Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/10/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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