I was bicycling through the panhandle of Nebraska, a most beautiful part of the country, when I came upon a mailbox in the shape of a handgun. Although my personal politics may or may not align with the person who created the mailbox, I greatly appreciate the bold self-expression employed to turn something rather mundane into something so visually striking and meaningful. Over the years I have come across numerous whimsical sculptures devised to house a mailbox. I am jealous since I have always wanted to do something similar but have never yet found the time nor inspiration.
We all have a relationship with the United States Postal Service. As Americans, complaining about the Post Office is a common pastime. We also like to complain about our spouses, family, co-workers, jobs, etc. Basically, anything we really care about and depend upon, we complain about. We do care about and depend upon the Postal Service. At Footprints, we ship most of our packages through the US Postal Service. Although occasionally we have had a delayed package, it has been extremely rare that anything ever gets lost. We like and appreciate our postal carriers and think they do a good job.
The creation of our postal service goes back to Benjamin Franklin during the Second Continental Congress in 1775. It predates our United States. It was conceived as a service rather than a business. The postal service is based on the small "d", democratic ideal that everyone should be able to communicate with one another at the same cost.
One of my favorite New Deal programs during the height of the Great Depression was the creation of the Public Works of Art Project within the Treasury Department. They allocated money and a process to bring art to rural America. The program employed "starving" artists to create quality works of art for the lobbies of newly constructed Post Offices. The lobbies were social gathering places where people picked up their mail and discussed local issues. The artwork usually expressed optimism and referenced local history. The murals enhanced the local sense of community and pride. As time has passed, the murals are now individually worth much more than the price paid for their creation. It was a good deal for the American people.
The rural mailbox in the shape of a handgun in our photograph is miles from the nearest paved road. If the postal service is privatized, converting it to a business, the cost to deliver mail and packages to that mailbox will go up substantially. Privatization is one more step along the path toward greater income inequality and loss of community. As communication evolves, Postal Service assets are opportunities for public service. With brick-and-mortar locations woven into every corner of the United States, the postal system is uniquely positioned to become multi-purpose community centers for communications and services if we are smart enough to effectively utilize the resource.
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
