Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/10/17

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Subject: [Leica] PESO: Do not
From: imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:18:32 -0500
References: <66782e97-62df-c8f6-d7a2-d57ae6861fc4@me.com> <2A841A80-B9B2-4F73-8358-6915CD072247@mac.com> <651311E7-B0C1-47DA-B0BA-8D46F488290F@mac.com>

On Oct 16, 2012, at 8:27 PM, Bernard Quinn wrote:

> George,
> 
> I agree with you. I wish that we could have an honest dialogue in this 
> country about the many and very serious problems we face. It may be 
> possible, but it is something which we never seem to do. The polarization 
> and the rigidity and the what might be described as the "I'm right Jack" 
> attitude that many people have troubles me deeply and causes me a lot of 
> pain. 
> 
> There is no question in my mind that there are documentaries which have 
> lead to major change in the country. Edward R. Murrow's renowned  "The 
> Harvest of Shame" comes to mind, for one. I do not question the value of 
> documenting things. But it also comes with a danger.
> 
> It would please me a great deal if Jim's photo of the bumper sticker 
> started a conversation which lead to progress. But, I have two concerns. 
> The first is that one person's document may also be another person's hate 
> speech. There is the possibility of a slippery slope here which really 
> does concern me.
> 
> My other concern is this. I probably have a fairly classical and orthodox 
> view of the world. I would like to think that a person sees that bumper 
> sticker, reacts to it, talks about it, and the world becomes an improved 
> and better place. But, I am not sure that it works that way any more. 
> Things are so polarized. I think there is a danger that things like that 
> bumper sticker no longer promote conversation. Rather they serve to 
> reinforce in both the minds of the right and the left that their own views 
> and prejudices are correct and the people who do not agree with them are 
> simply are idiots who do no bathe regularly. I will leave it to better 
> minds than mine to decide if this is true or not. 
> 
> I have two big concerns here. The first is that valuable document or not 
> that bumper sticker may also promote violence and hatred. I am not 
> convinced that its existence will lead to progress. It may simply serve to 
> further polarize us by working to confirm our prejudices. 

I certainly understand your sensitivity; Barney.

Yet here we find ourselves having a reasonable and important conversation 
about these matters
because of this one photograph:

Racism
Documentary work
Edward R. Murrow
"The Harvest of Shame"
Individual concerns
The "Value" of all of the above.

And that IS the point. Communication. The power of even a single photograph. 
and/or a few words.

(all infinitely more interesting than f:stops and shutter speeds)

Regards,
George Lottermoser 
george at imagist.com
http://www.imagist.com
http://www.imagist.com/blog
http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist







Replies: Reply from jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] PESO: Do not)
In reply to: Message from bjq1 at mac.com (bjq1 at mac.com) ([Leica] PESO: Do not)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] PESO: Do not)
Message from bjq1 at mac.com (Bernard Quinn) ([Leica] PESO: Do not)