And she thinks we owe each other more kindness.
By Indrani Sen Culture Editor, Opinion |
"We are emerging from what may be the most introspective year in American history," writes the journalist Jessica Bruder, whose book "Nomadland" was the basis for Chloé Zhao's multiple Academy Award-winning feature starring Frances McDormand. "The pandemic has prompted much talk of interconnectedness and empathy, what we owe one another as a society." |
And a good place to start would be humane treatment of people experiencing homelessness, and those who call their vehicles home. As homelessness in the United States continues to rise, pandemic-related eviction moratoriums are set to expire later this year and measures that essentially criminalize homelessness are proliferating in cities across the country, advocates are warning that there is a crisis ahead. |
"We are very concerned — bordering on terrified — about what the future might hold," Tristia Bauman, an attorney at the nonprofit National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, told Bruder. |
Bruder, who lived in a van while researching her book, describes the visceral terror of "the knock" — when a police officer or other authority figure knocks on the window of a vehicle that a person is living in to tell the occupant to move along. The knock can be a preamble to worse outcomes, including harassment, fines or towing, which can leave the inhabitant without even the meager safety of a vehicle. |
In Zhao's film, McDormand's character Fern is startled by just such a knock, a scary interruption to a quiet meal. |
"Watching the character's panic at the sudden sound of a fist hitting her van gave me anxious flashbacks," Bruder wrote. "Then it made me sad. Then I felt angry, because that scene was just too accurate, and I wished it didn't reflect the reality of how people treat one another." |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com |
Contact Us
If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment