Nobody listens, a photo from California, West

Photographer's Note

The title of this photo is a quote and inspiration from a Patricia (plimrn)'s critique to a previous photo of mine about freedom of speech in the USA.
This shot is not brilliant, it's a confusing mass of people and does require this explanatory note. It is a memorial to honor the US military dead in Iraq. The man by the flag is a member of the Veterans For Peace and he is reading the names and data of the US military persons dead in Iraq. The panels have crosses with the same data, each cross a dead person.
For my big surprise, very few people was looking to this memorial and it seemed that nobody noticed the man and didn't listen to his speech. I was there some 5 to 10 minutes and during that time just a very few people did notice the memorial and the man's speech. I had the same consternation as in Arlington West, Santa Barbara.
Why most Americans don't care about the war in Iraq?
There are a few rallies, demonstrations and protests like this, but after more than six months in California (which isn't a pro-Bush state), I've got the notion that most Americans don't care about the war. It seems that for most people a far away war isn't their problem.
Perhaps children, teenagers and adults have got too much movies, video and computer war games, and now they perceive war (even real war) as some kind of sporting event (unless it comes to their land, of course, as in the tragedy of 9/11).
This photo was taken during the Earth Day 2006 Fair, in Balboa Park, San Diego, California ("the largest free annual environmental fair in the world", earthdayweb.org).

josepmarin, plimrn, Amaz oznaczył to zdjęcie jeko użyteczne

Critiques | Translate

nika (0) 2006-05-25 8:40

Y menos mal que leía nombres de muertos estadounidenses (la fonética(decir Brian Smith por ejemplo) al ser más próxima podría conmoverlos más que citando los miles o millones más de víctimas iraquíes(citando un Hassan Wahed) que exponencialmente se multiplican al infinito y se han visto humillados e invadidos cruelmente ) . La guerra por mando a distancia de Tv , un reality más y la gente no reacciona (EEUU para mí es la mayor dictadura del mundo , quizás muy sutílmente encubierta , el Mito de la Caverna de Platón puesto en práctica )

Magnífico relato acompańado de una foto muy elocuente e ilustrativa de esa historia y percepción . Cordialmente

Miguel

josepmarin (59385) 2006-05-25 12:30

Hola Francisco,
Esta foto nos permite ver la soledad de alguien que lucha por una causa y no le hacen ni caso, como este veterano por la paz. Muy bien captada la escena con todas las cruces y el drama de los compatriotas víctimas de esta estúpida e ilegal guerra. Les da igual que sean norteamericanos o iraquíes. Les da igual que sean cientos o miles.
Impresionante escena.
Saludos,
Josep

plimrn (21344) 2006-05-25 20:27

I think it's not only, "It doesn't affect me personally," but also, "What's the use? They'll do what they want anyway."

Amaz (11475) 2010-02-08 4:07

Boa captura, amigo Francisco!!
Perfeita espontânea e interessante nota!!

Parabéns amigo!!

Cumprimentos,

jmdias (116341) 2010-02-20 15:29

chico

a coisa mais estranha nesta foto é a maneira que aquela moça se apresenta, será que perdeu algo no chăo, pisou na merda do cachorro ?
aqui temos algo que é bem raro no BR, alguém expressando suas opiniőes ou fazendo protestos solitários. no br as coisas tem que ser sempre feitas num evento coletivo, barulhento, festivo, anárquico e por vezes violento. nada de discursos calmos que lembram sermőes de protestantes num metrô, um brasileiro năo se prestaria ŕquele papel de năo ser ouvido, de parecer ridículo.
sim, por vezes as pessoas pensam que aquilo năo tem nada a ver com eles, ainda mais para os gringos, cuja noçăo de estrangeiro mal vai além do méxico e canadá. legal a imagem, mostra bem este evento e o seu significado nestas nossas sociedades cada vez mais desinteressadas do outro

abraços

jorge