Many
folks wonder what I do with the art I create, and why I bother chalking
sidewalks when they just get washed off once I leave. The chalkings are
multi-functional: they leave a message for the person or entity whose
walk I'm chalking, and when I shoot them they deliver my message all
over the world on Facebook and my blogs. I have a really cheap, crummy
camera, so I learned to make the most of it by manipulating the colors
to make these postcards with. I send them to decision-makers, allies,
prisoners, media, etc. to raise awareness and show solidarity and
struggle with those suffering the most. Feel free to download any of my
art and do the same. I do this all with nothing more complex than the
Windows image editing program that came with Vista.
We
do still have a crisis in the prisons, by the way. The ACLU is about to sue over medical neglect, but the culture of contempt for prisoners and
the pervasive despair and violence behind bars is unchecked. It's a
poison that trickles from the top down. By
far, those dying are the most vulnerable among us - not the vicious
punks or molesters people think are the ones who get it in
prison, and therefore don't care about. Those committed to protecting
the rights of the mentally ill and
developmentally disabled in the community should especially care about
what's
happening in the state prisons, because that's where so many are
still heading.
This
is what I did with the mural Kini Seawright and I did yesterday at the Herberger - her son was murdered for loving a Mexican. Brewer needs to
be held accountable, too: All these deaths after all, are not only Chuck
Ryan's - they're hers - and the longer she leaves him in charge the
more culpable she is for the next suicide or homicide of someone's
child, mother, brother, or friend in prison.
Anyone who is similarly moved to communicate with the Governor may want to do so in a public forum, so you can't be as easily ignored.
The address for the Arizona Republic is:
Letters to the Editor
The Arizona Republic
P.O. Box 1950
Phoenix, AZ 85001
Letters may also be faxed to (602) 444-8933. Or contact them via the on-line form.
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