Even though this image was taken in 1993, I am sure that nothing has really changed. This article is tragic on so many levels. I am sharing it with you because it shocked me back into a more reasonable perspective on life. There is more we can do to help. We just have to think, i am not the centre of the universe. I feel challenged. Read it, let me know how it makes you fell. James
This image was taken in Sudan during the 1993 famine. That's a little girl, crawling slowly and painfully across the ground toward a food distribution center akilometer away, while a vulture watches her and follows, waiting for her to die so it can eat her.
The photographer, Kevin Carter, chased the bird away and then sat sobbing uncontrollably after taking the photo. In April of 1994, Carter was informed he'd be winning the Pulitzer Prize for the photo, and he was presented with the prize on May 23rd of that year. Two months later, he killed himself out of grief and desperation over all of the things he'd seen and his depression at the things humanity does to one another.
This image explains something very basic and true about our world, and something we are very reluctant to admit: in order for some of us to have more food than we need, children have to starve to death and animals have to eat them. We purchase our excess with those children's lives. And this photo captured this truth purely and literally for us all to see.
The photographer, Kevin Carter, chased the bird away and then sat sobbing uncontrollably after taking the photo. In April of 1994, Carter was informed he'd be winning the Pulitzer Prize for the photo, and he was presented with the prize on May 23rd of that year. Two months later, he killed himself out of grief and desperation over all of the things he'd seen and his depression at the things humanity does to one another.
This image explains something very basic and true about our world, and something we are very reluctant to admit: in order for some of us to have more food than we need, children have to starve to death and animals have to eat them. We purchase our excess with those children's lives. And this photo captured this truth purely and literally for us all to see.
Written by Mark Hughes. Image and text shared from Here
So upsetting. Very powerful. Such a shame that the things Kevin saw made him feel such despair and an impossibility of it all that he didn't want to live any more. It's so easy to judge everything around this... Kevin's choice, the world situation, humanity/inhumanity, how we in the relatively wealthy countries live and relate to others...
ReplyDeleteIt shows the power of photography and the image. Just looking at this makes me feel sad to the pit of my stomach. It motivates change. From the sadness compassion arises. I can only imagine how Kevin felt when he saw this happening in front of him, that's hard for anyone to see.