‘Resist Mandatory Inoculation.’

What makes a person compelled to spray paint this phrase on an overpass wall in St-Henri, Montreal? It was such a poor paint job that it could possibly even say,

‘Rest Man: A Tory Innovation’, or
‘Resist Men: Or you’re in jubilation’.

But I deduced the first phrase through careful speculation, i.e. walking past it four times a day for four months. What possibly could have happened, or what possibly could this person have read, for him to take time out of his busy 2a.m. weed smoking schedule, to poorly spray these very deliberate words on a wall? I am all for a good conspiracy theory, and it is a near certainty that vaccinations, especially of made up illnesses like Swine Flu, are little more than modern day mind control systems to convince people to buy Nike and drink Vitamin Water, but a phrase such as this, without explanation to the masses, just confuses and disgusts them like than a blob of phlegmy spit or any other unreadable tag on the mailbox or street sign. Spray painting a paragraph of explanation doesn’t make much sense, and maybe the author/artist wanted little more than for one or two persons to go online and read and/or write about it. If so I guess he got his wish. Chances are good that he got hit by a car while painting, and with his last ounce of strength finished his piece of social activism and that is why it is nearly unreadable. Devotion to a cause you can’t explain…

There are different kinds of activism, if that is indeed what this spray paint job is, and I obviously identify with other kinds, like sleeping naked, writing, not washing my clothes, reading quietly, buying organic, waking up early, trying to grow a beard, shopping sustainably, watching hockey, etc.  I have a hard time seeing change come from protesting. No matter how witty your sign is, how many times the cops hit you with a billy club or how sure you are that it is your right to protest in a ‘democracy’, it seems that little will change, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. Proactive and indirect protest alike, the poorly thought out overpass spray paint job is an inspiring reminder that even terribly planned and intoxicated protest matters, sometimes.

If I ever (inevitably) accidentally have kids I have yet to decide if I would inoculate them. Aside from the birth coach mumbo-jumbo and the health of a stress free birth and child free from foreign unknown bodies, vaccinations from long dead diseases seems about as necessary as teaching your kid to brush their teeth. I was injected with dead cells as a child. I remember stepping into the dark White City Community Centre hallway. I remember cotton balls and medical tape. I remember light tears and red suckers. I feel like I turned out alright, healthy, free minded. Unless that is what they want me to think…

So for the ever growing ‘Pregnant Lady Demographic’ of Balls of Rice, the ‘Rich People Traveling Demographic’ and the ‘Listen to Epidemics on the News Demographic’, please consider the words of a likely intoxicated anglophone and consider:

‘Resist Mandatory Inoculation.’ But if you don’t like that idea then at least follow this interpretation:

‘Rights 4 Men: That’s Our Nocturnal Obligation.’ Because this phrase will make just as much of a difference to the commuters that read it.