Being a teenager in the 1970’s came with owning lots of T-shirts. Back then T-Shirts carried the message of your firmly held views and those who inspire. Even though I was tens of thousands of miles from anywhere I had my Janis Joplin T-shirt, my Canned Heat, my Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull and Bob Dylan to name just a few of the influential poets and singers who spoke to me through their lyrics. I was fortunate that my father had given me a powerful fourth hand tube radio that picked up the world. I had a fine turner so, me being me, I trawled the radio waves and wrote down the stations I found. There was Voice of America, the BBC, All India Radio and ABC with over a hundred or more other depending on the weather. Through my radio I came to realise that there was “a battle outside raging”. The song “The Times are a changing” is worthy of a read. There was a ground swell of protestors around the world saying things needed to change and with every movement came a new line of T-shirts. When I arrived in Australia those with slogans on their T-shirts were called Hippies if it had anything to do with the environment. They were denigrated as Greenies and attacked for their opinion. Those Greenies still stand proud, and defiant for their cause as do the Environmentalist's who, long before the world understood the impact of fossil fuels revealed the latent impact of where we were heading. Once again these folks wore their protest on their T-shirts, protested and raided their placards. We’re a weird mob. The Majority of us are intolerant of those who don’t agree with us. It took a massive effort to allow Gay Marriage. Why? The power held by the two faced Christians in power. For the thousands who wore their Rainbow T-shirts with pride many were victimised and ridiculed. Many still are as they “dare to be different”. Legislation is one thing but the intolerance remains in the streets by those who don’t agree.
Put on a T-shirt that indicates your political perspective and you will soon find someone who wants to challenge you.
We have a referendum coming. There are two sides, Yes and No. Be sure to buy a t-shirt of your choice so you can be influential over someone else’s decision. You already have your mind set. Today many households received referendum booklets that have guidance on both Yes and No. I doubt many of the Yes folk would read the No reasons and vice versa. Instead they will buy the t-shirt of their choice and parade the street with the No people shouting their perspectives back whilst in their favourite NO t-shirts.
Six weeks to go.
Bottom line is that we do our best to learn for ourselves what the Voice is and what it is not. And then once your decision is made keep it to yourself and try to encourage your friends and family to do like wise. There will be many out there who will vote without thought and only by influence. Alas they will wear Yes and No T shirts to influence others. US or THEM
Either they are researched or not. We don’t know. OWN YOUR VOTE.
Until next—lei
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin' Bob Dylan 1964
