'Gun Country' is a graphic illusion of the United States rendered with suspended toy guns. It is intended to stimulate conversation about guns and gun related issues in our country. Through this conversation, it is my hope that people will think more critically about their stance on this topic. With this conversation, the thoughts and ideas of viewers can become externalized lending themselves to closer personal scrutiny and critical reflection.
Located @ Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, 2 Fulton West, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
They forgot to hang the "Stars & Bars" from those guns. We might be headed toward another Civil War if we can't talk sense to these people. My sister, K, who is a Teabagger, recently "unfriended" me on FB because she tried to "educate" me on my ignorance on a number of political topics. I was very clear and polite and countered with facts repeatedly. I also apologized to her repeatedly because she was clearly getting angrier and angrier. I invited her to tell me or show me where she was getting her information from, so I could better understand her arguments, but she didn't want that. She told me my political candidate (Bernie Sanders) was a Socialist, and you know who else was a Socialist? Hitler! I tried to explain to her that even though Hitler took over the German Worker's Party and kept "Socialist" in the name only, he was in fact a Fascist. She told me that every country that ever tried Socialism was a failure. I pointed out Social countries that were thriving, then she tried to claim certain failed states were Socialist, when I investigated and found out they weren't I presented her with those facts. Then she told me I should leave the country. She hasn't spoken to me since. This is a very dangerous thing we have going on here. We have corporate controlled media, that spreads divisive misinformation to manipulate a large part of the population into a frenzy of anger and fear, and convinces them to vote against their own self-interests, and convinces them to isolate themselves "from those intellectual know-it-alls," those "elitists" who live in ivory towers and don't know what the real world is like, and why we need guns, and why we need to protect ourselves from the Blacks, the immigrants, the "hated group" of the day. I can't think how to fix this other than to continue to try to present them with the truth. I've actually had some positive conversations recently with a couple of very conservative people when they posted things that were inaccurate or distorted. They were willing to share their news sources with me, and I shared mine with them. They were bothered that they weren't not getting a full and accurate reporting of events. I feel like I'm chiseling away at a mountain.
V V said: She told me my political candidate (Bernie Sanders) was a Socialist, and you know who else was a Socialist? Hitler!
Ah, that well known *Fascist* Socialist.....! Because deep down they're all the same really.
v v said: She told me that every country that ever tried Socialism was a failure. I pointed out Social countries that were thriving..
Indeed. Some of the Scandinavian countries are regularly placed in the top 10 places on Earth in many categories. They're not exactly hellholes.
v v said: Then she told me I should leave the country.
Did she say that you should 'move to Russia' of that 'you don't love (i.e place beyond any meaningful criticism) your country? It's amazing the reaction you get when you even slightly question the unspoken party line... I mean, it's not like we live in a democracy were free speech is protected or anything like that....
v v said: those "elitists" who live in ivory towers...
I do so love it when anyone who has an opinion that they can argue articulately and [gasp] with facts to back it up is called 'elitist'. That's belly laugh time! Because why should we let facts get in the way of a 'good' emotionally charged argument.. right?
v v said: I feel like I'm chiseling away at a mountain.
Welcome to my world.... [grin] But remember that many little chisels can bring down Everest..
3 comments:
'Gun Country' is a graphic illusion of the United States rendered with suspended toy guns. It is intended to stimulate conversation about guns and gun related issues in our country. Through this conversation, it is my hope that people will think more critically about their stance on this topic. With this conversation, the thoughts and ideas of viewers can become externalized lending themselves to closer personal scrutiny and critical reflection.
Located @ Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, 2 Fulton West, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Artist: Michael Murphy
They forgot to hang the "Stars & Bars" from those guns. We might be headed toward another Civil War if we can't talk sense to these people. My sister, K, who is a Teabagger, recently "unfriended" me on FB because she tried to "educate" me on my ignorance on a number of political topics. I was very clear and polite and countered with facts repeatedly. I also apologized to her repeatedly because she was clearly getting angrier and angrier. I invited her to tell me or show me where she was getting her information from, so I could better understand her arguments, but she didn't want that. She told me my political candidate (Bernie Sanders) was a Socialist, and you know who else was a Socialist? Hitler! I tried to explain to her that even though Hitler took over the German Worker's Party and kept "Socialist" in the name only, he was in fact a Fascist. She told me that every country that ever tried Socialism was a failure. I pointed out Social countries that were thriving, then she tried to claim certain failed states were Socialist, when I investigated and found out they weren't I presented her with those facts. Then she told me I should leave the country. She hasn't spoken to me since. This is a very dangerous thing we have going on here. We have corporate controlled media, that spreads divisive misinformation to manipulate a large part of the population into a frenzy of anger and fear, and convinces them to vote against their own self-interests, and convinces them to isolate themselves "from those intellectual know-it-alls," those "elitists" who live in ivory towers and don't know what the real world is like, and why we need guns, and why we need to protect ourselves from the Blacks, the immigrants, the "hated group" of the day. I can't think how to fix this other than to continue to try to present them with the truth. I've actually had some positive conversations recently with a couple of very conservative people when they posted things that were inaccurate or distorted. They were willing to share their news sources with me, and I shared mine with them. They were bothered that they weren't not getting a full and accurate reporting of events. I feel like I'm chiseling away at a mountain.
V V said: She told me my political candidate (Bernie Sanders) was a Socialist, and you know who else was a Socialist? Hitler!
Ah, that well known *Fascist* Socialist.....! Because deep down they're all the same really.
v v said: She told me that every country that ever tried Socialism was a failure. I pointed out Social countries that were thriving..
Indeed. Some of the Scandinavian countries are regularly placed in the top 10 places on Earth in many categories. They're not exactly hellholes.
v v said: Then she told me I should leave the country.
Did she say that you should 'move to Russia' of that 'you don't love (i.e place beyond any meaningful criticism) your country? It's amazing the reaction you get when you even slightly question the unspoken party line... I mean, it's not like we live in a democracy were free speech is protected or anything like that....
v v said: those "elitists" who live in ivory towers...
I do so love it when anyone who has an opinion that they can argue articulately and [gasp] with facts to back it up is called 'elitist'. That's belly laugh time! Because why should we let facts get in the way of a 'good' emotionally charged argument.. right?
v v said: I feel like I'm chiseling away at a mountain.
Welcome to my world.... [grin] But remember that many little chisels can bring down Everest..
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