In a mind-blowing rebuttal that has forced you to reconsider everything you once held true, the man you’re having a conversation with just correctly pointed out that there are bigger issues than the specific problem you’re discussing, rendering the entire issue moot.
“Somehow Jason and I started discussing how our culture socializes us to treat homeless people,” you say. “I was saying how the concept of not giving people money because of the assumption that they’ll spend it on drugs is fucked up since it’s not your business what someone spends their money on, when Jason started to get defensive.”
“It seemed like he was going to disagree with me that it’s always good to help someone out if you have the means,” you add. “But then he shifted gears and said that homelessness is a public policy failure, and actually a much bigger issue than how private citizens treat the homeless.”
Check-fucking-mate, bitch! You just can’t argue with cold hard facts.
Though you were resistant at first, Jason’s observation is so true and novel, that it basically imploded your argument.
“Initially I was like, well the cultural dehumanization and vilification of the unhoused, mentally ill, and people with substance abuse issues are directly related to how the systematic oppression of these groups is upheld,” you say. “But on further reflection, I realized that Jason was speaking the truth. There’s always a larger issue to be found, and once you find it, you actually no longer have to contemplate or address the smaller issues that are symptoms of the larger one.”
“It’s actually frivolous and borderline selfish to talk about any problem that isn’t the absolute nexus of human inequality and suffering,” you add. “I’m grateful that Jason taught me that.”
We were even able to get a quote from the truth-bomb-dropper himself.
“Yeah, I don’t give homeless people money, because symptom-treating a societal disease actually makes it worse,” Jason says. “This is the same reason I refuse to learn about things like ‘microaggressions’ or ‘fatphobia’. Like, don’t people realize that female genital mutilation still happens in some countries? People’s priorities are so messed up.”
Our eyes are finally open. Thank you, Jason!
