We cannot advance the cause of social and economic justice by spouting slogans. No one changes their mind about an issue because of a 5-word blurb unless it has their full attention and is repeated 10’s of times. We do not have the resources, media access, critical mass, or even cohesion to reach out to all potential allies in this way.

Here is a simple and serious proposal:

Ask questions. Ask simple serious questions that make people think about an issue rather than passively look, sort based on prejudice, and then dismiss.

Example:
NO BLOOD FOR OIL!
Few people will actively associate oil or other resources with war. This will not make immediate sense to most people and will seem more like a trade or exchange. Even less thought will occur if you look undesirable.

In Question Form:
SHOULD WE KILL PEOPLE FOR OIL?
Since you are now asking a question, people will be more likely to think. They might wonder why the word “we” appears. They might wonder if they play a role in killing for oil. It may help that every reasonable person would answer in the negative. Remember, framing a question is very important.

The idea of questioning as a means to educate is ancient and powerful. Ever heard of the Socratic method? Did you just think about it? Teachers learn that students engage more skills and brainpower when they answer questions in their own words. This requires that students understand the question, associate it with prior knowledge and experience, and then fashion a response based on that prior knowledge and experience. Lecturing is the least effective method of message delivery. So why do we do it?

Another example:
NO JUSTICE NO PEACE
This one is much more powerful and clear than the last one but it still requires relatively little processing on the part of the spectator. It is a statement and would most likely be understood as such. "OK, good for you," they might think.

In Question Form:
CAN WE HAVE PEACE WITHOUT JUSTICE?
The listener or viewer might just ask themselves that question and begin to fashion an answer based on their prior knowledge and experience.


Imagine now that one sign stands out in a crowd as a photographer snaps a picture for a newspaper. Would you like it to be one that questions authority?