...you need to say "When."

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction." - Albert Einstein

A decade ago, some brave, inventive, clever folks came up with the red AIDS ribbon. It became an instantly recognizable symbol for those who supported people with the disease – allowing them to make a statement without uttering a word. It was also a way to recognize other supporters.

Nearly 4 years ago, The Lance Armstrong Foundation launched something new - the yellow silicone LIVESTRONG wristband. It proved to be more appropriate for the active lifestyles of his supporters and became the symbol for those fighting cancer.

Since then, the wristband in a multitude of colors with various slogans has become the new recognizable symbol - and we’ve chosen it as our method in this campaign.

Even though war is not our sole focus, we’ve been asked how money can be spent by us and
others to end this war and prevent another. And we’ve been asked what good wearing a wristband does. Here is an answer from the creator of say-when.org:

I honestly don’t think there is a place money can be sent to stop the war. There has to be a change in thinking (see below). I am not comfortable endorsing a political candidate - I think that’s too personal a choice. We can and will let people know, however, what the various candidates are saying. It’s up to us to discern their true intentions from their words. The best we can do with our money right now is offer assistance to those who have been traumatized by their experiences with this administration by supporting the various charities set up to do just that.

Here’s the problem - I believe that we, as a nation, are feeling beaten down. We scream and we shout - all to no avail. We’ve marched and protested and yelled for years - if not about this war then the Vietnam War, gun control, human rights, etc. It seems to me that those forms of making a statement have become outdated - and actually are easy for those in power to tune out. These days, marches either aren’t reported in the media at all or, at best, the numbers are marginalized. It’s clear to me that this entire administration is completely out of touch with the reality of what a 28% approval rating actually is - A 72% DIS-APPROVAL RATING - and unless and until there is a visual display they cannot ignore, they will continue as they have for too long.

In a time when public demonstrations are becoming more and more restricted; when the carrying of a book is cause enough for a traveler to be banned from an airplane; and when even wearing a t-shirt with a slogan that is deemed “offensive” by those in power/fear can result in a student being suspended from school or, worst yet, a shopper arrested at a mall, a new way had to be found - a “paradigm shift” to use an over-worked buzz phrase. I am a fan of the 100th monkey story - and fully believe that the actions each of us takes honestly and truly make a difference. Most of us think an individual can’t change the world when, in fact, only an individual can. Hence - the wristbands. The purpose of this campaign is to not only show the guys in DC how many of us there are that want a change (and not just from Republican to Democrat) but, more importantly, to show ourselves that we are not alone.

Regardless of the cries of the supporters of this administration - that vocal 28% - we are not, in fact, unpatriotic or anti-American. And in spite of the craziness of the times, we are making our statement. We wear the black wristband with white lettering because this is a serious, "black-and-white" issue. There are many of us who have chosen not to remove the wristband until the situation is rectified.

There are many wearing these wristbands now and the number increases daily. It will soon be a number that is impossible to ignore.