one another and not throw each other away just because it’s more convenient. And as we mourn the lives that have been lost together, I pray that we also have enough compassion for the young 15-year-old that’s now locked in a cage and trapped in the system. Like we’d all hope for ourselves, let’s not be so quick to judge and hold people to the worst thing they’ve ever done. Keep your head up young man, only you can control your future, not that guard that has the keys to your shackles.
Free Palestine! Until next time, keep dreaming!
Felix Sitthivong is an incarcerated storyteller, community organizer, and founding member of the Peoples’ Empowerment Assembly for Collective Equity (PEACE). Sitthivong is also the former president and senior advisor for the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group (APICAG). He is currently serving a 66-year sentence at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, WA. Reach him with questions for “On the Fence Line” via Securus (WA #354579) or write to him at Felix Sitthivong #354579, PO BOX 900, Shelton, WA 98584.
Felix Sitthivong is an incarcerated storyteller, community organizer, and founding member of the Peoples’ Empowerment Assembly for Collective Equity (PEACE). Sitthivong is also the former president and senior advisor for the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group (APICAG). He is currently serving a 66-year sentence at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, WA. Reach him with questions for “On the Fence Line” via Securus (WA #354579) or write to him at Felix Sitthivong #354579, PO BOX 900, Shelton, WA 98584.
