"Increased drug use and crime near the Whole Foods on Eighth and Market, which opened just one year ago, contributed to the store’s closing"
First of all, what a dead stupid place to open a Whole Foods. Second, drug use isn't causing any problems. Actual crime, the kind with victims, is surely a huge problem. But ingesting drugs doesn't cause problems automatically. Forcing people to engage with the black market, and buy impure drugs, and do them on the street? Yeah, that can cause problems. But the simple act of getting intoxicated is not the problem that needs solving. That will always happen. Th problem is how mind-bogglingly stupid we are with how we deal with this fact.
You don't even know what a druggie looks like. You're surrounded by druggies. You work with druggies. You just don't like the ones who don't have somewhere nice to go to do their drugs out of your sight.
> You don't even know what a druggie looks like. You're surrounded by druggies. You work with druggies. You just don't like the ones who don't have somewhere nice to go to do their drugs out of your sight.
As you point out, I don't care about druggies unless they're in my face. I also don't care about people having sex unless they're doing it at the entrance to a grocery store.
IOW, I'm okay with people doing whatever the hell they want to as long as I don't have to watch it. Most people feel this way; I'm not alone.
So what's your problem with that attitude? Why even respond?
I'm also surrounded by people who shit and piss. That doesn't mean it's okay to hang around a store entrance doing that.
Hey look, you can learn a lot from a dummy*:
HUMAN:
What's wrong with the following argument?
"People who complain about druggies who hang around store entrances and such have no empathy. They have no idea what druggies look like. In fact, druggies are everywhere that you don't even know about. Your neighbor, friend or relative could be a druggie. Therefore it's okay for people to sit on the ground doing drugs around store entrances, bus stops, park benches and other public places."
GPT4:
There are several issues with the argument presented:
- False equivalence: The argument equates people who complain about drug users hanging around store entrances with a lack of empathy. It is possible to have empathy for someone struggling with addiction while still being concerned about the impact of their behavior on public spaces.
- Stereotyping: The argument assumes that people who complain about drug users in public spaces have no idea what drug users look like. This is a sweeping generalization that may not be true for everyone who expresses concern about the issue.
- Red herring: The argument brings up the fact that drug users could be anyone, including a neighbor, friend, or relative. While this may be true, it doesn't address the main concern of people who complain about drug users in public spaces, which is typically related to safety, cleanliness, or public order.
- Non-sequitur: The conclusion that it's okay for people to use drugs in public spaces because drug users could be anyone is a non-sequitur. The fact that drug users can be anyone does not justify their behavior in public spaces or negate the concerns of people who complain about the issue.
The argument could be improved by acknowledging the concerns of those who are worried about drug users in public spaces and offering potential solutions or compromises, instead of dismissing their concerns as a lack of empathy.
--
* Famous line from the US DoT's 1980's TV campaign promoting the wearing of seat belts, featuring crash test dummies.
I am not the original commenter by I will freely admit that I neither like nor dislike people who do drugs outside of my line of sight when shopping…or doing anything. I will also freely admit that I definitely do not like passed out heroin users in my vicinity when shopping…or frankly when I am doing anything. Perhaps I am alone in my prejudice.
That's not a problem with people simply doing drugs, it's a problem with people not having the means to do drugs in a private space, like 90% of druggies do everyday.
Being near intoxicated people, whether you agree or not, is unpleasant to many shoppers and especially families. Perhaps they are misguided but it is not good for business. You can call it wrong but I will shop pretty much anywhere alone no matter how drug infested , but will alter my shopping patterns in the city when with women or children in order to reduce their exposure to areas of known heavy intoxicant use.
First of all, what a dead stupid place to open a Whole Foods. Second, drug use isn't causing any problems. Actual crime, the kind with victims, is surely a huge problem. But ingesting drugs doesn't cause problems automatically. Forcing people to engage with the black market, and buy impure drugs, and do them on the street? Yeah, that can cause problems. But the simple act of getting intoxicated is not the problem that needs solving. That will always happen. Th problem is how mind-bogglingly stupid we are with how we deal with this fact.