Shepard Fairey Obey - Alternative Facts

The 4th of July is a day to reflect on the principles that inspired American independence, as well as what it means to be a steward of the best of those principles in the current moment. Like Cleon said, he and I have long maintained a suspicion of unjust authority, but have evolved over the years to blend a questioning of narratives and structures with a sense of civic responsibility. We both want to help improve the health of the society we and all individuals comprise and depend on, not for personal gain or power, but to improve our collective quality of life. We are experiencing a pervasive mass psychosis, fueled by fear and disinformation, which breeds animosity, tribalism, and skepticism about truth and facts. A psychologically handicapped society cannot function properly, much less deliver solutions for the greater good. I believe in truth and democracy, which means I think that if people, regardless of political party, are given honest information and the full picture, they benefit from the power to decide on policies and leaders that shape the society we live in. When objective reality itself is corrupted by perpetual coordinated lies and democracy is undermined, the societal systems we rely upon, and benefit from, begin to break down. We are at a critical moment for the preservation of democracy and non-partisan access to voting for all citizens of voting age. Between the Supreme Court, partisan gerrymandering shaping state legislatures, and the filibuster as a tool of obstruction in congress, we are already facing tyranny by the minority. The forces dominating our politics do not reflect the values of most Americans. My print Alternative Facts  addresses the mass confusion about truth that allows the parties who spread the big lie about the 2020 election (and many other lies), fomented the January 6th insurrection, and are engaged in voter suppression and other anti-democracy schemes, to flourish unchecked. A portion of proceeds from Alternative Facts will benefit the ACLU in their legal fights against voter suppression and other attacks on the constitution.

Thank you to those with the courage to testify in the January 6th hearings, and those who take the time to engage knowledgeably and meaningfully in our civic discourse.
–Shepard