I’m a huge Norman Rockwell fan and have two prints of his hanging in my office. 

They came to me as gifts and while greatly appreciated, if I had my choice, I would swap one of them for Rockwell’s “Freedom of Speech” painting that was part of his “Four Freedoms” series produced in 1943. 

The other Freedoms were freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. 

As you can see, Freedom of Speech shows a chap standing up at what appears to be a community meeting and having his say. 

Rockwell was a genius in my view, and I love the symbolism in this painting. 

We don’t know what the meeting is about or what this chap is saying, but so much is conveyed that is unspoken. 

The very front and centre at the bottom shows a small part of the front page of a paper of some sort, perhaps the same paper folded in the speaker’s pocket. 

Some words are visible, “report” being the only one in total, but is that the tail end of “special” just before it? And below that, is that the tail end of “town”? I think so.

See how two of the men intently listening have ties on while the speaker wears, literally, a blue collar. 

Rockwell's Freedom of Speech painting. IMAGE: Supplied

Everything is open to interpretation but to me, I feel Rockwell is portraying a sense of equality here, perhaps the town doctor and dentist listening intently to the working man. 

And see how the only mouth that is open is the speakers? Everyone else is showing him the respect of listening.

I just love this painting, as you may tell.

Over the last couple of weeks I have, with the assistance of staff and other elected members, done a number of presentations of the Districtisation proposal Council is currently consulting on.

Consulting is half art, half science I reckon and is a part of the job I really enjoy. 

I think the best bit of it is when an engaged audience asks excellent questions, while others in the audience listen respectfully to both the question and the answer, just like in Rockwell’s work. 

That is what we have experienced at the Town Hall meetings (oddly named because none of them have or will happen in a Town Hall) across the district so far and I look forward to the same happening at the Cromwell Presbyterian Church on Monday night at 7pm.

The districtisation debate is an important one for the future of Central Otago and it is really important to me as Mayor that as many people as possible get to hear and understand what it is about before your Council makes a decision on the 25th of September. 

If you haven’t been able to make any of the live meetings, there is an online one happening at 7pm Tuesday 27th of August. 

Please make sure you have your say by August 31 at One District: Central Otago | Let’s Talk Central Otago.

Failing that, get hold of me and I’ll be happy to talk you through it or answer any questions you may have.

The time that Rockwell’s series was produced is crucial, being 1943. 

He didn’t do these paintings on a whim; they were a response to the threats those four freedoms faced in the form of the Axis powers in World War Two. 

The threats to the four freedoms were obvious then whereas today, they are more subtle, things like misinformation and complacency. Just because they don’t wear jackboots and carry guns doesn’t make these 21st century threats any less dangerous.