I often wonder what I would have done during World War II around Nazis, or if I was to witness the taking of Native children to Residential Schools here in Canada. Would I be able to stand up for what I believe is right? How would I do that without fear of persecution myself?

What I believe through thought and experience is that I cannot wait until times are dire before I would stand up. If I waited until then, I wouldn’t even know what to do? I imagine that people behind revolutions were always revolutionary in their ideas and ways. In this way they practice on smaller issues, fighting for small issues to prepare for the big ones. I remember the first “Circus” I went to . It was a traveling Shriner’s Circus that came to town and shows were held in the arena. My father brought my brother, sister & I and there were elephant rides, clowns and animal acts. One of the acts involved a bear riding a unicycle. The bear did not want to perform, did a couple very sad looking tricks, and then ran back through the curtain emitting a sound that to me was nothing less than crying, his ‘trainer’ chasing behind with a whip. I was devastated. “What will happen to the bear?” I asked my dad. I don’t remember what my father said to me, but I was 9 and for some reason I knew about boycotting. So I can’t remember if I pronounced it then, since it was over, or made my proclamation, rather grandly the next year when the circus came to town. “I am boycotting the Circus!”, “but Why?” my parents asked. So I told them all about the terrible atrocities I had witness and that I would not be a party to it again, and the only way I could show my feeling was by not going. They told me that that meant my brother and sister couldn’t go either, I can’t remember if they did go without me, but I do know that I never went again-and as a result the Circus never came back…no hahaha, I think it cam back for a few years, but not really very long. When something is wrong and it is ignored, sometimes it goes away. But I think there has to be those people who go-“this is dumb let’s go do something else.” I hope I will always be one of those people!

In College faced with a similar situation, our class was to go to a zoo, that I had bee boycotting for years. The care and housing for the animals was deplorable. I am now against zoos in general, but at the time this place was a real sanatorium of wild animals in small cages. I explained to my teacher that I would not go on the trip (for life drawing). He said I would fail the assignment. I said that was fine (I regularly got A’s so I could care less). In the end no one went and the whole class drew different animals, which was cool.

As I grew, I continued in my atrocious ways, fighting authority, continuing to be “challenging”. I have threatened to not play, quit, really quit, and stood up many times for what I believe. I still pick my battles, but I try to stand up for what I believe, for me, with the hope that I can lead by example with non-violent protest. At the very least I do what I want and I am happier for it. I like thinking that I will be able to stand up at least a little! I know I need a lot more practice to get to the Revolutionary stage, but I will keep working on it, protest by protest, boycott by boycott I will keep practicing so I can at least think I am ready if the time arises. Anyways, back to drawing comics…Also stop going to Seaworld. I’ve been boycotting that place since I was 7!

Tara Audibert is an artist, teacher, comic illustrator, consultant, and just a Jill of all Trades. She co-hosts the podcast No Such Thing as Grown Ups with her spouse Curtis Carey from Sunny Corner, NB, Canada where they also make Animations, Finger Puppet Sitcoms, Prepping with Puppets,comics, poetry books, children’s books and so much more! www.nosuchthingasgrownups.com

And you can practice boycotting things your parents bring you to, too kids! Just follow our wordpress so you never miss out, we have a surprise for you everyday!