The Yah-Boo-Dankerties

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Carrying a head around.



The head I carried around with me today was former presidential nominee John Kerry's.

Purchased at a hipster boutique in Little Five Points, Georgia, the T-shirt simply says "Vote Kerry". At its centre is a faded stencil image of the Democrat's bean-shaped head, parenthesized by enthusiastic, glorious stars.

Today, I got measured for a suit, renewed some library books and drank at a floating pub with Jake (pictured above). And I did all these things with the face of a loser on my body.

Because, now and always, Kerry's face will unavoidably be an emblem of loss. I liked the guy and wanted him to win, but I'm also now reminding everyone I pass of who he is, and - oh - that he lost.

Should I be doing this? Should I allow history to just forget him? Am I strengthening the Bush administration?

I've never carried a man's face around on my body before, and it made me feel like I was an ambassador for him. I didn't want to do anything which would have shown Mr. Kerry in a bad light. If the logo had only featured words, I fear I wouldn't have felt so constrained, but the man's eyes were beaming from my torso, and anyone wronged by me would - quite rationally - have felt wronged by Kerry too.

I cannot erase the stain of his loss. But I can carry part of the burden. I am happy to let some of the ridicule that the world owes John Kerry fall on my shoulders.

And if I can do good works in Mr. Kerry's name, perhaps then, to one or two people, John Kerry's face will stand not for failure, but for hope.

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