Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/12/09

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Subject: [Leica] Desensitization
From: don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory)
Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2012 15:27:44 -0500
References: <001501cdd51b$fb252040$f16f60c0$@verizon.net> <CAFuU78eLjTXAcR6-MsL-U8KTeB9PnEbtuQt3V-EyGEJv_bqUhw@mail.gmail.com> <D48A0361-FEBA-4F14-830B-762BED8F9B91@mac.com> <007801cdd5a7$2751a810$75f4f830$@cox.net> <02645677-5612-4C8F-9FB3-0E18099A0F0F@mac.com>

I have two comments to make.  The first is that when sudden violence erupts
almost all humans freeze for some period of time;  it happened to me when a
traffic accident rolled a van full of college kids over my car with several
spilling out willy-nilly.  It may have been twenty or thirty seconds before
I thought to turn off the car, get out and render what aid I could.

The second is that for most humans on the planet this is a remarkably
peaceful time.  George has hinted well that for most of history death was a
very short step from anyone, most of it quick, ugly and brutal.  Also, walk
through any older cemetery and you will see countless graves of children
that didn't live more than a few days to a year or so.  Remember Tina
talking about the naming of children in the highlands, multiple children
with the same name in the hope that one would live to adulthood.

Violence now is usually a gunshot wound.  In the past people were crushed
with boulders, had limbs whacked off, were covered in burning oils, died
nasty deaths from smallpox and ebola.  Or consider the images from the War
of Northern Aggression where there were stacks of limbs outside the medical
tents.

What I am getting at is that nothing has changed, people are people and are
capable of incredible violence and cruelty.  What is surprising is that
most people manage to cope and recover; very few are changed horribly but
that few can cause terrible ripples through time.


On Sat, Dec 8, 2012 at 8:16 PM, George Lottermoser <imagist3 at mac.com> 
wrote:

> In what epoch did male children not play "war?"
> When were soldiers and warriors not revered, honored; and/or feared?
> When did young men not yearn to join; express their power and valor;
> or get coerced; or inducted?
> Grim's fairy tales are violent stories.
> Could go on and on...
> "...if I should die before I wake
> I pray the lord my soul to take."
> ...scared the shit out of me for a long time.
>
> a note off the iPad, George
>
> On Dec 8, 2012, at 6:50 PM, Ken Carney <kcarney1 at cox.net> wrote:
>
> > My comment on sensitivity or not toward violence may not have been
> relevant
> > to the train photo.  It was just the first thing I thought of, a
> > photographer and onlookers just watching and not attempting to help this
> > guy, as if it might be more reality TV.  I think the issue we have now,
> that
> > distinguishes the past, is the continual immersion at early ages, such as
> > first-person shooter games.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>



-- 
Don
don.dory at gmail.com


Replies: Reply from imra at iol.ie (Douglas Barry) ([Leica] Desensitization)
Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Desensitization)
In reply to: Message from drleonpomeroy at verizon.net (Leon Pomeroy ) ([Leica] Desensitization)
Message from lew1716 at gmail.com (Lew Schwartz) ([Leica] Desensitization)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] Desensitization)
Message from kcarney1 at cox.net (Ken Carney) ([Leica] Desensitization)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] Desensitization)