If you don’t stand for something, you will fall

If you don’t stand for something. Stand up tall. You will fall for anything, anything at all.

If we don’t stand for something. Stand up tall. We will fall for anything, anything at all…

Judy Small

I have just been listening to Judy Small this morning at Cobargo Folk Festival she had us singing these words in her chorus. I have been listening to Judy sing at festivals for the last thirty five years. Judy was a judge in the federal circuit court of Australia. I didn’t know, or perhaps that’s something I had forgotten. She stands up for women, and so many other things deserving of her attention, her position as a public singer and in other parts of her life. I am pleased that a woman so full of convictions has spent a lifetime helping our society in such a meaningful way. Her songs now have even more meaning for me. So much so I had write this straight away.

These photographs are part of a book I am working on. One of the questions I will ask in it is ‘What would be like to never see a tree again?’ Something I don’t particularly want to actually ponder. But am incredibly important question to ask others at this very moment.

For me these artworks ask me that very question. Wouldn’t it be terrible if these were records of something that once was? My biggest fear is that we are spiralling towards this possibility at an ever increasing rate.

I fight for the trees. I am sure you already know that. Hopefully you see it in my art, have heard me say it, or even read it in my words. I try to tell everyone I meet when I can appropriately. Sometimes inappropriately I am sure too. Trees are just my metaphor for much deeper problems with our disassociation from nature. Trees and environmentalism are just some of many things I stand up for.

Tomorrow pre poll voting starts here in Australia. I find it so disheartening that environmentalism, climate change and integrity aren’t discussed by either of our two major parties or mainstream media as much as they deserve. This is just so incredibly horrifying for me. Oh how I long for the days when elections were won over honest promises for change. The Franklin River is a case in point in my mind.

I am cheering for a hung parliament. I am totally disappointed in the major party rhetoric. I want real debate in parliament. I want change. I want accountability. I hope the Australian people rise to the occasion and vote with true conviction.

I live in what is considered a safe blue ribbon seat. Yet at our local state bi-election just a short while ago (Gladys’s old seat), the vote came down to the wire on preferences. Just over 200 votes. Your preferences actually matter much more than we are used to giving them credit for.

So this election I ask you to consider the trees. Consider climate change. Consider endemic corruption. To consider what happens when the person you are choosing to represent you gets knocked out in the counting, and make sure you distribute your own preferences with consideration to the final outcome. I urge you not to trust parties preference deals and make your own choices.

We are really at a point where we have to let go of the idea that it is a two horse race. We really should teach our children more about politics, how the voting system works and how to fill in a ballet paper.

Whilst I will still be voting green, I will ensure my preferences go my local independent, despite me not liking their ‘progressive’ economic ideals. I do appreciate her staunch stance on climate change and corruption. I think she has a good chance of knocking this safe liberal seat over.

In the senate I will also be voting green and carefully distributing out all the rest of my votes to ensure that my views are adequately represented in there too.

I am voting for change. I am voting for my trees. I am standing for something. I hope you do too, for we don’t want Australia to fall down, for we certainly on a path we don’t want to continue on.

Thank you Judy Small.

Photographs and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2022