Last night, I made my way downtown to oppose a local city council proposition. In short, the proposition would create barriers of entry to those who wish to provide food and supplies to our unhoused neighbors; something we take part in as a gym. Because our unhoused friends already face insurmountable challenges, I felt it was important enough for me to use my voice for. I prepared my two-minute statement and read it aloud to the Indianapolis City Council and a crowded, emotional room.

I'm proud that Academic Grappling exists in a way that allows us to help and assist those in need. We are very unique in this regard. No other gym puts time and energy and money into service like we do. I am so grateful that we can do good in this world and make our communities safer.

Below are my comments as I made them:

“Prop 256 claims to be a measure to prevent littering, property damage, and violence among unhoused individuals working with volunteer service groups, however this council has made it apparent that it does not actually care about any of these things.

“Instead of drafting propositions to better the lives of the everyday citizen of Indianapolis, this council has instead consistently increased the budgets of IMPD and law enforcement in hopes of deterring crime. However, as inflation rises and wages fall, housing becomes more unstable and need rises. IMPD, despite its largest budget in history, is an absolute failure; serving only to imprison and harm the most destitute in this city. 

“Study after study has proven time and again that if any city wishes to actually reduce crime and prevent homelessness, then they will provide access to food, healthcare, secure housing, meaningful employment, livable wages, mental healthcare, and a strong community support system; things this council has intentionally elected to not provide sufficient funding for. 

“Because this city has refused to step up and help its vulnerable citizens, we have had to step in and do the work ourselves by sharing our food and supplies with our unhoused neighbors. This council - being lax in caring for its vulnerable - has actively attempted to thwart our efforts to do so. And now, this council has the gall to create new ordinances to create barriers to engaging in acts of kindness by corralling us into designated areas that our unhoused neighbors may struggle to reach. This ordinance shows no thought or empathy to our friends without an address, but instead serves to remove human beings this committee considers visually displeasing from the neighborhoods they live in. 

“I am a special education teacher. I see how our society - our city - fails my students and shoves them to the fringes. I see when others step in to assist, our city intervenes - not to help the vulnerable - but to punish those who would offer compassion. I am tired of seeing such a bleak future for so many of my students. I am tired of seeing the IMPD homeless outreach sweep their encampments while laughing and smiling and making sickening comments about our unhoused neighbors, many of whom are struggling with mental illness, addiction, and undeserved destitution. I am tired of the lack of kindness from our city. I am tired of the lack of care or concern. I am tired of the lack of any sort of plan that doesn’t involve a badge and a gun and a jail cell. I am tired of this council and I am just plain tired.”

All comments in regards to the proposition can be found here:

https://indianapolis.granicus.com/player/clip/22169?meta_id=185890