Vox-Pop

          If we hang out only with people who share our views and values, stepping outside that circle from time-to-time might be seen as a form of shock therapy – unpleasant but good for us. To push the metaphor a little further, occasional exposure to opinions we find abhorrent might inoculate us against catching them.

          I was testing these half-baked theories on Tuesday morning, when I joined a group of fellow leafleteers outside our city’s Crown Court, where we were canvassing support for our cause – opposition to the Government’s proposed curtailment of citizens’ right to elect for a trial by jury. The bill was, that day, being presented to parliament by none other than a Prime Minister who had formerly been a human rights lawyer and his deputy, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, a politician who had previously defended the jury system as a “fundamental safeguard” of our justice system. Well, as we all know, political theory rarely survives contact with reality. Hence the need to leaflet.

          The venue we chose was more symbolic than practical. The footfall thereabouts comprises people working in the field of justice – many of whom will already be aware of the issue – and a trickle of passers-by who are otherwise engaged. The trick, as an activist, is to engage in conversation or, failing that, hand a leaflet to someone in a hurry, hoping they will not bin it without reading. This trick (non-threatening ways to approach strangers) can be learned, though some people have a natural talent for it. Alas, I am not in the latter category.

          After observing my fellows for a while, I decided to try my luck and detached myself from the pack to seek fresh hunting grounds. I chose a spot nearby, where a public sculpture had just been erected and people were lingering to view it. The Knife Angel is 27 feet high and made from knives that have been either confiscated or handed in to the police. It is toured around various towns, along with an educational and outreach programme centred around knife crime. Why it is in the form of an angel, I don’t know, but it commands attention, which is the main thing.

          My tactic was to wait until my targets had finished contemplating the sculpture before approaching them with a question that I had calculated to be neutral, non-intimidating and as close as possible to the kind of thing a professional vox-pop reporter (with a mic) might ask. “Excuse me, do you mind my asking whether you have a view on the proposed curtailment of your right to opt for trial by jury?” The clever part – in my opinion – was the inclusion of “your right”, by which I hoped to hand ownership of the subject to the interviewee.

          I’m pleased to report that I had some success. Two women expressed alarm at the advanced state of the bill in parliament and acted immediately to sign the petition via the QR code on the leaflet. I had a positive response from an elderly couple, but they were unable to get their phones to scan the QR code. Then there was a chap who wholeheartedly supported the petition, but when asked to sign it said he didn’t have time. Adhering to my training, I restrained myself from arguing and moved on. Unfortunately, next up was a man who told me, rudely, that I may not ask him the question, while his wife said nothing but adopted an expression like she’d just eaten something disgusting. Undaunted, I managed to hit it off with another couple, both of whom did the QR thing and seemed pleased with themselves.

          But things were about to take an ugly turn. All smiles, the man turned to me and said, “Now that’s sorted, let’s stop the boats!” I guess he didn’t pick up on my discomfort, as his next utterance was, “We should use them as target practice!” Needless to say, it was a bit of a shock for me, but whether it was therapeutic is questionable.