Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/24

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Subject: [Leica] Armed America on the Road
From: jshul at comcast.net (Jim Shulman)
Date: Sat Jun 24 15:01:35 2006

Oh, no less frightening from my quarters!  However, the ubiquity of arms,
and their apparent integration into everyday American life, has never been
documented like this (as least, so far as I've seen.)  

Normality can be very frightening.  Where I live, it's quite normal to see
cadres of bleached-blonde matrons piloting gargantuan Range Rovers, all the
while chatting away on minute cellular telephones.  Some of them have been
known to mow down pedestrians without stopping (usually a sign that it's
time to trade in the vehicle.*)When you think of the millions of trilobites
who perished for Muffy's trip to the salon, it's both sad and appalling.  

Another normal sighting: a Porsche Cayenne converted into a stretch
limousine.  Take an inherently tippable SUV, add a high-powered engine and
then stretch it to a quarter-block.  Last night I saw a policeman pull over
one of these monstrosities; I asked the cop if he was going to cite the
driver for poor taste.  After all, this IS Bryn Mawr. 

Jim Shulman
Bryn Mawr, PA

*I wish this were not hyperbole.  Unfortunately, it has occurred.



-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Douglas
Sharp
Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2006 5:49 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Armed America on the Road

Jim,
that may be right from a US point of view, I reckon that people from 
other countries may see it in another, rather more disturbing light. 
Most of the rest of the
Western World seems to be able to be relatively normal without being 
heavily armed. This is where the success of the series will be - outside 
the USA
Having spent half of my life in the UK - relatively weapon free and the 
other half in Germany, with the exception of very highly organised 
hunting and target shooting groups, also weapon free - I can say that 
Kyles photos will be seen here as anything but normal, and, as they are, 
morbidly fascinating.
Whether it's right, or a right, US national, regional, local or not, 
makes no real difference in my opinion.

Douglas

Jim Shulman wrote:

>I understand that's the whole point of this project--that gun ownership is
a
>lot more "normal" than most of us non-owners would imagine.  While the
usual
>media image of a gun owner is some wild-eyed fanatic living in a garret,
>Kyle is showing otherwise--that it's as ubiquitous as owning a Toro riding
>mower or Veg-o-matic.  
>
>That's not to say more desirable than owning the mower or Popeil
items--he's
>not making judgments about that--but it is rather remarkable in that he's
>putting faces on what had been anonymity.
>
>Jim Shulman
>Bryn Mawr, PA
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org
>[mailto:lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
>SonC@aol.com
>Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2006 4:27 PM
>To: lug@leica-users.org
>Subject: Re: [Leica] Armed America on the Road
>
> 
> 
>In a message dated 6/24/2006 1:37:56 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
>douglas.sharp@gmx.de writes:
>
>3 captions 
>out of 22 photos mention god or their creator as the  source of their 
>rights - a scary proportion to me.
> 
>=========
>
>
>
>Kyle has filled out the portfolio with this trip..lots more normal  folks
>now.
> 
>
>Regards,  
>Sonny
>http://www.sonc.com
>Natchitoches, Louisiana
>Oldest continuous  settlement in La Louisiane
>?galit?, libert?,  crawfish
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>  
>



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In reply to: Message from douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp) ([Leica] Armed America on the Road)