A Call for Submissions for a new book:
Out of Whack - A Response to US Policy following 9/11

Please send suggestions to outofwhack@freespeech.org

In January 2002 the Washington Post ran an article about artists' responses to 911. The article singled out a piece in New York in which many of us were involved: "Just weeks after the attacks, hundreds of contemporary artists gathered for a performance titled "Our Grief Is Not a Cry for War. If art is the barometer of the public's mood, then this one's out of whack."

For sure we are out of whack with Bush and Cheney's "war on terror". We're definitely out of whack with the administration's bullying "you're either with us or against us" rhetoric that is being used to justify the increasing infringement of civil liberties. But out of whack with the public mood? We doubt that this is the case to anywhere near the degree they want us to believe.

Within hours of the collapse of the world trade towers, the government and corporate media launched an extraordinary campaign to generate public support for what was called a "war on terror" but increasingly seems to be a blatant grab for power and influence around the world.

A blanket of intimidation has been spread across the country. Resistance to the government's actions has met the fiercest opposition. For example, The New Republic equated the war's opponents with a "5th column"--traitors. Professors and other public figures who have been even mildly critical of the government's response, have suffered the intimidation of having their names published on internet lists. A few, such as Susan Sontag, Bill Maher and Barbara Kingsolver, were singled out for particularly nasty and isolating attacks by the press.

According to polls a majority of Americans support the government's military response, and are apparently willing to relinquish some personal freedom in return for the illusion of greater domestic security. But we believe that this is a much softer majority than is acknowledged by the polls. People are afraid to voice dissenting views - for fear of being "out of whack" with the media portrayal of reality and falling on the wrong side of the "patriotic" divide.

Open discussion of the global implications of 9/11 is urgent. Yet any dissent, critique, or even questioning is being suppressed. Our silence implies consent.

We believe it's imperative to create a space in which those who are opposed to government policy-or even just confused or ambivalent-can encounter the words and images of those who have protested. Out of Whack will be published as both a print and electronic book. We are collecting essays, photos, letters, graffiti, poetry, reportage, anything that gives eloquent voice to opposition.

Do not limit suggestions to works from the U.S. An internationalist spirit underlies this effort. We'd like to include pieces from all over the world. Please send your submissions and suggestions as soon as possible.