Linguine Zine Iss. 02 Vol. 01 Jan. '24

LINGUINE ZINE Language carries more than words.

ISS. 02

VOL. 01

JAN. ‘24

THE WORDS WE USE

LINGUISTICS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE LANGUAGE REPRESENTS CULTURE, AND OUR WAY OF SPEAKING; IT IS A PART OF WHO WE ARE. IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE HUMAN MIND. AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, IF WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW LANGUAGE IS CREATED AND EVOLVES, IF WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THE WAY WE SPEAK HAS A DIRECT CORRELATION TO THE SYSTEMS WE LIVE IN. AND IF WE CAN TAKE LANGUAGE AWAY AS FODDER FOR BIGOTS, THEN MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, WE CAN LESSEN THE IMPACT OF BIGOTRY.

Or at least make them work harder for it.

False

Narratives “They don’t want help.”

“It’s the drugs.”

“They made bad choices.”

MYTHS CREATED TO DIVIDE US When it comes to homelessness, public perception is intrinsically tied to government action and available resources. So when we believe these false narratives, it furthers exacerbates the problem.

These narratives are justification for systems that are failing half a million Americans. They keep us comfortable and blind from the fact that these are the same systems that are also failing us, while favoring the lucky few.

Housing is unaffordable.

No social support.

Temporary shelters are unsafe.

WE CAN’T

arrest

OUR WAY

out of this.

RECENTLY SEEN IN THE R/SEATTLE SUBREDDIT: A QUESTION ASKING WHY PEOPLE STEAL DETERGENT. THE TOP ANSWER? “TO FUND THEIR DRUG HABITS.” Wouldn’t that be a nice narrative?

That way we don’t have to sit in the discomfort knowing that same systems that failed 650,000 Americans would also fail us.

If we continue thinking that it’s “their problem” and not “our problem”, then we concern ourselves more with our own comfort than the reality of our fellow humans.

Conflating substance abuse with homelessness is a dangerous narrative when less than 50% of unhoused people in Seattle* struggle with substance abuse.

KNOW (it’s not the unhoused population)

YOUR (it’s those who put profit over people)

ENEMY

When will we see that homelessness is a glaring sign of a system that favors a lucky few over the many? *According to the 2016 Homeless Needs Assessment conducted by the city of Seattle.

WHEN WEALTH IS PASSED OFF AS MERIT, BAD LUCK IS SEEN AS BAD CHARACTER. THIS IS HOW IDEOLOGIES JUSTIFY PUNISHING THE SICK AND THE POOR.

BUT POVERTY IS NEITHER A CRIME, NOR A CHARACTER FLAW. STIGMATIZE THOSE WHO LET PEOPLE DIE, NOT THOSE WHO STRUGGLE TO

LIVE.

Our fellow humans.

THE PROBLEM ISN’T DRUGS OR MENTAL ILLNESS, IT’S POVERTY. POVERTY IS CREATED BY OUR AMERICAN SYSTEMS. LET’S START TALKING ABOUT IT

PEOPLE OVER PROFIT

RESOURCES

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