Kickstarter

"America is wounded.

Death takes only a moment but it's tragic impact is felt forever. Shocked communities across the nation are still reeling from the recent death of Trayvon Martin. In a moment of madness a single bullet pierced the delicate illusion we'd begun to believe in the fall of 2008-- that racism was finally over. An illusion deeply rooted in historical ignorance; that a single great achievement by one man could dispel decades of hatred and fear. Yet rather than work together to pick up the pieces and begin to heal our wounds, we stand divided and march down a path of ruin intent on destroying the bonds that generations of Americans have bled and died for.

We drew inspiration for this project from every aspect of our lives. The topic of racism in America has divided us in our homes, schools, and jobs. We have watched in horror as misplaced anger and hatred in our communities has begun to spread, creating ripples that have grown into waves that are threatening to send the foundation of our country crashing down. Tense neighborhoods arm themselves as gunfire erupts in once peaceful suburbs, spoiled by vitriolic anger.

We can use pop culture to show a clearer image of what happened. Let’s take our dialog to a galaxy far, far away, into a crowded Cantina nestled in the sandy dunes of Tatooine. In a dimly lit room, Han Solo shot and killed an alien named Greedo for cornering him and demanding that he accompany him to see and pay his creditor, Jabba the Hutt. A dozen multiracial bar tenants looked over for a moment in shock as the music was interrupted by blaster fire only to turn back to their same routine; a routine of fearful ignorance.

Lasting change requires courage and an unwavering conviction. Ignorance and cowardice breed the racism and discrimination that we need to exterminate. It is only through open and honest dialog that we will be able to pick up the pieces and move forward to build a nation we'll all be proud to share together in peace.

The adversarial media circus between our divided communities must end. The damage done from the bullet that ended Trayvon's life held no racism: It wounded all races equally. When an American child is killed, it echoes across racial lines and political affiliation and affects us all.

The damage done here is not exclusive to one community. Let us join together with open hearts and minds, free of prejudice and heal the wounds of the American community. We must continue the conversation and settle our differences, lest we descend into chaos. And let us all remember that it was not a racial community or group that shot and wounded America; it was but a single man. Remember who shot first."

Actual shirt design. 

Awareness is one of the most powerful tools a nation has at its disposal. We want to distribute these t-shirts are far as we can and to as many people as possible. We want people to wear them and be reminded that we're still wounded as a nation and that the dialog and healing process must continue. If we're to create a better future, the awareness must begin today. 

We will only be able to enter production and begin spreading our message with your support. It begins with you. If we're able to raise $6000 on Kickstarter, we will enter production and get those shirts and rewards into your hands. If we fail to raise $6000, you don't lose a penny. This is how Kickstarter works.

The shirts are being manufactured by Clothing Optional Incentives and Apparel, a local printing business here in Gotha Florida. The shirts are white, 100% cotton and come in S/M/L/XL. Every shirt is printed with the love and care that only a local shop can provide. We're dedicated to working with our partners in the community instead of outsourcing the production of our shirts overseas.

The image being used for our sticker is the same as our profile image both here and on Facebook,