Tuesday, September 26, 2006

(44) October 5, 1999 Seattle WTO Riots

1999: First Class Stamp $0.33 cents
Spongebob Squarepants debuts on Nickelodeon
Leonardo da Vinci's newly-restored masterpiece "The Last Supper"
is put back on display after years of restoration
The initial release of Napster
"Livin' La Vida Loca"
The 6 billionth person in the world, according to the UN is born
Concerns arise of serious Y2K problems with computer systems.
Columbine High School Tragedy
"Boy's Dont Cry", "American Beauty",
"Being John Malkovich", and "The Matrix" in theaters
John F. Kennedy Jr. lost at sea in in his plane
When the World Trade Organization met in Seattle this year, all hell broke loose. I actually had to give my employees several days off, as I was concerned with their safety commuting through downtown Seattle to work in the Kingdome area. Thousands upon thousands of protestors were everywhere, and downtown really saw their wrath. I was honestly surprised there were not more arrests, and if Seattle police hadn't been so "politically correct" I think there would have been. Funny thing was, I agreed with some of the platforms the protestors stood for, but there is always those that take advantage of any situation and loot and damage property for the fun of it. I had several accounts with stores downtown, and in the aftermath we heard stories and saw the damage firsthand of this "peaceful" protest. There was definitely a climate of fear, both around Y2K and the future of this country, settling around Seattle at this time. Rapid changes afoot for the region, and not for the better. With unexpected illness, love in a far away place, and a heavy heart I made the decision to leave Seattle this year.

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