[Leica] re: armed america

[kcassidy at asc.upenn.edu (Kyle Cassidy)]

adam bridge points out:

> If this is for a book then what's the point? Only pictures? An essay
> with them? What? Because I'd be VERY wary of participating - who
> knows what sort of editorial stance you're going to take - or your
> editor will take. "Boy, we can make these guys look like real rubes."
> I'm not saying YOU are saying that but I can't believe it doesn't run
> rampant through the minds of people you ask.

this does indeed -- and it's a very good point. one of the things that
i've discussed extensively with potential editors is that there be NO
text in this book apart from each subject answering this question: "why
do you own a gun?" -- you can see some of their answers on the website.
but there will be no introductory spin, no essays about gun culture,
etc. just photos. i'm not here to present a political bias, i'll let
people make their own inferrences from the images. i've shown the same
portfolio to people who say "wow! they look like total idiots! this is
great!" and to other people who say "this is fantastic! i want to be in
this!" -- to a large extent people will come out of this tempered by
what they come in with, but i want this to be about the lives of the
people in the book, not about my own politics. -- as much as is
possible. there does seem to be a heavy cat-bias at the moment. that's
all me, i'm sorry to say.

kc