We have met the enemy…
Anyone fortunate enough to be able to remember Walt Kelly’s Pogo Possum cartoons will know this quote well:
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
The history of the quote is pretty cool. It was first used on an Earth Day poster in 1970. Below are two versions of the original poster. I couldn’t find a better graphic of it online, but I think, with a little work, it could be used on websites, protest signs, etc.
Be careful, because the quote is a double-edged sword ( a tool Kelly was great at using.)
Sometimes we are our own enemies. And I don’t me “we” as in “them.” Sometimes the infighting within our ranks holds us back.
I’m not going to harp on this, because those who can, already know what I mean, and those who don’t know will never be convinced by facts or logic.
So let’s work on fighting “them” instead.
It might be nice to use these posters on Earth Day again, although I’m sure people do that every year.
The first two are versions of the 1970 Earth Day Poster.
Pogo 1970 Earth Day Poster
Pogo 1970 Earth Day Poster
This one is from the 1971 Earth Day poster:
Pogo 1971 Earth Day poster
My take on the issue:
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
Want to know more about Pogo, the quotation, and the poster? Check out these sites:
http://www.igopogo.com/final_authority.htm ZEROING IN ON THOSE POLLUTERS: WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US, By Walt Kelly.
http://www.igopogo.com/we_have_met.htm From the foreword to The Pogo Papers, Copyright 1952-53
One response so far
This is great to know, given the aproaching 40th aniversary of Earth Day! You should publicize the fact that the poster was created by Kelly for the first earth day.