Power Can Be Quiet
Activism in small visible acts
Prominently displayed on my HydroFlask are the following stickers.
Immigrants aren’t criminals, but the president is.
Gotta Nourish to Flourish,
Nevertheless She Persisted,
Women Belong in all Places Where Decisions Are Being Made,
Be Your Own Hero,
Be Kind to Your Mind,
Don’t Be Shitty.
A well rounded mix of words for the times we are in, don’t you think?
We know the president is in fact a convicted criminal and being an immigrant is not a crime. Immigrants are what make America rich in culture, language, traditions, diverse religions, food, music, all of it. We are all immigrants damnit, except indigenous peoples who have been here since, well, forever.
Nourish to Flourish: A reminder to adequately nourish our bodies and minds. A side note: It should not be so damn hard, but it is and resources to keep us healthy are getting more expensive and difficult to secure.
Nevertheless She Persists: Women have persisted for centuries to overcome the inequalities that continue to plague us and challenge our worth. Sure would be nice if we could catch a break.
Women should always be present where the decisions are made especially when those decisions involve our health and well being and that of our families. This is a NO BRAINER.
Be your own hero: A resounding YES. Advocate for yourself because nobody will do it for you.
Be kind to your mind: This is a shout out to mental health and why we cannnot not deny its importance to our daily existence and quality of life.
Don’t be shitty - is probably my favorite. Be kind to others and yourself without asking for anything in return. Furthermore, don’t be a bully. It seems to be a sickness that can’t be cured among some.
I wear these stickers on my flask like badges of liberal honor wherever I go. My intention is to be provocative. I want people to notice. I want people to comment. I want people to think about the words.
This small, seemingly insignificant act is how conversations begin, communities form and solidarity around concepts and ideals activate. There are witty folks crafting memes on all kinds of surfaces.
Proclamations such as these, summarize our collective conscious and bridge our humanity. Quotes from the famous and not so famous give us hope, guide us toward thinking beyond ourselves. They feed our need to find solidarity through words and phrases that we can grasp and which prompt us to take action.
Spreading the word through these visuals is just a part of my quiet power and activism strategy.
The back bumper of my Subaru is also adorned with quotes; Only you can resist fascism (with Smokey bear in the background) and Save the Books, Ban the Fascists.
F**k Elon which has been on a short hiatus, will return for its second run because, well, Elon is still an issue and still an a**hole.
I love driving my Subaru and take plenty of road trips, so the moving magnetic billboards are getting broad based exposure.
Parking lots and gas stations
Driveways And Drive-ups
Big and small city streets
State highways and interstates.
Smiles and thumbs up are the most common responses. When we took a seven state road trip this past summer, I was a little leery about whether the stickers or my car would survive without damage through a couple of those states. I was pleasantly surprised that good manners and kindness prevailed as both were left physically untouched.
I appreciated the restraint exercised by those who may have disagreed with my proclamations while we were traveling.
Since the pandemic, I have pumped up the volume of my voice regarding the general lack of empathy for others. During that time, the unwillingness of people to think globally about pubic health was astounding. The resistance to giving up a bit of their independence in order to ensure the safety of others stirred a heightened level of anger and disappointment in my soul.
What motivates people to act that way? Fear in many cases or an entitlement to their individual freedoms without understanding the broader implications. I have stopped analyzing the why’s and have moved on toward what I can do as a counter to those behaviors.
The lack of empathy continues, thus, my desire to be vocal has increased exponentially with each passing day the current regime terrorizes us. The inequality, unfairness, oppression, inhumane treatment and increasingly violent behavior toward others is being acted out by the very people whose charge it is to keep us free and safe. They are blatantly shirking their duties. The notion that this regime even cares remotely about us is clearly becoming a fallacy, which is the goal.
With that revelation, we need to be our own heros and not wait for others to ensure our safety and freedom.
An educator by nature and profession, my style of teaching, sharing, offering advice has never been and is not currently forceful or confrontational. Instead, I choose more subtle teaching overtures through the use of words and art. When more direct easily digestible visuals are an option, it’s protest posters, quotes on T-shirts and of course, stickers. Now is the time to let it be known where you stand. Well, actually it is always a good time.
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Michelle Lindblom