A Diversity of Perspectives
I’m sure I’m not making a huge controversial statement when I say we’re living in a hyper polarized society today. There’s lack of trust in the media, our elected officials, and one another. It’s increasingly evident that many are just not willing to listen, let alone speak to, those on the “other side”. Similarly, I don’t think it’s too controversial to say we’re all guilty in varying degrees, myself included, of propagating toxic narratives of those who we feel stand across ideological divides than us. The faceless crowd of those who oppose our completely rational beliefs, with their completely irrational beliefs of their own. By doing so, we’ve lost sight of the individuals that make up these crowds, in favour of sweeping narratives and faceless villains. Accepting complexity fades and a self-righteous belief of the obvious “truth” takes hold.
It has been a year since The Fall of CHOP exhibit at Arts Commons, a collaborative project between myself and artist Nicole Wolf. The importance that I felt in showing the complexity of the individuals who participated on all sides of The Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) is just as important now as it was then. From the outside the lines were clear; Black Lives Matter protesters fighting for the rights of African Americans on one side, and the Seattle Police who played the role of villain and on the sidelines, The Proud Boys and Patriots cheering for the downfall of the movement. Yet this simplicity was hardly the case.
De-facto leader of CHOP Raz Simone was unashamed in his activism which spanned far before the CHOP movement. The idea of Black Lives Matter was a guiding principle for his actions, yet he made no attempt at hiding his distrust for the organization that bore the same name. Simone was also a proponent of gun rights and the second amendment, which typically does not align with those on the more progressive side of the political spectrum. Finally, he was also a fan of open and free speech, even to his detractors. He also enjoyed farming, hardly the first thing that comes to mind for a “gangster rap” artist. If complexity was a person, Raz would be his name. The caricatures of a “Warlord” or “Marxist” collapsed under any form of scrutiny.
I understand the need for simplicity, especially when tackling an issue, topic, or event that appears too vast or incomprehensible. Daunting topics like: The war against the Islamic State, COVID-19 policy, race relations in the United States, or even Reconciliation here at home. The idea of creating easy to digest narratives and one-dimensional characters based on snap judgements is a natural and understandable reaction to each of these topics. However, what I try not to lose sight on, is understanding that within these massive movements are individuals, and like you and I, are incomprehensibly complex.
Having the chance to speak with former Islamic State supporters, was eye opening in how rational their justification was to that choice. Coercion, fear, and hopelessness can push many people to choices we can’t understand on the surface but taking a moment to listen is all it takes to understand. Lighthearted conversations with many North Korean’s during my time there added a much-needed complexity to my understanding of that regime. This revelation and many others were found by listening, not speaking, and not making assumptions based on superficial understandings.
I wouldn’t want my Indigenous background to guide anyone’s preconceived understandings of what my political or social views are any more than what colour my eyes are. My values and beliefs are the culmination of 36 years of personal experiences, rational (and a “few” irrational) thoughts, and outside influences. Gavin John is not something that can be summed up in a single label and I’m sure you, the reader, wouldn’t want people to make the same assumptions.
It’s easy to assign people into buckets based on these broad labels, and then afterward treat them all the same. In the long run however, I believe it’s counter productive to achieving any form of cross divide understandings or tangible progress. Whether a person is anti-vaccine, pro-choice, religious, or pro-immigration, they all no doubt has reasons they’ve come to these conclusions. Take a moment to listen if you can, I’ve learned a few things by doing so.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t disagree and challenge ideas, far from it, I think healthy and constructive disagreement should be sought out. What I’m hoping for is that we see people on the “other side” as the culmination of complex individual choices in what to believe in and why. I just would hope that rather than shouting past each other, we maybe have a moment to speak to people one-on-one as individuals. Complexity leads to a more accurate representation of “truth”, if such a thing exists.
Don’t settle for single dimensional characters and complicate the narrative.
