Cartoons artistically bring life to ideas. Satire illuminates the contradictions in the motives and actions of those who seek and gain power over others. Satirical cartoons may offend, and they may cross the line of propriety at times. They are an essential element in a healthy society, however.
My heart cries for the artists and others at Charlie Hebdo who lost their lives at the hands of terrorists this week in France. They are not silenced. They have proven to us that the pen is definitely mightier than the sword, or the automatic weapon as the case might be.
Watch the video below to see how cartoonists around the world have responded to the pain in Paris.
I started the fund raising campaign for the latest Okey’s Promise: Art for a Cause project many months ago. Several Promise Keepers have contributed to the project, yet it still remains way under the original fund raising goal.
I am still raising funds for the project, and I hope that you will consider contributing to the campaign. You can contribute here at the Okey’s Promise GoFundMe page.
The project will be scaled back if the goal is not reached, but it will be completed.
You can see what the project is about by watching the video. I think it tells the story better than anything I can write here. The overall mission for Okey’s Promise is to raise awareness to the connections between animal abuse, child abuse and domestic violence.
I have been working with an organization called Peace for Pets in Stark County, OH that provides foster care for the pets of families seeking shelter from domestic violence. We work closely with the Domestic Violence Project, Inc. to assist families in need so that finding safety for their pets is not a barrier to finding safety for themselves.
It is my hope that many other communities will adopt similar programs. It is so essential.
Does your community assist families in domestic crisis with shelter for their pets? Please share in the comments.