No...

 

The late, great Will Grigg reminded us ten years ago that "No" is the most liberating word.

A Facebook friend of mine went to a local hospital here in Louisiana and found this sign on the elevator.  Notice the New Age religious language.  Notice the tenor of the words, as though the reader were back in nursery school and he is being scolded by a matronly teacher for not sharing a toy truck.  Notice that the sign is not merely demanding outward compliance, but ordering inward submission.  Like Soviet propaganda and the constant posters of Big Brother from 1984, the intent is not merely to control behavior, but to control your mind and break your spirit.

"You must love Big Brother."

I'm seeing more and more of this type of signage, and they often use the buzzword imperative "Be Mindful" - which is particularly creepy and cultish, especially when combined with this sign's appeal to "positive energy."  Like all propaganda, it is an attempt at mass mind control.

How should we respond?  Of course, an eyeroll is always appropriate.  But the cumulative effect of this kind of propaganda is a breaking of the spirit of the individual, of the dissident, instilling a sense of isolation, of hopelessness, and a temptation to simply surrender, to just "love Big Brother" and make life easier.

We can learn a lot from the Left.  For four years, they stiffened their resolve.  Their politicians engaged in psychological and political warfare at every turn, great and small, designed to fortify the will of their constituents.  They took advantage of social media.  They strengthened each other.  Of course, they also engaged in dishonesty, intimidation, abuse of power, and violence.  I am not suggesting that we resort to those tactics.

But partly based on an idea from the leftist perspective, I do have a simple practical suggestion for  healthy acts of daily rebellion: carry a pad of post-it notes and a pen, or better yet, a pencil.  When you encounter such signs, write two letters on the post-it: the word "No."  It only takes a couple seconds.  There is no vandalism, no damage to property, and nothing profane.  I would not use a marker, as someone might write graffiti all over the place and frame you for it.  A simple pencil is best.

Of course, it will be removed quickly.  But at least one other person will see it.  Probably more.  And I suspect some will stick around for quite a while, as we have more allies than we think.  At any rate, it will send the message that not everyone is buying into the propaganda.  It will at least make someone smile, which is also something our insect overlords want to rob from us.

Let us not forget the most liberating and the most powerful word in any language.