RingOut promotes the political use of symbolic ringing by giving out bells, promoting bell-wearing, and organizing circular ringing events.
RingOut organized public-participation ringing events and distributed free bells in New York City this summer, to demonstrate the solidarity of New Yorkers against the GOP. Beyond NYC we promote bell-wearing and ringing protests until the United States celebrates new leadership.
Bells can be rung in alarm and anger or in harmony and celebration. Bells through the ages have represented liberty, voices in harmony, and rebellion.
Rings demonstrate unity and solidarity. Rings are powerful yet harmonious. Rather than a mass, they are a form and do not require large numbers to make their message clear. They can focus attention on particular sites.
Bells rung in a circle create a special force. Rung inwards they chastise and expel. Rung outwards, they defend revered spaces.
Both kinds of ringing—with circles or sounds—cannot be hemmed in. False patriots constrain free speech and protest, but ringing is uncontainable! Ringing doesn't assault, it surrounds, decentralizes, resounds freely through the air!
Whenever there was any big event or oppression in American history, this bell would ring. It reminds the American people to seek freedom. For example, the Liberty Bell rang out from the tower of Independence Hall to summon citizens to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
The Liberty Bell was so named by a group of abolitionists who adopted it in the 1830's as a symbol of their anti-slavery cause. The bell's name was inspired by a biblical verse that had been inscribed on the bell: "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you: and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family." (Leviticus 25:10). So this bell has become the symbol of liberty. Liberty is for the nation....Liberty is for the oppressed races....Liberty is also the experience of every individual
— Rev. Samuel Chow
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In times of war, bells were melted down to make cannons;
but, in times of peace, cannons were melted down to make bells.
—Doug and Martha Martin
http://www.martinmdb.com/
