The recent case of twelve men being arrested for distributing leaflets that contained inflammatory and offensive material was not the first time that leaflet distribution has hit the headlines for controversial reasons. Leaflet distribution has a long history of coming under scrutiny because of the way it can communicate a message quickly and effectively to a large group of people. However these run-ins with the establishment have not always been for reasons like the recent case. More often than not leaflet distribution has been at the forefront of important crusades and has helped to break down barriers, bring people together and, in many cases, has led to laws being changed or attitudes being revised. These changes have always fallen into two groups, artistic and social. Leaflet distribution has help artists and designers question issues of taste and decency and has helped politicians and reformers raise awareness of important issues like poverty and homelessness. The Civil Rights movement in the United States benefitted greatly from leaflet distribution. The very fact that the medium is so democratic and open to all means that it can be used to give voice to opinions that otherwise wouldn't have one. It can spread a message even if that message is not necessarily what the establishment or authorities want to hear. It can, of course, be abused, as in the case of the men who used it to propagate offensive material, but in the case of the civil rights movement it was an ideal way to get the message of equality across. People like Martin Luther King Jnr. were not granted the same access to mainstream media like other political groups at the time. Television and many newspapers were governed by people who wanted to maintain the status quo even if that was at the expense of a large part of the community. Segregation and race were volatile subjects in 1960's America and few people in positions of power were willing to put their necks on the line. Leaflet distribution became an important weapon in the civil rights movement as a result. Leaflets that were handed out during the time quoted from the American constitution and exposed the hypocrisy that segregation represented. Without leaflet distribution the message wouldn't have travelled as far and as fast as it did. It was also used for the same purpose in Ireland, Spain and South Africa. Another political movement that worked towards social change and used leaflet distribution as a means to achieve its goals was the Suffragette movement. The Suffragettes were led by Emmeline Pankhurst and their main aim was to win the right to vote for women. Among their tactics were the lobbying of politicians, marching and demonstrations and leaflet distribution. Pankhurst was a well educated woman and saw no reason why the fact she was a woman should exclude her from areas of society, commerce and politics. She campaigned vigorously and joined several groups that worked towards women's suffrage including the Independent Labour Party. It was while she was involved with them that she met socialist reformer Keir Hardy and became aware of the state of poverty in many of Britain's cities. Although she did work to improve working and living positions for the poor it did not distract her from her main aim which was to win the right to vote for women throughout the country. Pankhurst's tactics grew more extreme but she called a complete halt to her campaign during the period of World War 1 to support the war effort. The war had a great influence on the campaign as it gave women the opportunity to demonstrate skills that would normally have been the preserve of men. When the war ended Pankhurst formed the Women's Party and the right to vote followed soon after.
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