One Protester Moves It Off The Streets!
We are in a very exciting and scary time in our lives, where people are starting to wake up and realize if we don't like what is going on, we have to do something about it. This is easier said than done. Most people, myself included, had no idea where to start. The last election left us feeling heartbroken, defeated, and scared. We were a nation left in shellshock and mourning.
But the Phoenix must burn before the baby can rise of the ashes, right? America needed a wake up call, we were becoming too complacent. Now we have spit and a lot to fight for, and with that brings passion, love, art, and change.
So, what do we do?? That is the age old question. What can one person do? Actually a lot.
A lot of people feel like their vote isn't heard, so, why bother, but those people often are the ones only voting for just the president. Yes, who our president is, is very important, but in a lot of ways he (or she) is more of a figurehead with some power. Our representatives, senators, and local congress are actually much more important for our day to day lives, and in those elections, your voice really does matter.
On top of knowing the right people to vote for, and actually voting in the smaller elections, we need to go grassroots! I’m very excited to see all the protests that are springing up. It isn’t just Occupy Wall Street anymore. The masses are taking to the streets, and the government will have to start to listen. But is protesting enough? I would argue no. It is powerful and unifying, which are both very important. It gives great imagery for a movement, also important, but how much does our government listen. I would argue, not very much. They will conclude that it is a small consistent group making the noise and therefore they can be ignored.
This is why I am very impressed by John Richey. John Richey is a protester with a mission. He is thinking outside the box of just protesting and helping to insure that our government actually hears what the protesters, and the rest of us, are actually saying. John Richey is an artist; so, making signs for his protests was second nature. However, he realized that protests can only go so far and to keep the energy moving he needed to do more. So, he shrunk down his signs and turned them into postcards. This way, the movement doesn’t have to stay on the streets. More importantly, it makes its way into the offices of our representatives in a very clear and powerful way.
Because, on top of knowing who we should be voting for across the different positions, we need to communicate with these people. These individuals are voted in; therefore, we are basically deciding if they get the job or not, which means they need to be on top of helping out their constituents, or they can lose their job. Like most people, once they are held in check, they will be forced to do a good job at their job. So, never forget to call, email, or send beautiful pointed postcards to your representatives so that they know what we need. We are their boss, in a way, let's start acting like it!
John Richey’s postcards are perfect for this, because each of them has a very powerful message on the front, which the writer can then use to jump start the conversation. I can say one thing, there is no way anyone going through their mail will miss these postcards or the message they wish to convey.
On top of this very important use of John Richey’s postcards, many galleries across the country have displayed them. He has been shown in the Black Ball Projects (Brooklyn. NY), WORKS/san jose (San Jose. CA), Eclipse Mill Gallery (North Adams. MA), Ground Floor Gallery (Brooklyn. NY), and Catalyst Gallery (Beacon, NY). In many cases, these shows have been giving a significant portion of their proceeds to groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists and Save the Children (Syria).
I was lucky enough to receive a stack of these postcards to send out to my own representatives, but if you are interested in getting some of your own, please reach out to John directly via social media or email (info@johnrichey.org).
To see more of John Richey’s work please check out his website here: http://www.johnrichey.org/
Or follow him on Instagram here: @john.richey
Article written by Kira Bucca, Editor in Chief of Jejune Magazine
