Bombs Half Full

Bombs have really been getting such bad press lately, I think it’s time to look at the positives.

My stepson Thom was renovating his basement and found a stash of Toronto Stars from the summer of 1955, which he gave to me. Do you realize how much bigger newspapers used to be? At least twice the size of the current Globe and Mail I still have delivered each morning.

Anyway, I came across this juicy little news item:

SENATOR URGES U.S. TO BOMB CHINA WITH SURPLUS WHEAT

Washington, July 29—(UP)—
Sen. Ralph E. Flanders (R-Vt.) proposed yesterday that the U.S. bombard Red China with wheat—using planes with armed fighter escort if necessary.

Flanders said in a senate speech that “millions of Chinese are starving while this country has millions of bushels of surplus wheat. Let’s bring the wheat and people together,” he urged.

The Vermonter said the U.S. should first try to get the Red China government to let the wheat be hauled in by ship. If they refuse, he said:

“Let us announce to Red China and to the world that we propose to drop on Chinese cities not napalm, not TNT, not H-bombs, but bags of wheat, each inscribed in Chinese characters with a message of friendship from our people to them.”

Now there’s a good bomb if ever there was one. This question of surplus wheat, though, has interested me for ages. I once saw a poster, perhaps a Communist (or “Red”) one, with the line: “Farmers Stockpile Their Wheat While a Nation goes Hungry for Bread!” I have looked for this poster fruitlessly, so if anyone knows what I’m talking about, and where I could find it, please message me.

Once while canvassing for some municipal election or other, in a nice middle class neighbourhood (in the Christie/St. Clair area), I was shocked to see that almost every house I was invited into had no art on the walls – nothing, not even a family photograph. I thought of all the artists I know, exhibiting work in non-commercial galleries, and then storing the work in basements, friend’s basements, old barns or taking up precious studio space. How many artist-run centres are there in Canada?
And they each have about ten shows a year. Where does all the art go?

Artists Stockpile their Work while a Nation Goes Hungry for Art!

So I suggest we follow in the honourable footsteps of Senator Ralph E. Flanders and bomb Canada (Red, Blue, Orange or Green) with art! We could even put a friendly message on the bombs, in both official languages, a message of friendship from the artists of Canada to the culture-starved masses. Bombs away!