Insert Your Political Opinion Here…
…and by “here”, I mean your own butthole.
As the mid-term elections grow closer here in the States and I block more and more YouTube ads, a few thoughts come to mind:
I have never, in all of my 46 years, met anyone who was into politics or was a news junkie that was happy. Not one.
Never more in my life have more people had strong opinions and yet, so few of them are worth listening to.
This idea that artists have to take a side is absolute Bolshevik Bollocks. And let’s be honest, it’s not “you have to speak up” it’s, “we want to know if you’re our enemy or not”. In the immortal words of Rage in Service to the Machine, “fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me.” It’s my art and I will use it to say, or not say, anything I damn well please, especially if you’re not paying me or supporting me in any way.
Vote. Be personally involved in your communities. Please. Whatever that looks like, please love other people. But “other people” includes people you might not agree with. In fact, I would challenge you to go out of your way to spend time with people who don’t vote like you do. Personally, I care less about how you vote than why you vote that way. That requires getting to know you. I may still think you have dumb opinions (whatever side of the aisle you fall on) but I’ll understand you better. You may think I have dumb opinions, that’s okay, I don’t need your validation. And you shouldn’t need mine either if you’re so confident you’re right.
And finally, remember the words of Mark Twain, "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."
Peace,
JC