There is a bumper sticker campaign in Bellingen currently. "Free Speech is not Sedition" and "Free Speech is not Terrorism". As any headline editor know We Humans, being exceptionally well adapted to pattern recognition tend to see the patterns which are dominantly programmed (via parents, teachers, media and all other manner of cultural propogation), and the cultural mind of the moment seems hell bent [pun intended] on diving into fear. As such there is a tendency in the instance of a car flashing past to see "Sedition" and "Terrorism" . Many of us are able to recognise the machinations of the controlling mind, but the reminder is needed that the reminder of such things is not!

I stopped a woman in the street recently as she alighted from her sticker adorned car. Our conversation proceeded along these lines.

"It is you know."

"What?"

"Free Speech"

"...is what?"

"Sedition"

"....uh..yeah..well it is NOW! It wasn't when I stuck it there!"

It seems there has another meeting of the Bellingen chapter of "the body against sedition laws who produced these stickers", and consensus has been reached with regards to a course of action in relation to this conundrum. The word "not" is to be crossed out with permanent marker and the word "now" inserted in it's stead.

I decided upon a different approach, searching for anagrams to utilise the now superseded stickers somewhat more poetically.

whilst I honour the work of those who seek to limit the impact of repressive legislations within the political system, I have often seen in my life the impact that being in opposition to things makes upon individual lives, and indeed collective psyches. As a middle point between opposition and apathy, I am suggesting that we become ontological cut-up artists, find poetic anagrams of our internal linguistic make-up and, as individuals and as a collective, become objects of art, poetry, and beauty shining our light as inspiration to others into the world....

Simon