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bdpART — New Generation
Published: 2007-01-13 11:13:24 +0000 UTC; Views: 301; Favourites: 0; Downloads: 2
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(This work has been moved from my old account, it was originally submitted Nov 18, 2005)A soldier shows an adolescent the ropes of an M99 sniper rifle - 2005 Portland International Airshow. This was an image that really caught me when I saw it through my viewfinder - there is an unmistakable contrast between the elements - between innocence, adulthood, and an instrument of death. This image is not a political or moral statement, but it will likely incite such statements.
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Comments: 5
To answer echomrg, the child playing war with the thumb and finger extended is a strong evidence that he's been affected already.
The image of a gun is not natural, therefore the symbol of it being used by the children is even more shocking as he's learned that the sign of the gun will result in the damage of it.
Conclusion, I hope it wasn't normal.
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Hmm... The contrast between the boy and rifle is a little shocking, especially because of the canotations of violence and innocence. But I'm not sure that I'd call it a bad habit. In a perfect world, we would not need soldiers or armies. But we don't live in a perfect world, and there are circumstances (I'm not commenting on any particular one) that require force. I really respect soldiers for what they do - for what they go through for everyone else. For me, this image is not an anti- or pro-war statement. It's a lament for the way our world is.
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yep, there surely is a strong contrast between the kid and the rifle.
but, on the other hand, is there a child that never "played war"? even if just with the thumb and index finger extended forming a gun?
the guy on the right really looks like my 1st lieutenant back when i did my military service (considering that it was 10years ago and across the ocean i doubt it's really him 
M
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That's true, it's completely normal for children to play war. What's not so normal (for many people) is to see children handling actual weapons. It does result in high emotional/contextual contrast, which can make for striking images. There were a lot of military personnel letting people handle weapons that year - I'm sorry now that I didn't focus more on the rest of them. Thank you for your thoughtful response.
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