Killing In The Name Of by Matthew Hunt (Original Drawing)

This chalk pencil drawing is the culmination of extensive research, representing a tapestry of real events spanning nearly a century, up to the present day. Each sign held by the crowd in the artwork is rooted in historical truth, highlighting instances where one human’s treatment of another is dictated by the lottery of birthplace. Birthplace is a circumstance beyond anyone’s control, yet it shapes our exposure to specific beliefs—be they national or religious. The land we grow up on then becomes the stage upon which we are compelled to defend our inherited ideals against fellow humans, whose beliefs and loyalties have been shaped by their own different birth places and cultures.
For some, the defence of these ideals becomes so fervent that they are prepared to cause harm, or even take a life, with a clear conscience – simply because another person holds a different perspective. This phenomenon, fuelled by mob mentality and dogmatic thinking, would appear irrational to an individual who questions the logic behind such actions. Personally, I could never accept the notion of killing another person solely due to a difference in beliefs. Yet, when one agrees to uphold these indoctrinated ideals, to show their loyalty, with a flag on their shoulder and a war song in their heart, they will travel to foreign lands to kill others who disagree with their creed, and risk being killed themselves by those defending their own inherited beliefs.
Even neutrality is not tolerated; the crowd threatening those who refuse to choose a side. This dogmatic approach strips away individual choice, forcing conformity to the collective mindset. If humanity were to escalate conflict to the level of nuclear war over arbitrary boundaries, one might wonder: if anyone survived, would there be a sign that reads, “Here lies all of humanity – dead as they couldn’t get along”?
This drawing represents my struggle with what I hesitate to call “civilised humans” and the emerging “New World Order”, built upon ownership and indoctrination into predetermined roles within society.
This picture stands in homage to George Orwell’s book “1984”, and the movie based upon it, which inspired my work, along with my love for my fellow humans.
I dedicate this piece to several individuals and groups who have resisted injustice and violence:
• The Fort Hood 43, who stood against war and refused to deploy on 23/08/1968.
• The women of Australia and America, who refused to send their young sons to war, asserting “Hell No, We Won’t Go”.
• The four students killed by Ohio National Guardsmen at Kent State University in May 1970 for protesting the Vietnam War.
• Ruby Bridges, who in the 1960s became the first six-year-old black girl to attend an all-white school in Louisiana, USA, and continues to work to this day against racial segregation, now well into her sixties.
• Martin Gugino, a 75-year-old white man assaulted by police officers on 04/06/2020 while protesting for Black Lives Matter, for which no officers were charged.
• All those who perished at Auschwitz, in the hope that we never repeat what cannot be undone.