[Leica] Armed *White* America?

[photo.forrest at earthlink.net (Philip Forrest)]

Very well put, Ted.
I'm sure Kyle will chime in on this, but having been his assistant through 
the 
project, I will say that he was very conscious of the fact that we had few 
African Americans and Asians in the book.  He stressed it out just a bit, 
but 
we didn't have and agenda of Armed Affirmative Action going here.  We met 
who 
volunteered and got their photos, simple as that.  We did have contact with 
more black people but I gathered that they associated a sort of stigma with 
their firearms ownership in the eye of the public and so chose to remain out 
of the book.  We can't force anyone to have a photo taken for an endeavor 
such as this and we weren't going to press the issue with reluctant people.  
That's just plain wrong.  
A portrait book of America, or any country for that matter can only be 
absolutely complete with a photo of every one of it's citizens.  I wanted to 
go that route with this book, but Krause said we'd size ourselves out of the 
store if we made a photo art book of 215 million gun owners...
The project was interesting and it's great to have been a part of it.
Thanks all.
Philip



On Wednesday 08 August 2007 23:26, Ted Grant wrote:
> Richard offered:
>
> Subject: [Leica] Armed *White* America?
>
> >>>>>As much as I love Kyle's stuff and writing, I won't be buying the
>
> book. No need to explain or defend etc.
>
>
>
> For those with the book though, or Kyle our man if you are not too
>
> busy signing autographs, I note that the photo excerpts have one
>
> African American and one woman that appears to be Asian descended.
>
> Armed White America? What is the spread in the book like?<<<<,
>
>
>
> Richard for crying out loud!
>
> Do you know how stupid this is? Dumb ass stupid, that's what!!
>
>
>
> Simply because Kyle didn't start out to shoot a book representing every
> colour in the rainbow nor ethnic cross section!! Get real! When a book idea
> like this is born it's not to represent all the colours in the rainbow, but
> about people who volunteer their services to be photographed for a
> potential book about guns and folks who own them!
>
>
>
> This kind of tripe isn't any different than when Sandy Carter and I had
> completed our book about women in medicine and the shooting was finished
> after nearly a year and a half criss crossing North America in many
> hospitals and medical centres. We received this same kind of bull shit from
> a writer who was asked to work on the book with us.
>
>
>
> As soon as she brought up.... "where are the handi-capped doctors and
> nurses, there isn't enough colour representation, where are the Asians etc
> etc  every damn BS line one could possibly imagine regarding all the PC
> nonsense. Guess what? She was history instantaneously! Simply because
> there's real life in the world and the way some folks would like to have
> it! However, never shall the twain meet as sorry as I am to write that at
> the moment! Maybe after 10 life times of 10 life times of the next 10
> generations of appreciating each others colour in the rainbow simply
> because we all give something to this world as messed up as it is!
>
>
>
> Damn Richard and you aren't helping one iota with your silly tripe!
>
>
>
> Right now don't anybody jump in with I'm a bigot! Simply because I've
> always been a champion for women to be equally treated and paid as men,
> colour was never a thing in my life because of the way I was brought up
> that we are as human beings all equal!
>
>
>
> How many of you have ever thought about relating to our human race in this
> fashion?
>
>
>
> Take every colour there is in our rainbow and each one makes a tiny cut in
> a finger! SURPISE WE ALL BLEED THE SAME COLOUR! Damn I bet not too many
> ever thought of it in that equaling fashion! So quite frankly that's how I
> was brought up to respect every other human being of different colour or
> religion or whatever they wanted to be! The colour of their blood!
>
> Skin was just the cover colour, not the book inside!
>
>
>
> So when I read someone brings up this drivel about race-colour whatever
> Richard is alluding to, I lose it! Yep the problem is real I don't deny
> that, but what screws it up is when some one brings it up in such a stupid
> manner! It has no relation in this book as first published!
>
>
>
> Certainly where every colour, religion, size, male, female or whatever one
> wishes to call themselves, had the opportunity to VOLUNTEER to be in Kyle's
> book! Absolutely no discrimination whatsoever! Merely in the minds of the
> retarded!
>
>
>
> Similarly so in our book, "Women in Medicine." Sandy Carter and I didn't go
> around looking for black, coloured, white whatever doctors and nurses came
> in. Simply because we had all kinds of them doing the job of looking after
> all the folks who required medical attention regards of rainbow colour and
> we had them all in our coverage where ever they were giving their care to
> others!! Regardless of whatever or whomever!
>
>
>
> Nor did we look for ... "are you a handi-capped person medical
> professional?" I will say the only single item we watched for was a, are
> you ready? "A PREGNANT DOCTOR OR NURSE WHO WAS SHOWING SHE WAS!" That was
> it!
>
> :-) Yes and there is one in the book! :-)
>
> As a matter of fact our wonderful book concept was originally suggested by
> one of the most understanding and professional women doctors or any doctor,
> male or female I've ever had the honour and privilege of knowing. And
> Richard if you were astute enough you might buy our book and read this
> doctor's forward! And be surprised!
>
>
>
> A lady of human class beyond real life, as wonderful as an angel could be.
> She just happened to be the Director of Nuclear Cardiology in a big
> hospital with a wonderful staff of many colours. And she was black!
>
>
>
> Thank you.
>
>
>
> What I really don't understand is ....
>
> "WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH LEICA PHOTOGRAPHY?" And Richard
> why did you bring it up?
>
>
>
> Apart from the fact I'm bagged after being in front of TV cameras all day
> on the final shoot for the BRAVO TV programme to be released in October
> about the old guy! :-)  Oh yeah and flaunting the Leica M8 in every scene!
> :-) Awesome! ;-) But dang it sure was and has been fun! :-)
>
>
>
> ted
>
>
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