NOVEMBER 3, 2023 POLITICS Cartoons are a depiction of our actions There is no doubt that cartoons — from children’s books to political cartoons — bring valuable life lessons. With records indicating that more than 1.6 billion people live in inadequate housing worldwide, how is homelessness being represented through satirical cartoons? Titled “How America Solved the Homeless Crisis,” this cartoon by Pat Bagley depicts how many turn a blind eye to homeless people. It begins with stigmas around the homeless that MAY THET NAING U-M Student contributor GROUNDCOVER NEWS 11 Dick Wright, Cagle Cartoon, 2023 dreamt of spending our adult lives freezing in cold weather? This is the reality of homelessness. With people living on the streets being more vulnerable to fatal cases of frostbite, it is reported that 700 people experiencing homelessness yearly are killed from hypothermia in the United States. This does not include other deadly conditions homeless people experience, including unsanitary living conditions, stress, violence, inadequate food and limited access to health care. The Signe Wilkinson piece brings up Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune an important question: “Who does homelessness concern?” Though the obvious answer is everyone, all of us often get lost in shifting the blame onto others. As portrayed by the cartoon, the time spent figuring out whether Democratic or Republican states have the highest amount of homeless people residing there could also be used to see the bigger picture — how do we solve the problem of 582,000 people experiencing homelessness in all of the United States? Homelessness is everyone's concern because the issue is a vivid reflection of the state of our society. Significant reasons behind homelessness include lack of access to affordable housing due to ever-rising house prices, domestic abuse, limited employment opportunities, addiction and mental illness. The most extreme problems people face globally are all interconnected. Just as income disparity drives homelessness, homelessness drives poverty rates. Perhaps we should begin to see these effects of homelessness as a wake-up call — a call where we start to recognize that this is all of our problem. These cartoons are just the tip of the iceberg in displaying the difficulties of those without a home. Nevertheless, through satirical art we can come to acknowledge the true acts of ignorance and disregard many have toward homelessness. In many historical movements, art has done a beautiful job of drawing attention to social issues. But what should follow art? Collaborative long-term effective action! Signe Wilkinson, The Philadelphia Inquirer many people believe that homeless people are all lazy or violent criminals. The act of simply “drawing curtains” on the homeless, as indicated by the cartoon, can be interpreted as a reflection of policies that fail to address the root causes of homelessness. For instance, in Detroit, initiatives to deal with the issue led to the creation of a housing services helpline where people can call in to receive legal resources for evictions or report poor rental conditions. Since its launch, however, the service has been described as a “dehumanizing experience” as users highlight long phone wait times, insufficient operating hours, and frequently being informed that there was no local shelter they could be placed in. As children, we had dreams of pursuing any career we wished to, but who
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