Stop glorifying people
who live in vans

> Why being homeless is not the answer

Cazzy Lewchuk
Interim Opinions Editor

 

t seems like almost every
week, there’s a new story
about someone, usually
a millennial, responding
to rising housing costs by
choosing to set up house
ina car, van, tent, shed, or
some other sort of non-
traditional housing structure.

Most of the time, these
stories are positive, oooh-
ing and aaah-ing over the
“creative” approach to fight
against the rental market.
Some challenges of living in
the space are discussed, but it
ends up just being applause at
the person’s resourcefulness
and unique living situation.

I cannot emphasize this
enough: Such a situation
should not be common,
praised, or especially seriously
suggested as a lifestyle that
most people should try.
Certainly, a few people—by
choice—choose to live out of
their vans or tents. Kudos to
them for saving money on rent,
and embracing a minimalist
lifestyle. But the vast majority
of people don’t want to live in
something that is not in any
way a house or housing unit.
It’s ridiculous to glorify that
sort of living as something
that’s “resourceful,” instead
of tragic and frustrating.

As we all know, the
housing and rental market in
Vancouver—like most major

 

cities—is at a crazy all-time
high, and finding a place to live
that won't break the bank is
tough. Rarely do I see stories of
the abysmal living conditions
found in so many homes
around the city, explanations
on how the market got this way,
or first-hand accounts on the
difficulty of rental costs here.
Articles covering
“alternative” housing situations
aren't just silly—they’re
embarrassing and frustrating
to those who are having
housing trouble. Essentially,
they are encouraging
homelessness as a positive
solution to living insecurity.
Living in a car should not be
taken seriously as a lifestyle for
anyone to take up. It’s almost
suggesting that it’s our fault
we can't afford extreme rent
prices—and that we should
all just be more creative
and live in a tent instead.
People have been living
in different structures than
houses for a long time, but
never before has it been seen
as “cool,” or “minimalistic.”
We should feel pity and
anger about those who live
alternatively because of an
unforgiving market, not
writing human interest
stories on them. We should
also cover the many in this
city who live in single-room
occupancy, unstable or illegal
units, or other unreasonable
living situations. These aren't
glorified by the media—so
why is living in vehicles?

Image via /www.nest-mag.com

Terrible and shameful
political coverage

> Irresponsible media and a train-wreck election

Cazzy Lewchuk
Interim Opinions Editor

 

ve been writing opinion pieces

for years, and have written a lot
more in the past couple months.
Until now, I’ve not done a whole
piece on the racist, fascist,
frightening leader, Donald
Trump. What can be said that
hasn't already been said? I’m as
confused, shocked, and terrified
as millions of others around the
world of how such an out-of-
control megalomaniac has gotten
so dangerously close to being the
most powerful man in the world.

It’s not just Trump that
terrifies—this election features
two of the least popular
candidates for president running,
ever. Hillary Clinton is widely
hated on both sides—by Trump
supporters, conservatives
who hate Trump, and Bernie
Sanders supporters alike.
The mainstream media is

almost entirely to blame for
this ridiculous train-wreck of
an election. Above all else, they
have given very little coverage
of the candidate’s backgrounds
and policies. Bernie Sanders is
an experienced politician with
a progressive agenda going
back decades. Hillary Clinton
is even more qualified, and has
worked in every level of national
politics with former and current
presidents. Donald Trump has
never even been a politician,
and has a long history of ripping
people off, breaking the law, and
sexual harassment/misconduct.

  

Yet the history and
platforms have been completely
overshadowed by inflation
of the candidate’s image.

“Donald is a rich
businessman who speaks his
mind and people love it!”

“Hillary Clinton was
investigated by the FBI
for deleting emails!”

“Bernie Sanders is leading
a campaign of people angry
with systematic politics!”

All these statements are true,
but they are not as important
as the candidate’s track record,
beliefs, or ability to lead the
country. For such an important
and powerful office, the media
has dedicated very little attention
away from the inflated surface
profiles of those running.

Political campaigns are
directed and influenced by
the media portrayal. Bernie
Sanders received considerably
less attention on his influence
or accomplishments than
his opponents did. Hillary
is repeatedly harassed and
vilified by the media, leading to
press conference refusals and
a public perception of being
indifferent and unfriendly.
Trump took a different approach,
and built his entire campaign
on accusing the media of
being biased against him.

Due to the US media often
dominating internationally, this
nightmare election is prominent
in general knowledge. However,
irresponsible and dangerous
media influence happens
everywhere. Our own Canadian

election last year was constantly
overshadowed by the image of
the candidates. Justin Trudeau
is young, hot, and the son of a
previous prime minister. Thomas
Mulcair is the angry leader of
the NDP. Stephen Harper is our
current, boring prime minister,
and is seeking a fourth term.
Detailed coverage of these
people’s plans for Canada’s
future was an afterthought.

A media that does not
depict politics in an informative
or honest sense isn’t just
irresponsible, it can be incredibly
dangerous. It leads to people
like Donald Trump becoming
presidential candidates. It leads
to legitimatizing a voice and
platform of nationalism, racism,
and xenophobia. The more
camera-time and attention we
give to politicians and campaigns
that pledge to ban Muslims,
immigrants, and refugees from
the country, the more this
attitude takes root. It spreads
misinformation, ignorance,
and above all, intolerance.

It’s no wonder so many
young people feel frustrated,
powerless, and disinterested
when it comes to politics. We
don’t understand how the
process really works, and we don’t
know why insane, incompetent
candidates are allowed to run for
office. The news media lies to
us and wont do its primary job
of presenting a factual, neutral,
and thorough understanding
of the democratic process that
affects our lives in so many ways.

 

 

Illustration by Ed Appleby