What the They Sent It to Us: PSAs Über Alles
Selected, verbatim excerpts from an open letter to the mayor by a “visionary dancer” named Delilah, whose solution to the city’s problems is to turn Fremont into a miniature Singapore:
Dear Greg Nickels,
I have a company called Visionary Dance Productions, aptly named because I am a visionary. I always try to see more, not less. I try to open up the field of vision so new and better ideas have a chance. However, when systems are locked inside themselves, they have a hard time seeing beyond. With the same procedures and same thinking, the same problems will arise…
When I was a kid people used to throw things out the windows of cars. It was called littering. I was small but I remember this and I remembered the change… Why? What’s the difference? “Awareness” was the key. A national campaign was adopted in 1953 by a bunch of beverage and packaging businessmen who were afraid that the government was going to pass a bunch of ordinances and hold them responsible. So they launched a champagne… It was leadership and awareness and slogans that changed things, not fines.
When I hear or think about the Fremont neighborhood problems in regards to the night life scene, it feels like the club goers are anonymous figures in the debate… Actually the patrons are the neighbors for a huge part. If I’m going to drink I want to go local.
A campaign should be launched to bring about awareness. Public service announcements on radio and TV. Posters around town. Make everyone responsible. Club owners and bands could make public service announcements from the stage:
“Hey, be cool in the hoods. Take a cab where the parking is residential.”
“Whisper in the streets after 11 pm.”
Most people get that you gotta be quiet in a library. It’s not hard to get the message out!
“Support your favorite establishments and be cool!”
“Be responsible for the love and honor of music, dance and creativity!”
“Celebrate artistic freedom by being responsible Night Lifers!”
“Keep the Night Life Cool!”
… We need culture! We need freedom! We need creative minds. We need to get people away from their TVs, computers, and gameboys and interacting with each other before it’s too late for any visionary minds.
Delilah
Speaking of visionary mindsremember this, the best PSA in the history of ever? (Following the inevitable commercial.)
I am reminded of this, one of the best headlines ever written:
http://www.hollywood.com/news/detail/id/2436200