[Leica] Lack of horror for the week

[aaron.sandler at duke.edu (Aaron Sandler)]

At 03:49 PM 6/1/2004, Kim wrote:
>why apologise or justify your photo?  It's  a lovely shot.

Thanks, Kim, for your comment.

You asked why I felt the need to justify:

I think it's due to a several reasons.  I recently bought a copy of 
"Magnum: Fifty years at the front line of history" by Russell Miller and 
I've been reading about the early days with Capa, HCB, Chim, George Rodger, 
and their crew.  The book presents them as such an idealistic group, out to 
change the world by documenting the suffering and evil of war and 
exploitation, as well as convey the sense that all people are all the same 
(like the original Family of Man idea).  It all sounds a little hokey now, 
and ignores the flip side of the numbing that can occur with overexposure 
to the evils of the world, but the idealism they had really appeals to me.

Then put that in the context of all the LUG-chatter this week about the 
Iraq prison scandal, etc., and debate about appropriate level of 
outrage.  I vote, I express my feeling to my friends, family, and 
coworkers, and I give what little I can to causes I believe in, but I've 
still been wondering how much blame is mine for not doing more.  Probably 
it's a natural part of being in my latter time as a graduate student, where 
it feels like day after day and year after year has been spent doing things 
that aren't likely to make any difference to anything other then me getting 
my degree.  :)  I try to avoid airing my politics here because it seems 
like the wrong place, and anyway with the level of polarization in the USA 
these days, it doesn't seem likely I'd change anyone's mind.  Plus, even 
the people I agree with seem mostly to be filled with negativity about the 
current situation.  I don't blame them; I'm pretty negative about what's 
happening inside this country as well as overseas, but I do wish I could 
find a more positive outlook and direction, kind of like the Magnum 
founders when they ran around with their screw mount Leicas and visions of 
a future world with peace and justice for all.

So, combine all that with your eloquent plea to "Forget the cute PAWS of 
yawning babies, sleeping kittens, or a bucolic landscape, give me a lense 
that lets
me capture the rot within," and I sometimes question the time I spend 
taking photos.

Well, you did ask!  :)

-Aaron