Why I Created the “They All Suck” Image

If you haven’t yet seen the “They All Suck 2016” image floating around, then you probably have not been on Facebook recently. This little image that I created in less than two minutes last Friday night has been shared tens of thousands of times and has potentially been seen by millions of eyeballs within a few short days. I’d say that the sentiment has struck a chord with folks. So I thought I would explain what prompted me to make it.

First, I consider myself Patriotic. I am extremely grateful that I have been raised in a country where most of my life I have felt I have had the liberty to think, say, worship and live freely. I feel that these were liberties endowed by my Creator and upheld by laws of the great land that I was so fortunate to be born in—The United States of America. The field of blue and the stars and stripes elements of my image attempt to express that. This design was intended to trigger thoughts of voter buttons, badges and campaign signs.

Second, I am sad to admit that an area where my public education lacked was in teaching me about civic responsibility. I got all the way through high school and three years of college never fully understanding that as an American there are certain things that I am obligated do.

Did you know that “you” as an American citizen, including many of you that are reading this now, are obligated to: Support and defend the Constitution, Stay informed of the issues affecting your community, Participate in the democratic process, Respect and obey federal, state, and local laws, Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others, Participate in your local community, Pay income and other taxes honestly, and on time, to federal, state, and local authorities, Serve on a jury when called upon, and Defend the country if the need should arise? (source: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learners/citizenship-rights-and-responsibilities)

Why am I bringing this up? Well, that’s where the words of this my image come in. “They All Suck,” is an intentionally shocking phrase. It expresses that lurking thought that millions of us have turned over and over in our minds as we try to rationalize why we lend our support to one candidate or another. But, as we have been programmed to believe, we quickly dismiss this idea and decide that our support must be lent to one of the presented “golden boys…or girls.” How many times have you heard the phrase “the lesser of the two evils” in regards to a Presidential election? That should be a clue that something is wrong, not the cue to throw up our arms in defeat and retreat to our mindless comfort of Netflix and processed food.

But the notion that the “presented” candidates are the only candidates is the idea that I want you to challenge. I want you to ask yourself, “Why, in this democratic process that I am obligated to be a part of, are these the best candidates that our country has to offer?” Why must I lend my support to just one of these few? Is it because the politically motivated news channel tells me so? Is it because the corporate funded party officials tell me so?

You have been lied to for years and we place politicians on a pedestool as more intelligent, more educated and better than us commoners. Guess what! Politicians are people too, or at least they started off that way. If you honestly do believe that you are voting between the “lesser of the two evils” than you are allowing evil to prevail. You have all heard the quote (paraphrasing) “the only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men (or women) to do nothing.”

What are you doing in your civic duty to take part in the democratic process? For me, I am creating a little bit of entertainment that, if it gets people to stop and think or to start talking about things, has infiltrated the hearts and minds of folks. And though sheer good luck, may have given me a platform to speak my mind for a few minutes.

Oh and by the way. Like all good ideas, this image has been shared without any attribution to me many times to benefit others. So, If you would like to support the original idea guy, you can purchase a T-shirt here: https://teespring.com/they-all-suck-political-shirt

Blessings to All! – Bob Severns

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