The Distortion Between The Visibility of Homelessness & The Spectacle of Capitalism
When we look at homeless people, but don't see them
I was twenty-one years old when I started working in a men's shelter. On the first day of work, as I was walking up to the building, I noticed drops of blood on the sidewalk. A man was sleeping on the ground.
By the entrance, a group of men taller than me was arguing about who had gotten there first. I had to squeeze between them to pull the door open. The heat from their bodies made me sweat. They barely moved away. My first thought was why are they out here, instead of inside?
When I pulled the door, it was closed. I said, "It's my first day" in a voice I could barely hear.
I was so scared, I didn't even think to knock.
One of the men pounded on the door with his fist and I jumped back. I readied myself to kick his balls and run. The man yelled, "Ya'll open the door for this misses here. It's her first day."
The fear I felt that day was based on stigma. I mean I was twenty-one but already programmed to see the world a certain way even if I was part of the community I was judging. I had just gotten out of homelessness myself. Yet here I was wanting them to hide their situation, their existence.
This reaction is common and easy to fall into. A friend of mine Tony Robles, a poet just released a poetry collection with a poem in it that illustrates this very reaction. I was able to get him to read it for us so here he is.
Tony has other gorgeous poems in the collection so I've added the link to his book for you here.
We don't know if the woman in Tony's poem was experiencing homelessness. Still, it reminds me of how often I have looked at but not seen a person.
And this is what Miami Beach Commissioners are doing. They approved an ordinance to arrest persons experiencing homelessness who refuse shelter services. The link to the news media video is here.
They are looking at the visual representation of homelessness but not seeing the people in need.
The ordinance didn't work in Orlando or anywhere else in the country.
Criminalizing homelessness will not solve the problem. It won't even erase the visual representation of homelessness which is what cities really want.
Jessica Gerrard and David Farrugia explain in The ‘Lamentable Sight’ of Homelessness and the Society of the Spectacle that urban public places are spaces for the spectacle of capitalism and consumerism. What commissioners really want is for the city to reflect the pristine spectacle of capitalism so tourists and businesses can continue to consume the idea of MB as a paradise. This illusion of Florida being a paradise is becoming more and more difficult to maintain with the increased effects of climate change, high housing costs, and the increased public awareness of the inequalities marginalized communities face.
Until policymakers work with residents, developers, and social justice organizations to address those inequalities, not even throwing more money at the problem, will solve the root cause of homelessness.
In the meantime, I'm examining my own inclination to view homelessness as a disruption of normal life. Recently, my husband and I went to eat at a nice restaurant. We ate outside to enjoy the breezy cool night. The streets were busy with people walking back and forth. Everyone was dressed to impress. The city of Lakeland is a nice artsy with a small-town vibe which is in the middle of Tampa and Orlando. It has been growing just like its sister cities.
My husband noticed a person experiencing homelessness was sleeping just a few feet away from the dining area. After a few minutes, the three police cars showed up and the officers woke the man up. My husband and I watched the whole scene from our dinner table. With the police on the scene, the cars had to slow down and go around the cruisers. People walking on the sidewalk slowed to see what was happening. Some couldn't walk by because the officers were in the way. The display of force and the officers weren't aggressive at all, but the display of the police cruisers, the lights, and the uniformed officers caused more of a commotion than the man who had been sleeping in a corner.
My husband and I wanted to stand up, abandon our meals, and advocate for the man. We didn't.
After a few minutes, the officers left without arresting the man. As soon as they left, we continued to eat and enjoy ourselves. The man who was now awake moved to another area. Homelessness has been part of communities since the beginning of time. Moving to jail or hiding it under the carpet won't make it away.
Thank you for reading. Please share this post.
Thanks for this, Nilsa. It’s wise and moving, and I, too, want to be able to see instead of so often looking away.
Another brilliant, touching meditation, Nilsa. Thank you! And when I look, I will try to see.