if only they knew
be the future
At the end of June, the Supreme Court ruled on the case known as Johnson v. Grants Pass. Jason Pohl at Berkeley News and many others know it as "the decision that criminalized being homeless." The city of Grants Pass, Oregon passed an ordinance in 2018 that made it illegal to sleep on public property. People caught sleeping outside in Grants Pass could receive a fine or even jail time. A previous decision from a lower court said that such laws violated the 8th Amendment. That's the amendment that prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. If there were no beds available, an unhoused person had no other option but to sleep outside. Arresting them meant enforcing a law that person had no choice but to violate. But in Johnson v. Grants Pass, the Supremes overruled the lower court. Such laws did not violate the 8th Amendment.
I was thinking about this ruling during Seattle's pride weekend. We traveled all over town, visiting friends and going to events. Seattle, like most cities in the twilight of capitalism, has a lot of unhoused people living on the street. What would happen to them all? Would this encourage the center-right majority leadership in Seattle to change our laws? How do my neighbors, housed and unhoused, feel about this?
if only they knew
If only they knew! If only people realized how hard it is to survive without a permanent address. They can't get a job without it. Most shelters won't let them in if they have a pet. They can't bring in their belongings. Since the pandemic, lots of people are afraid of cramped shelters with poor air flow.
When we're on one side of an argument, it's easy to think about people's (incorrect) beliefs as not having all the facts. It's worth asking these questions: what if they already know? What if they don't care? What if the facts didn't change their mind? What if we're missing something?
People will look at crowds of unhoused people in any major city. But we won't all have the same reaction to it. Even if we both feel empathy for our neighbors, that doesn't guarantee we'll come to the same solutions. TV station KOMO released an infamous documentary a few years ago called Seattle is Dying. It's sensational nightly news fear-mongering that's not worth watching. Instead I'll share what Tyrone Beason at Seattle Times and Kayla Blau at South Seattle Emerald had to say.
Our experiences shape our perceptions. There is no universal truth. So how do we convince people to act? How can we mobilize for change when education and awareness isn't enough?
1. Give context to your call to action.
Assume people don't know. This step seems to contradict the entire thesis I laid out a moment ago, huh? I won't spend long here because it's often where we get stuck. But lots of people aren't as plugged in to our niche interests as we assume they will be. They genuinely may not know! Or they may know a bit from the news or from a friend. That doesn't mean they've already made up their mind yet. It would be a shame to push them out of the conversation because they aren't already on our side.
Instead, offer a brief education to get them up to speed. You don't need a full history lesson. Focus on the details that help them follow you along to your calls to action.
2. Describe your calls to action (plural).
When people have context on the issue, tell them about the actions you're going to take. People sometimes describe this as a call to action. But the first call to action (there's at least two) is for you. You know this problem well! What are you planning to do about it? I notice this a lot with most forms of online activism. We talk about systems of oppression—racism, sexism, capitalism, to name a few—all the time. But what steps are we taking against them?
Some folks describe a problem and then jump to, "and we need you to sign this petition" or some similar task. How will that petition help? Talk about what you or your group has planned. What are all the efforts you're taking?
This shouldn't be a long speech to get to the next call to action. Here's an summary of the entire speech: "This is what we know about the problem. This is what we plan to do about it. Here is what we need. Will you join us?" A structure like this brings your audience to level ground. It shares the big picture with them. It tells them what discrete task or action you need from them. And it invites them to take part.
3. Bring people in for tangible actions.
You're the one who knows the big picture. The structural changes to the systems that oppress us are within our grasp. And you need... someone to sign a petition? Fantastic! How will that bring about the changes we seek?
The millionaires tax in Massachusetts is one example of tangible action. Residents petitioned for the tax in 2018. The amendment passed both of Massachusetts' houses in 2022 before voters approved it. In its first year, it generated $1.8B in tax revenue. The tax itself wasn't end goal. Instead, the money funded infrastructure improvements across the state. It pays for free school lunches for every child in the state. The state now offers free community college tuition for every resident older than 25. Nursing school is free, too. It's fantastic!
I can't count the number of times some group has asked me to call my senators. Email my elected officials (of course I do, I'm not a monster). But how does that help? Most of the time I receive a form email back a few months later. My elected official (there's an image of their signature at the bottom of the email) thanks me for my time. And they patiently explain why they didn't do what I asked them to do.
This type of activism is necessary. We need people to do that. But lobbying our oppressors cannot be the only path we take. This is where a focus on the big picture helps. Where is the elected-officials campaign in the list of actions? How else can people change things?
4. If that doesn't work, move on.
Plenty of people are ready to be allies. Not everyone will be on our side. Some people may try to derail our plans, whether with good or malice in their heart. Stick to your resolve on the actions you and your allies have made. Focus your efforts on people who get what you're trying to do and want to help.
What if we're missing something? It's possible! There could be many paths to the solutions we need. If we're close to the problem and have a clear plan, we can move forward. The invitation above includes a plan and a request: "This is what we plan to do about the problem. This is what we need. Will you join us?" We still have actions we can take on our own or with the partners we've already gathered.
now we know
It's so easy to fall into infighting or listlessness. American society as a whole seems to cycle between those two moods every day. I'm waiting for decision-makers to describe a vision that isn't "more harm to more people." Even "a smaller amount of harm on the same number of people" won't cut it. We need actions that make a difference in people's lives.
"If only they knew" is a comforting idea to fall back on. But we already know. What are we doing about it?
my name is josh martinez. i have always loved trying to understand systems, and the systems that built those systems. i spend a lot of time thinking about how to get there from here.
i own and operate a consulting practice, Future Emergent.
say hello! josh@bethefuture.space
sometimes i go back and edit these posts after i publish them. you can always visit bethefuture.space for the most up-to-date version of this post.
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