The overabundance of memes and the shallow thoughtless commentary that comes with it on social media has often led me to jump in and start a more thorough discussion of the topic at hand. I have been told I’m taking it too seriously, and while I recognize many memes are jokes I also recognize that deeper discussions are needed on some of these topics. I believe that there is power in words and if we are not attentive to how we use our words then we are creating situations for ourselves that we don’t actually want. With a meme an idea or concept is condensed and therefore needs careful consideration before it’s put in the world to spread like wildfire to people who do not think for themselves.
Here is a recent example that I’d like to provide a response to.
This meme bothers me for two reasons.
First, it doesn’t take into account the time effort and money that has to go into maintaining the trees and their produce. It looks right over how obstructive falling fruit would be on sidewalks and in city streets. Damaging cars, bikes, creating festering piles of rot and generally being a hazardous nuisance. I agree with the fundamental desire to grow food for those in need that is easily accessible on public property, but most definitely not on city sidewalks. There are public parks and many tracks of green land that buffer streets and rivers, train trusses and tracks, these green spaces would be an excellent place to plant fruit trees and other food producing plants. I’m not sure why so many people are focused on city streets as the location for this process. Homeless people hang out in the hidden green spaces much more than on city streets. Also the fruit could be consumed by anyone, youth, travelers, we all deserve to eat.
Secondly this meme puts the entire effort on the shoulders of the city, it assumes that someone else, somewhere in the political realm should handle this for us. Our society has really gotten lazy. It’s true that the government is supposed to work for us and what we want, and is supposed to use our tax dollars in the ways we demand, but come on, it’s obvious that political discourse and government time and energy is self serving in the modern world we live in. The idea of spending funds on something for the benefit of the poor won’t fly in most municipalities. So rather than encourage people to all talk about how someone else in some official position should pay another someone else that is not you to do something you think is a good idea, is a lost cause. Instead we should be taking action ourselves. No city is going to do this for us, a non profit organization might step up with some urban gardening situations to help out, and if this is happening near you, then volunteer, be part of the solution rather then just clicking a share button.
Civil disobedience is the proper response to this, if you want to see fruit trees growing for the homeless to eat, well then go plant them. Just don’t plant them in a place of inconvenience, they will only get removed, with your tax dollars. Instead find out where those green places are within your city, explore it’s lesser known corners and plant a fruit tree that is native to your area. This will require a little research, and a little effort on your part. Don’t ever think someone else needs to make things happen for you, it’s up to you to make the change you want to see in the world. Sharing a poorly thought out meme isn’t enough.
What I’d rather see is a call to action. A meme that says “Go out and sow the seeds of fruits and vegetables wherever they will be able to flourish so that anyone can eat.” Or something along those lines. That verbiage could use some work and modification. Herein lies the difficulty in sharing ideas with memes, you don’t have room for elaboration or explanation. That’s what the comments section becomes for I guess, and hopefully there are more people out there who are joining the conversation to correct the assumptions that some other agency will do all these things for you. I encourage you to become a renegade, initiate some guerrilla gardening, but do it with intention, and contemplation. Know your native plants, know your green spaces, know that you can make this vision possible if you only get up, go out, and make it happen yourself.
