Read on Twitter
Passengers stood by while a coward choked out an unhoused young man experiencing a mental health crisis. This occurred partially because many people don’t know the difference between feeling UNCOMFORTABLE in public spaces & being UNSAFE in public spaces. Here’s what I mean 🧵
Sometimes the appearance, words &/or movements of individuals notably experiencing distress in public can make us feel UNCOMFORTABLE in public spaces. This does not make us bad people. Our feelings, which sometimes betray logic & our values, don’t define us—our actions do.
Acting or behaving like we are UNSAFE, like our lives are in danger when individuals notably experiencing distress in public is a serious character flaw. It’s also dangerous, not for us, but for individuals who are struggling.
Because we talk about public safety using a narrow law enforcement lens, ignoring psychological, historical and cultural dimensions most people again wrongly conflate feeling UNCOMFORTABLE in public spaces & being UNSAFE in public spaces.
It’s also true that feeling uncomfortable & being unsafe are not mutually exclusive, which complicates things. Still, all of us as individuals along with municipalities must address this complexity to ensure that the most vulnerable among us aren’t executed due to discomfort.
Amid increased public space violence, it’s really important for us to examine ourselves and public space policies to move forward in a manner that truly addresses all of the dimensions of safety. More on all of the above soon.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
