Signs

photoessay by Kristianna Baird

Listen up! We, the People have something to say and we want to be heard. Concerned citizens are rallying together all over this nation to demand change and insist on full disclosure from our nation's leaders. However, therein lies the problem. With growing numbers of concerned constituents, a lone voice, amidst a group of a hundred or a thousand, can be difficult to hear. While some groups may try to cheer, jeer, and chant in unison during a rally or a march, visibility is the one undeniable technique for being noticed: a sign, a poster, a banner, a symbol, or a flag (be it large or small) that can be held high bears a strong message.

The types of signs carried throughout the city streets, on the corner of a busy intersection, or at a rally on park grounds can vary as much in size and design as the messages they carry. Frustrated citizens pour their hearts and souls onto their medium of choice, and hope to make their point loud and clear.

Summing up even a portion of one's political platform onto a piece of 14x17-inch recycled poster board is quite an art form in itself. News writers could learn a great deal about creating real world, honest and true (but gut wrenching) headlines from the most modest of sign makers. After all, a sign as straightforward as "IMPEACH BUSH" is pretty simple. Picture the front page of the Sunday paper with a headline such as "WORLD DOMINATION DOES NOT WORK."

Arriving early to a rally always reveals some struggling sign writers trying to outline or truncate their opinions with felt markers. The pens squeak under disgruntled pressure as they form large letters across the top. Ever so quickly, the writing space nears the end, while the sign maker's headline has anything but. So the inevitable happens; entrails of words are squeezed in the last half inch of poster board.

Is there a formula for making the perfect sign? Probably not, but a few suggestions might give sign makers a good foundation to build on. Bigger is better. In substantial crowds, extra large signs or banners can be seen from TV news cameras perched from above. White poster-type board can be easily scavenged and taped together to create a larger writing space.

Plan the message, and then shorten it to as few words as possible. Don't be tempted to explain, in a paragraph, why the President's actions are making him a global tyrant. Break it down to a sentence or less. Something readable at a glance by open-jawed passers-by is likely to make much more of an impact.

Contrast! Contrast! Contrast! Big and bold; black with white writing, neon pink with black writing, and so forth. Nothing screams "read me" more than a ten-foot long black banner with enormous white bold lettering. You can also try painting the background orange, neon green, red or some other obnoxiously bright color. Then letter your newly made canvas accordingly.

Get it up! Do you have a few buddies willing to help carry that sign above the masses? Great! If not, most folks would be happy to oblige: just ask.

Originality counts. Some have a tremendous artistic flair, and this comes in handy. Some of the large oil puppets and salmon costumes are a wonderful example of artistic efforts. For others, cutting their sign into an odd shape is really pushing the limits.

Any effort to break the typical sea of rally signs, will help draw more attention to your message. Getting these messages out for the world to see is an important part of the current movement. So get out there, support the community movements, and make some signs with panache!