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Where's the good, in good friday? - of street art(s) roasted artichokes (later)

lhm | 10.04.2009 20:28 | Animal Liberation | Anti-militarism | Health | South Coast

The Jury is out. 'X' marks the spot of a death/s.
Memory / image vigil in Southampton for the 'X' number of deaths from warring, poverty and the effect of greed and climate disaster. Pictures to follow. Also other add your own reflections.

a personal reflection of the happenings....

We went to the streets meeting with the local street homeless, ingenious squatters and disenfranchised, together we were a spectacle to behold for good this day.

Antimass Portsmouth campaigners held a Good Friday Memorial outside Portsmouth Naval Bases to refresh all of our memories of the names of the dead from Iraq and Afghanistan (from a deceitful despicable and unnecessary war).

Another quad-squad swarmed and hoovered across Southampton (like busy bees) meeting and greeting strangers, meeting maybe new friends with cakes and coffee - as they worked on outdoor artifacts (not artifictions) for the people who they came across.

This nonviolent calm intervention was aimed an 'not' inconveniencing people, not throwing messages down their throats - rather at making connections, inviting and using play to offer reflection and techniques in the process. Many participated and there was interaction and friendliness, people joined in and expressed their views without the raised fist, the kettling by police or the unneeded attention from the media (Southampton) and we were thankful to the rain that assisted in most of our processes decision making, placement of art etc.

Clearly the amount of times the media (local or national) either misrepresents the facts, or overstates some aspects of the facts is mindblowing - massacres go on and most people just hear that some boring film celeb is ..... - like who cares. Additionally, TV stations struggle (as do some non-stretch peacenickers) with complex issues where there are deaths in more than one faction of an issue (where they tiptoe over sentiments that might upset another). People are afraid to have biases when harm and compassion matters are not evenly shared out/clear. Like an addiction to low quality politics - the politics perhaps of the voter and the consumer or those scared by their friends, families views or their 'incrowds' feelings. All this sometimes occurs even when there is a massive inbuilt bias in power, aggression and savagery being wreaked on the poor, or helpless or destitute.

Its hard then for some not to throw out the party-line, the ideological rant or the too used rhetorical remark in such times. Yet what do you really think about polar bears being slaughtered for $35,000 for a hunting spree? Or the amount of killings on the roads by car drivers? Or warring in the name of making peace and security by this state or another land and the .

Maybe art today matters when it reaches people and causes their expression to burst forth, when it kicks starts community sentiments. Make of it what you will - there is alot of it going on.

War waging is like a rolling stone that will not stop - it gathers no moss. A new form of graffiti settled in Southampton today - if it works pictures and recipe may follow (inshallah). Who knows whether it will settle or stay.

Thank you to the young people at the fountain for their involvement (good young people they were), Jane the artist and good finker, the philosopher, Blue (hope you get stuff sorted with work) and that we meet up again. Also to those who conspired to make this happen - roles, rolls and rollin over the next few days.

Love and hey - how do we be part of the 'good (fri)day' as well as 'lovely' and 'authentic' without being part of the un(aware)caring obedient?

Hopefully photos will follow (as i said - Inshallah).

lhm

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

photos added (Martina's)

10.04.2009 23:20

here is some of the good in this friday
here is some of the good in this friday

connecting with we others
connecting with we others

writing about the bad and making good in doing so
writing about the bad and making good in doing so

where is the good - in useful attitudes, community making, remembering the hurts
where is the good - in useful attitudes, community making, remembering the hurts

x marks the spot & dead. The war machine rocklike, rolls&gathers no moss
x marks the spot & dead. The war machine rocklike, rolls&gathers no moss

passersby connected, making their points the jury is out injustice will not do
passersby connected, making their points the jury is out injustice will not do

apache helicopters with their unjesuslike nuts - bad things
apache helicopters with their unjesuslike nuts - bad things

not many thought like this - its the state who does - bad can be transformed not
not many thought like this - its the state who does - bad can be transformed not

here are a few to start with

LHM


bumbingabout

10.04.2009 23:29

Amazingly people told us all sorts of things and we consequently conversed on all sorts of things; alcoholism, HIV, mental health, war.

Re-Appropriate Everything! From location and newspapers to language and minds!

martina


a moment of rest

11.04.2009 18:38

the fact that some people who walked past stayed, whether briefly or for sometime to share their thoughts about the 'good' and the 'bad' that friday. Showed to me that people genuinely enjoyed being able to express what they felt about the world around them and that many others feel the same need for change.

Kannagi


artichokes

12.04.2009 09:14

had by all cept the late comers - wine and cheesecake too.Yum

legume