This project uses art as a form of communication that may be able reach some people not typically engaged in politics. In "I Wish to Say", Oring (a former newspaper reporter and editor) takes on the role of an old-fashioned secretary - complete with manual typewriter - and posts herself in conspicuous public areas like downtown shopping districts or city parks where she invites passersby to dictate notes to the president. Amongst the questions she asks people: If I were the President, what would you wish to say to me? Have you encountered limits to your rights of free expression? Are books dangerous? What does freedom mean to you? What is the proper relationship between religion and government? Should newspapers withhold content that might be offensive? After Oring has typed each note, participants are able to stamp their postcards "URGENT" or "PAST DUE," and Oring sends the postcards to the White House.

Elaborating on the strategy, Oring explains that "[t]he outfit and manual typewriter work together to create a scene that is out of the ordinary. This in turn piques people's curiosity. Passersby typically come over to me and ask what I'm doing - and this starts the conversation in a very different way than if I were approaching people first. In all, the setup serves to break down barriers and to invite people in to a special place where they will be heard and where their thoughts will be recorded verbatim. I have often wondered how the communication dynamics would change if I were a man doing this. As a woman, I am probably more approachable for many people."

This project uses the internet, a book, and in-person events (exhibitions) to share the postcards generated by this process, as part of an effort to create a record of the varied perspectives of citizens living out different realities based on the President's priorities and policies. Visitors to the I Wish to Say blog may view Oring "in action", and read samples of postcards such as this one: "Dear President, Bring our children home. This is a failed war and our children have paid too huge a cost: spiritually, emotionally and in every other way. Bring the children home. Just one mother, In Flagstaff, Arizona." Around the time of President Bush's 60th birthday (June 2006), Oring wore a 1960s party dress and set up a portable, impromptu "birthday party" in parks and flea markets. The birthday messages she invited people to send to the President, and the strategy behind this endeavour, are shared in a book published in March 2008 (click here for details).

Democracy and Governance.

Oring says, "[p]eople are pretty eager to express their opinions to the White House. When people learn about the project, they are also eager to participate because they are taking part in something that is larger than just themselves....[However,] I have met people who were afraid to express themselves because they felt that doing so would put them in danger. The fact that we have created such an environment is of great concern to me. Because women are underrepresented in most places of power, I feel it's extremely important for them to find ways of making their voices heard." Oring has had no reply from the White House to the thousands of postcards she has mailed in since 2004.