For What It's Worth

I made this image hoping to make a statement on pollution and global warming. When I finished and took a step back,  I looked at it and started to sing “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield to myself.

“There's something happening here

What it is ain't exactly clear

There's a man with a gun over there

Telling me I got to beware

I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound

Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn

Nobody's right if everybody's wrong

Young people speaking their minds

Getting so much resistance from behind”

I started to think about this image on a grander scale.  We, the people, should be the ones with the gas masks escaping the toxicity that we see and hear about every day.  Let me show you..

Three NYPD officers have died by suicide in less than 10 days- CNN 6/14/19

Cancer-Causing Ingredient in Weedkiller Found in Cheerios- US News 6/12/19

‘They are worthy of death’: A cop preached that the government should execute LGBT people - Washington Post 6/13/19

Memphis police urge calm after black man's killing, unrest-Fox News 6/13/19

The constant bombardment of the toxicity bubbling up all over the world. I just listed the USA for brevity. I’d be here forever if I wanted to list international atrocities and conflicts but I digress.

“Paranoia strikes deep

Into your life it will creep

It starts when you're always afraid

You step out of line, the man come and take you away”

If this image is a metaphor, the factory being the toxicity and we are the ones with the gas masks, then we need to remember our airplane safety rules...put the mask on yourself and help put masks on people around you who can’t. Lift each other up. Hold more each other in acceptance and peace until the clouds of toxicity dissipate and we can breathe freely on our own.