IF-FRIDAY: EAT MORE TOLERANCE!

July 11, 2013

IF-FRIDAY: EAT MORE TOLERANCE!

It's Friday! ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY! YEAH! This Week's Topic is PROTEST. It got me thinking a lot about where our country would be if it were not for our human ability to stand up, sometimes in the face of great danger and mortal peril, and to say what is right and what should be.

We would still be a British Colony. Women would never be able to vote. African-American would more than likely still be slaves and gay people would still be considered sub-class citizens. Where would we be if we never stood up for the right thing?

This reminded me of a VERY OLD piece I did in college for a techniques class. I can't remember the objective of the assignment, but I remember that I wanted to draw picketing Chickens as my solution.

13 years ago, I thought it would be funny to have Chickens picketing for Cow Rights at a certain Fast food restaurant that would remain nameless. It was funny because it was always the Cows who seemed to throw the Chickens under the bus… or at least they do at another Fast Food Restaurant that will remain nameless.

But these days I'm not surprised. Individuals at that other nameless fast food restaurant seem to under-value several American Demographics. Cows are apparently not very nice Animals, neither are the A**H***s they work for.

This is why this particular piece from that long ago was on my mind this week. In light of current events, I thought it would be appropriate to revive it and give it new life. The Cows may NEVER be nice to the Chickens,but I like that the Chickens are doing the right thing, regardless.

And certain CEOs of certain fast food chains may NEVER speak nicely of gay people NOR stand up for them, because certain CEOs have NEVER had to fight for rights that were taken away from them. In the words of one of my favorite song writer/poet,"Squint Your Eyes and Look Closer, I AM 32 Flavors and Then Some. One Day You Are Going To Be Starving and Eating ALL of the Words You Just Said." Sometimes you have to look beyond the things you don't understand to do what's right. WE ALL DESERVE A CHANCE.

This is why the ACT of PROTESTING has been SO IMPORTANT throughout Our American History. The one thing I find most sad about America today is that they don't stand up for the right thing, if it doesn't immediately effect them and/or effect them at all. It's truly sad. Only we can change that, even if it's only with a small picket sign and nursery-rhyme-like chant.

Anyway, this little chicken is standing up on his talons and waving his little protest sign to tell others,"I believe in doing the right thing for others who can't."

Until next time, keep waging your war, support something YOU believe STRONGLY in and as always…
Keep sketching, keep thinking, keep laughing and most important of all, keep making art.
Cheers,
LEWIS