Blindspot Busters

Over the past week I have had friends accusing me of excessive behaviour. When I experience an autistic meltdown it is horrific to experience for everyone, myself included. Generally I can calm myself out of extreme states when I have the support of kind loving person to help ground me, or I can ground myself if I find a calm space I can sit and collect my thoughts. The issue with the later is that there are fewer and fewer places in New Zealand that feel safe and calm these days.

As I have I been travelling around the North Island this past weeks I have been speaking to a number of people about the things that have been happening. Below is my thoughts, my opinion, my perspective on the information I have gathered. Here are a few of the things I feel are ‘excessive’ in our society at present, in no particular order…

THREATS OVER POLITE ENQUIRY
On Tuesday 13 May, I continued a photography project I started in Gisborne in Tauranga. At this particular office in Tauranga the staff in the office threatened me because I was taking a photo with two friends. It would have been totally acceptable to ask us what we were doing. They didn’t do that. They went straight to threatening to call the police if we didn’t vacate the premises immediately. To me this was ‘excessive’.

I appreciate that the National and Act MPs (and therefore their staff) are receiving a lot of flack at the moment, however threatening behaviour invites violence. I would never have resorted to any uncivilised behaviour. They felt threatened, I believe, because I was wearing my oversized Stolen Girlfriends leather jacket and one of my friends helping was a man of the streets. Regardless of how we might of appeared to the people inside the office, threatening behaviour is intimidation. I do not think that is an appropriate response to the public from our elected officials or their staff. Maybe that’s just me?

POLICE PRESENCE IN GISBORNE DURING A TANGI
On Monday 12 May there was a tangi being held in Gizzy. There were gang affiliations involved. As a response to this, there was an increased police presence. Everyone I spoke to agreed that a police presence was not necessarily a problem, and some of the public really appreciated seeing the police actively about. However, the majority of people I spoke felt the approach the police choose to take was ‘excessive’. For some of the public, myself included, the police presence was incredibly intimating. It felt like there was a terrifying gang out on the streets. It felt disrespectful.

This ‘excessive’ presence impacted me reasonably severely. The whirring of the helicopter overhead whilst I was trying to pack, say my goodbyes and organise my travel plans set off my audio sensitivity and I struggled to think straight. I was self-conscious, afraid that my reaction to this sensitivity was being judged, and with the increased uniforms around I felt I needed to focus more on maintaining a ‘socially acceptable’ presentation – which left very little brain space left to actually focus on what I needed to do.

From the discussion I had with people they agreed that if half the officers had of been plain clothes and the helicopter hadn’t been overhead the entire day, there would not have been an issue. Wanting extra support in case something bad happens is okay, but to assume something bad would happen and be domineering in the way the police were in this instance, made is seem over the top.

ALL THE ‘RED TAPE’ PEOPLE ARE REQUIRED TO NAVIGATE
I am going to keep this one brief purely because it could be a series of posts on its own. Instead I will simply ask, why does someone need to prove they are still blind every two years in order to receive support in our society? And further to that, why is the burden of proof on them, all the costs, the requirement to complete all the paperwork… WHEN THEY ARE BLIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soz. Bit angry about it.

THE NUMBER OF HUNGRY PEOPLE EVERYWHERE I GO
I appreciate that most people see someone on the street and look the other way. Some might give them some money, some might give food, too many judge unnecessarily. These people are my friends. They are the ones who are consistently able to hold space for me and my big feelings. They treat me like a valuable human being consistently. More consistently than my own blood family. They have never criticised me for being angry, for being overly sensitive or for being in sensory overload (otherwise known as an autistic meltdown). These people are literally the most kind, compassionate people you will ever meet. If they have something that you need, (company, a ciggie, a laugh, directions), they will give it to you freely. Why is it that the most kind compassionate people I have met in our society are all starving?

You will hear more about this in later posts as I will be launching a campaign #kaiforeveryone in response to this, however I believe there is more than enough food in this country to feed everyone. If we have food available for export, we have food available for kiwis – and the fact that so many are starving, to me, is an example of excessive greed over compassion. Just my opinion.

ADD PHOTO

REACHING FOR PUNITIVE PUNISHMENT OVER COMPASSIONATE CARE
Having been on the receiving end of many people screaming at me because my autistic traits (particularly the meltdowns) are perceived as completely unacceptable behaviour that any adult should be able to control, I know first hand what a punitive punishment over compassionate care feels like. That this happens so frequently for me shows me how lacking we are as a society on education about people who experience life a little differently from others. Without understanding, compassion is difficult. However, many of the people I have experienced this behaviour from are not willing to take the time to listen, let alone learn, so understanding becomes impossible.

I see this behaviour in the way our current government approaches any issue. Kids being disruptive – send them to boot camp. Someone is distressed, lock them up and inject them against their will. Someone is hungry, lock them away for trying to get food. Kids are bored, crush their cars. All of these approaches to me are very clear examples of punitive punishment over compassionate care. If we actually talked to all the people impacted, not just the loudest ones, we might get better ideas for how to move forward.

THE CONCEPT OF A ‘COMPLIANCE WARDEN’
So Jonathan and I were out in Auckland the other night, and when I came back to the car after a particular mission he pointed out to me what was written on the bright yellow vests walking around. They read ‘compliance warden’. He was baffled. So was I. Comply with what exactly? Personally I find this entire approach to be excessively aggressive. I will be investigating this further as it has disturbed me that the city I was born in thinks this is an appropriate approach to anti-social behaviour.

NEXT STEPS
If I have learnt anything in the last few years working on Blindspot Busters as a concept, it is that the one thing most likely to stop anti-social behaviour is compassion. Where is the aroha? Where is the love? Where is the kindness? Where is the curiosity? It seems to me everyone is struggling so much they have forgotten how to be compassionate. So why are we as a society continuing to accept the struggle? I see no reason why we have to. There is always another way. I have plenty of ideas. Maybe you do too. Feel free to share them in the comments below.