Why we made silly Public Comment Stickers
One of my favorite things about CivicLex is the lighthearted tone that we try to bring into our work. Civic issues are big and complicated and civic engagement can often be scary. Sometimes, especially recently, how we talk about democracy and civic health can have these overtones of panic, fear, and anger. A lot of that is deserved, but does it always do service to our work?
One thing that we have found is that it’s a lot easier to bring people into this work if we acknowledge what scary about it, while still trying to remain lighthearted and funny. That doesn’t mean that any of the work that we do is less serious, important, or impactful. It just makes it easier for us to reach people who might otherwise be intimidated or disillusioned, or at least that’s been our experience.
I designed these public comment stickers with that in mind!
For residents, showing up and giving public comment in City Hall is incredibly overwhelming. When you walk into council chambers, it feels like you’ve landed on another planet - a place that has different rules, aesthetics, and social expectations. In some meetings, as a resident, it literally feels like you’re going on a roller coaster where you have no control and aren’t fully able to see what’s around the corner.
Likewise, for city, staff and electeds, public comment can be terrifying, but in a totally different way. It’s a moment of extreme vulnerability, where anyone from the public can come up and confront or criticize you directly in front of a live televised audience (although, there generally aren’t that many people watching local access tv). Sure, that’s the job they signed up for, but that doesn’t mean that city employees and elected officials aren’t human, and that critique doesn’t feel personal or doesn’t hurt. So, for these, public comment can also can feel like a bit of a roller coaster where you can see what’s coming down the pike and it fills you with dread and excitement.
It’s with that spirit of duality, and a fondness for rad 1990s roller coaster t-shirts, that I designed this stupid sticker. It works for the people giving public comment, and it works for the people receiving public comment!
We hope that this little guy gives people a small opportunity to reflect and empathize with people that are sitting on the other side of the power spectrum.