Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/11/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Eric-- Did you automatically think I was speaking about you? There have been many other opinions voiced here besides yours. Don't take it personally. My thoughts on this subject may not count for much in this group, since I'm female, never served in the military, and have not photographed a military event. However, it seems to me that there are some important points to consider. People who serve in our military deserved to be honored. To me, that means that their lives should be taken seriously, before, during and after they are sent into any conflict. Respectful documentation of the work they do is a form of honoring their commitment and contribution to the citizenry. Documenting lives that have been lost, or soldiers who have been injured, keeps the reality of who they are in the public eye, where it belongs. The people who are responsible for sending those people into conflict should be held accountable for having done so, and if no one sees the truth of what has occurred--and that may mean images of caskets, or body bags, or the kinds of images we witnessed on television during Vietnam--then that is what should be seen. I don't think a single person on this list would argue for an insensitive display of anyone's suffering, be it the soldier, or her or his family. To say that anyone who photographs a military event, including the unloading of caskets from aircraft at Dover, is being sensationalist or is acting from some other motive is disingenuous. Sure, there are rags out there that will print anything, and they do. So what? That does not diminish the work of serious journalists whose work is to bring those things to the public eye that the politicians would rather keep hidden. And that is their job. As those in power are ever more at risk of being exposed, the job of journalists becomes even more important. The more the powers-that-be try to hide their motives for their policies, wars, laws, and the rest, the harder journalists have to work to keep that activity visible. To criticize only the journalist for exposing the issues is to ignore half the issue. It is all too easy to forget who these people are, that they exist, and that there is a disproportionate preponderance of minority and lower income people in the military. They come from a class of people who are generally voiceless and powerless in this society, and too easily become the pawns of the powerful, who would rather keep the images of those who may well be dying in vain, or for whatever reason, away from the populace. If photographing caskets helps bring wars to an end, then that is what needs to be done. If photographs of wounded and massacred soldiers in Iraq and elsewhere can bring a war to an end, then that is what should be done. For too long the powers that be have manipulated the lives of the powerless, mostly for selfish reasons. If a photographer can make one small contribution to bringing that inanity to an end, then more power to her. Or him. Kit Eric Welch said: Excuse me? I'm also experienced professionally. What am I? No. don't answer that... Not to take away from Sal, he's a whole different level for sure. But I've covered the funerals of plenty of military, fireman, policemen. Always with respect and consent of the family. It's an honor to do, and very stressful. I'd also not rather be there, but it's one of those things about the job you have to do. On Nov 17, 2003, at 4:46 PM, Kit McChesney wrote: > Finally, someone who knows what he's talking about, and from knowledge > based > on experience. Thanks, Sal. "There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man [person] in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." - --Herbert Spencer - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html