Last week, my mom sent me this nice little article from the LA Times about pro-Obama street-art. She had sent it to me because she was wondering if some graffiti in Chicago referred to in passing was the same graffiti I had blogged about last November (I think it was).
This article got me thinking about the cumulative effect of pro-Obama graffiti. Personally, I think it's really positive, but I don't know if it's enough. I think that anti-McCain graffiti might be a necessary step for graffiti artists who hope to see Obama win the 2008 Presidency.
I don't really discuss my political leanings too much (well, apart from that Go Away, Bush thingie on my right sidebar), but I do not want John McCain to win.
I feel kinda weird about writing a post that attempts to inspire others to attack another person. Well, I'm not so much asking people to attack McCain, but discuss his policies, and why he would be a terrible President. Still, maybe I shouldn't? Am I just being a wishy-washy liberal (yeah, probably)? I just wanted to say that in this incitement for negative graffiti, I *have* thought about it, and after thinking about it I still think negative graffiti is required to defeat John McCain, and that its use is appropriate.
Earlier this year, I found a post on Bold Lentil, following a linkback from my Obama post.
The author had created a John McCain stencil as a tool for any interested parties in spreading McCain "fever", and said people were free to reuse, change the text, etc. He was essentially doing what I'm trying to do now, but wasn't being emphatic about it.
Okay. This is the emphatic part.
Graffiti artists. Street artists. People who just like slapping stickers on shit in public spaces. LISTEN TO ME. YOU NEED TO GET GOING. YOU NEED TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN. For every pro-Obama sticker you put up, put up an anti-McCain sticker. Get it?
Regarding the stencil above, I personally don't think the "BEAT IRAQ" message would be terribly effective. I'm thinking "PRO-WAR" -- "PRO-RICH" -- feel free to add your own succinct slogan in the comments.
As I was walking to work from the train today, I saw a somber, black oval sticker on a NO TURN ON RED sign. It had small white letters that read "John McCain '08". Any doubt I had about this incitement to negative graffiti immediately evaporated.
So what are you waiting for? GET GOING.
7 comments:
Honestly that stencil looks like Andy Rooney.
Google image search, first picture.
I agree that the slogan underneath needs some punching up. Your suggestions are great. May have to print this puppy out and use it!
Hey well I hope it looks like an angry Andy Rooney at least...
Thanks for the plug and the alternative captions. I did change the caption when I 'translated' the stencil into Spanish ;)
Estarcido de John McCain
Just say No to '4 more years' - '4 more months' is enough.
bl
You are a retard. What's with the 'let's get the word out about McCain' garbage? Republicans would love to 'get the word' out about Obama, but no one knows anything about him. He just reads speaches he didn't write from the monitor in front of him. He has no voting record and no one knows what the hell he really stands for. His policies are Socialist at best - I'd go so far as to say Communist. If people are worried about the economy now wait until Obama turns us into the new Soviet Union with a stagnant economy resulting from high taxes and wealth redistribution. He claims he's for the people, but he speaks in a condescending tone to those he is 'fighting' for. Oh, and he'll turn America into a pussy-nation like France.
Greg, thanks for stopping by! Do you think Obama has what it takes to turn the US into both a pussy-nation and a Communist country? You seem to think he is more capable of radical change in the US than I. And I am pretty sure I am not retarded, but I appreciate you sharing your professional opinion.
No, problem. Glad I could offer my opinion. Can Obama radically change the country? Probably not. But he can move us in the wrong direction (not that i think we are moving in the right direction now). I'm not a Bush fan, not a McCain fan. I just think a Dem in office is a bad idea considering the state of the economy and foreign relations/terrorism.
Greg, I thought you were just hit-and-running me earlier with a snide comment. Thanks for coming back to read my response, and for giving me more of your opinion (and not calling me a retard this time!).
I dunno, I'll admit I am a little predisposed against McCain, primarily due to the behavior of the Bush Administration of the last eight years. I see McCain having a very similar philosophy to Bush with regards to economic, social and foreign policy -- a philosophy which is at best misguided, and at worst dangerous.
I'm not really a political blogger, so I am not going to attempt to debate you on our difference of opinion. There are many people conveying their feelings similar to mine about Obama/McCain more eloquently and succinctly than me (some of them can be found on my blogroll).
I'd recommend you visit them and engage in a healthy debate (just don't open with "you're a retard"). Thanks for coming back.
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