Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/04/16

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Subject: [Leica] IMGS: Children of the World
From: nod at bouncing.org (Philip Clarke)
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:50:01 +0100
References: <E1LuSzI-0003zm-8q@elasmtp-dupuy.atl.sa.earthlink.net>

Wow, you're really ill aren't you ? I mean this was an email you sent to
me personally but I think it should be shared. So let's see I asked for
pictures of poor American children to be included in the set so that the
portfolio wasn't a parody of photojournalism and wow did you get it wrong.

Just for the record, I was also disabled when I was a photojournalist
and I never claimed benefits, nor wanted to as I don't believe in the
welfare state. What do I know about suffering ? quite a lot, but that
was nothing to do with the pictures. Anger management, political
correctness and picking a fight, take a look in the mirror baby.

photo.forrest at earthlink.net wrote:
> Oh really? While your experience may have significance to you, your 
> perpetuation of your bourgeois segregation through political correctness 
> makes it moot. So you're disabled and get no benefits, hence your anger. I 
> say "so what?" Why must you come to pick a fight in this forum? Your 
> comments are negative and you offer nothing to the discussion besides 
> argument to glorify your sad sack past. What do you know about suffering? 
> When I was 9 I asked for heat on Christmas. I have seen the absolute worst 
> that mankind can do to itself in war and I documented it visually. You 
> have some superinflated superiorty complex and perhaps an anger management 
> issue which you should learn to control. You are entitled to your opinion 
> but your words are rude. You are searching for an agenda in a collection 
> of photos not meant for adult consumption. Would you have me "teach" an 
> elementary school student about white phosphorous by showing them the 
> carbonized remains of "children like them?" This approach o
> f yours is filled with anger and is irresponsible. I feel truly sorry for 
> your own children as I can only imagine what horrors you may have shown 
> them in their tenderest years. 
> Phil Forrest
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From:  Philip Clarke <nod at bouncing.org>
> Subj:  Re: [Leica] IMGS:  Children of the World
> Date:  Thu 16 Apr 2009 9:09 am
> Size:  3K
> To:  Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>
> I personally find it more offensive that you would dismiss a serious
> point with such a fatuous facetious remark. I find it more offensive
> that you would condone the dismissal of other nations as being backwards
> and perpetuate the myths that other countries are only to be thought of
> as charities, to your children. So tell me about manners then, tell me
> when questioning the appropriateness of a subject matter for children is
> impolite, yet to reduce the children and their mother countries to
> objects of pity is not ? (That's a rhetorical question because I am
> being impolite when I suggest that you don't have the intellectual
> capacity to issue an intelligent rebuttal).
>
> photo.forrest at earthlink.net wrote:
>   
>> How about some manners, sir?
>> Phil Forrest
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>>
>> From:  Philip Clarke <nod at bouncing.org>
>> Subj:  Re: [Leica] IMGS:  Children of the World
>> Date:  Thu 16 Apr 2009 6:31 am
>> Size:  2K
>> To:  Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>>
>>
>>
>> Tina Manley wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>> At 10:29 PM 4/15/2009, you wrote:
>>>
>>>     
>>>       
>>>> In the interests of balance, I expect to see poor USA street kids or
>>>> some in a police cell or juvenile detention facility. Maybe you could
>>>> tie in the global recession/ credit crunch theme in and have some
>>>> American children in vests, after their parents lost their homes and
>>>> their shirts. Mexican children being escorted back over the border.
>>>> Venezuela and Cuba also appear to be missing as well as the UK. I'd lend
>>>> you my children but their mother worked her way out of the Calcutta
>>>> slums without charity and their disabled father gets no benefits or
>>>> social support, so they're probably not suitable candidates.
>>>>       
>>>>         
>>> What in the world does all of that mean?  I photographed most of these
>>> children while working on mission projects in developing countries. 
>>> I've also worked on mission projects here in the USA and have photos
>>> of those, too, which I will include.  For these particular talks, I'm
>>> telling school children about how children all over the world have
>>> more in common than outward appearances would lead you to believe.  I
>>> tell about the families I've stayed with and the people I've met in 53
>>> countries.  I really don't understand what you're objecting to.
>>>
>>> Tina
>>>
>>>     
>>>       
>> The perpetuation of the myth that only the USA (or indeed any "first or
>> second" world country) should bring it's charity to the rest of the
>> world. The USA should sort out it's own problems first, so for balance I
>> expect to see identical photos taken in the West so that the children
>> you're showing the pictures too, identify with the homeless people down
>> the road as well as in a different country. India has a space program,
>> China too (plus the greatest manufacturing ability in the world and
>> they're commies), Taiwan has the greatest ability to manufacturer CNC'd
>> and Kevlar based items, so instead of seeing a countries strengths the
>> pictures highlight the unfortunate,. So if the unfortunate is to be
>> relished in for the amusement of children, then the unfortunate side of
>> the USA should be given exactly the same position.
>>
>> The only reason that these pictures are considered "special" is because
>> they aren't taken at home so they don't encourage an ability to identify
>> on an equal footing, they put down other nation's triumphs, and what is
>> worse is that there going to be shown to the next generation.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>> --- message truncated ---
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>   
>>     
>
> --- message truncated ---
>
>   



Replies: Reply from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] IMGS: Children of the World)