Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Best/Worst Picture Yet


Hey Freeway Blogger,
Here's what I did as georgie was stealing the election here in Ohio. I bought signs and put them all over on my property. I also put a peace memorial for ALL the lives lost from the bush mob. No one can tell me to take them down! Below are the pictures and in the background of "bush lies" sign is where our local police station/mayors office, and where council meetings are held. Oh yeah, it's also our local voting place for our little village. You can bet all my signs are out even as my flag pole stands empty because my flag has been kidnapped and desecrated by those in charge. I have sent pictures twice before but have never seen them posted. Is there something wrong with them? -OHIO

Dear OHIO,
Thank you for the pictures of the yard signs and peace garden and sorry about not getting back to you sooner. Although it’s a very pretty picture and I admire your speaking out to the extent you have, the point of this project is to get people to move beyond yard signs, small memorials and other symbolic gestures and SPEAK OUT, and by that I mean reach out to the largest number of people possible. Right now we are engaged in an Information War, and for the past twenty years the minds of our citizens have been poisoned by the Limbaughs, Hannitys and O’Reillys of the world – while the voices for peace go unheard, contenting ourselves with yard signs and bumper stickers. It’s simply not enough… and that’s why I didn’t print your picture, I’m sorry.
-Scarlet

Dear Freewayblogger,
I am sorry too. I should have told you I am handicapped, and if I could I would be out on the freeways with you! But because of my health (or lack there of ) my yard is all I can do and I was lucky to have friends and family to help with that. I used to worry about dropping my grandchildren, then I worried that I couldn’t pick them up or get them out of harms way fast enough. Now I feel that I can’t protect them at all and the biggest threat comes from our government. The people in power stole the office and are very quickly eroding every single freedom we have. My grandbabies futures are heavily compromised from the disgrace of the mercury laden vaccinations and flu shots to the highly illegal, immoral, corporate (money) driven war which only they want! And still they do not go to fight or send their own children. Just ours. My daughter was part of the first shipped to Iraq under Papa Bush’s watch. She is one of the soldiers who refuse absolutely to talk about what she saw, how she feels. We can talk of anything else, but not the war. So although I am not healthy enough to travel the freeways, I reach a lot more people than one would think. Everyone and anyone who has to go to Mayors Court, the police station, the council meeting, all the parents, all the walkers and joggers, they all see and read my signs. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for all you do… ohio


Dear Ohio, I’m truly sorry for jumping down your throat like that. I’m sorry to hear about your condition and will post your picture as soon as I can. (I’m on the road right now, going to Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas.) Thanks for all you do and again, my apologies. –Scarlet



This just came in the mail: probably the worst picture sent to me yet. And possibly the very best.



Hey Hey Scarlet, guess what! This morning at 6:00 a.m. my friends (also disabled) & I officially joined the freeway bloggers. Of course we are grandmas so it took us a lot longer than the rest of you, but by golly we did it.!! Then we giggled like school girls. We tried to get a picture but it was too dark out and when it was after daylight I went alone and got this picture. It was a rainy, foggy Monday morning in rush hour traffic. Even though you can't read the sign at all (I couldn't drive and focus) you can still SEE it and read it from the road. My friend said it looked so good it looked professional. She should see you folks work!. So here it is. Hopefully the first of many. By the way, the sign says "IMPEACH". if I get a clearer picture I will email it.. as you can see we put it up so you can read it going to work downtown. yours, Ohio

Update: This sign stayed up for five days.

USA - 565
FB - 528

12 comments:

PTCruiser said...

Unbelievable. A disabled grandmother from Ohio will have her voice heard and yet we can't get more than a handful of able-bodied men and women across this nation to hang a damn piece of cardboard on a fence?

I guess I better get back to making more signs.

Congratulations, Ohio. And welcome to the club. I'm more proud of you than you can imagine.

Anonymous said...

The back of my farm property fronts a major highway in the red state of VA. I researched the laws and before the 2004 election put up the biggest billboard allowed. On one side it said "Trust Jesus Not Bush" and on the other "W Stands for War Whore" with dollar signs for the esses. My garden scarecrow, now dressed as an Abu Ghraib prisoner, hung from one post. An American flag hung from the other. It stayed up for a week before the rednecks backed a truck to it, pulled up the posts with chain and tried to drag it away. Made too much racket I guess. After re-installation we talked security cameras and double-barreled shotguns triggered by trip wire. We settled for yards and yards and yards of snarled twisted rusted barbed wire hidden in the tall grass on all sides. It stayed up then. Just sayin' cause it's your own property doesn't mean it's ineffective or meaningless ... um, not that it wasn't in ole Virginny.

Anonymous said...

*unbridled glee, clapping and cheering at the freeway blogging giggling 'Nanas*

Unknown said...

BRAVO Ohio!!!! :-)

azgoddess said...

i had an idea - when you get back

for people who don't have a lot of freeways to post signs

it came to me as i waited for the light to change at a busy intersection

with

electon posters plastered all over the place

i was reading a few and knew the candidates and what they stood for - not good people

and thought how nice it would -- to see a big black impeach bush - written on the sign...

grin

DoctorJoe said...

Ohio:
You are an inspiration of us who are fortunate to be healthy,
to follow your commitment, so apparent and based in love, for your grandchildren, so precious they are. ANd WE can all commit likewise to use our eresources for the transformation of our world to one in which all persons are valued,
respected, and cared for, so no one goes hunrgy, no one lacks needed care, where all live secure from lack of resources, so all can be educated, wars are prevented as all conflicts can be solved peacefully when our politics serve the common good of all citizens of our world: One world one people, one family.
Bless all people!

Anonymous said...

Ohio! Your dedication and selflessness make me cry.
And your description of you and your friends is delightful! I love the solidarity and cooperation of your activism, it's only these links we create with fellow resisters that will enable us to end this madness for which we all freeway-blog, though not as eloquently as yourself.
muchas gracias abuela!

Anonymous said...

Your program is an effective, low-cost tool for countering the billion dollar media propaganda industry. In my younger days, living near DC, me and my roommate used to do such good deeds. Maryland had put up signs along the road which read 'Helping to Build A Drug-Free Community". We would place those Grateful Dead stickers with the skull and thunderbolt over the word 'Drug' so the sign would then read, 'Helping to Build A Free Community'.

CV said...

Way to go OHIO!
And shame on the younger and more able that don't.
Here on the shoreline of CT, I-95 overpasses don't have chainlink to mount a sign on, just a railing. I didn't feel safe hanging anything solid over the traffic so I made banners from the cheapest white sheeting I could find in the remnants bin at a fabric store (yes, I do think it's worth spending a little money to get the message out). I was still putting up the southbound banner when the local gendarmes showed up and made me take them down. Their rationale was that my banner could fall on the traffic and cause an accident. I worked in sign shops, doing installations of banners, when I hang it, it's secure! But, whatever, I removed them. There was no way the cop saw the banner from below and was responding on his own, some redneck must have called in and complained. The banners said PEACE and Bring the Troops Home, really objectionable material, I'll admit. Two days later, I found that someone had duct-taped 6 big American Flags to the bridge rails, complete with flagpoles with gold metal eagles on the tops, clearly far more hazardous than my banners. They stayed up for almost 2 weeks 'til I couldn't take it any more and I removed them.
I'm going to try again, maybe to reception will have improved.
Anybody got any use for 6 cheesy polyester American flags made in China?

mdhatter said...

oh man, what does this say about my lazy a**. That felt just like a kick in the pants.

~that~ is inspirational.

Anonymous said...

In this country we can all have our own thoughts and express them, a great freedom that most places can't imagine. I, as I am sure you agree, feel very fortunate for that freedom.

I am NOT a Bush supporter, I want to make that clear. Please, hear me out. The majority of Americans do not agree with these extremist views. Again, please don't jump to conclusions and give me a moment. You cannot impeach a President for something approved by Congress...you also cannot state that he "lied". It is just not a fact. If you don't believe the "stay the course" option is correct, now you have a legitimate complaint. Words on signs over freeways like "impeach", "Bush Lied", etc... are counterproductive to your cause. I said I am not a Bush supporter, that is completely true, but I have "right leaning" views (not very far, just a little). What I mean by that is that if I had a really hard time deciding between two candidates, both agreed on the major issues, both came across as heartfelt and honest...I would lean towards Republican due to the "main" issues (abortion, gay marriage, etc...) I know by saying this I've lost a few of you, but I really would appreciate it if you read just a little more. Our nation is divided, that is bad...very bad. If the 'right' were to hang signs over the freeway saying "Gays should die" I would be appalled. When leftist hang signs that say "Impeach" or "Don't let Bush send your sons to die" I am equally appalled. Again, please let me explain. The current President who again, I am not a big fan of, has made a lot of decisions (or lack of) that have alienated a lot of Americans. I understand. Extreme, polarizing statements, signs, t-shirts, etc... do not do anything but make the nation more divided. I know, I've felt it reading some of the comments here. I am not speaking of all comments, or even most, but to put things on signs that stir emotions towards "your extreme side" is to divide. The lady speaking of the signs in her yard that were "up for a week before the rednecks backed a truck up to it, pulled up the posts with chain and tried to drag it away" kind of fuels such a divide. The reason I say that is that right after that she said that she considered "security cameras and double-barreled shotguns triggered by trip wire". Yeah, true quotes. To talk about the "rednecks" that are illegally removing signs from your private property is fine...other than the label you have put on your "enemy". The reason I say that is; who in this time in history even thinks of "security cameras and double barreled shotguns triggered by trip wire"??? They were rednecks? It sounds to me that you are both country folk that feel strongly about your own beliefs. The strangest thing that I have noticed over the last 10 years or so is that neither side is CORRECT. If you, or anyone on any side is that 'extreme', well then you should just learn to live with the fact that MAJORITY RULES. Ever wonder why Conservatives keep winning elections? MAJORITY RULES. You can change that, but you must be middle of road left, or right, you cannot be someone that can be labeled an extremist! I am not saying any of this to push my views (although I am sure you would say I am legally allowed...or would you?) Bush did NOT lie (really, he didn't, look it up), anyone that says that sounds so ridiculous that they lose all credibility. Congress, on the same intelligence, voted for the Iraq war. I wish they had not, honestly, but it was not just the President. I want us all to be one again, I fear it will never happen. Everyone, please, please listen as much as you hear and we'll all get along and be ONE voice. I know I am guilty to a degree, but because I occasionally will defend my views without the research...it embarrasses me, but I do it out of...well, human instinct I like to think. WE ARE ALL AMERICANS AND MUST REACH A MUTUAL CONCLUSION! If we don't, honestly, I worry...a LOT.

Thank you so much for letting me express myself,
Paul G., Columbus Ohio USA

Prudential Life said...

Nice one OHIO..