Kind thoughts go out to the families.

Hey it took your really fantastic essay to bring me out of hiding!

True!

I have been out and about a bit but if you have a look at BB on the last page of my gallery on my site you’ll get an idea of what I have been up to…

And just before I go into hiding again, just wanted to say keep up the good work! Really your work made me feel something which motivates me to keep going with mine!

Cheers mate!

Your comments bring up topics I thought about a great deal indeed… Especially when talking to family members about how they wanted their loved ones remembered.

Thank you for writing.

The problem with the mass media (well, one of…), in general, I find from tragic events such as this one, is that attention is often focused on the person responsible for the crime. Journo’s are keen to get as much information as they possibly can about the perpertrator, rather than the victims. Often we overlook the innocent people, although not always, and focus on every possible background detail of the person responsible. There is validity to this, I guess, but it is sad that so often, the victims become nameless to the rest of the world. They are more often than not, forgotten ( obviouslynot by their families and friends though).

I like the inclusion of the street photograph (no.10) and in fact, I like the series of three images (10, 11, 12) that follows. I think this photograph, and the other “breather” photos give the viewer a chance to rest, breathe, between the more emotionally involving images. And i think giving the audience that little roller coaster up and then down actually strengthens the work as a whole.

I could go on, but I don’t like to read longer comments to much, so a bit of practice what I preach… But Mark, good job on presentation, dedication to the story and sensible approach to the subject.

Regards.

P.s. Panos, I find your comments a bit ranting in regards to this essay, and somewhat unproductive. I’m all for comment and proactive critical appraisal on featured work, but the above comments appear to me somewhat unnecessary.

http://zednelson.com/index_pics.html

http://www.steal-life.com/features/71zednelson.html

Neil Young

Funny this:

“Here in Hawaii it is so difficult to get a gun permit. You have to be certified sane and healthy…”

Yes, I know how difficult it is to be ‘sane’ and ‘healthy’ in this world! An extreme rarity, I must admit! :P

cheers,

bodo

Without people guns are useless. You can outlaw (no pun intended) guns to try and prevent tragedies like this; however, guns are not the only weapons that kill.

I can’t decide about this essay. I’ve watched it twice. I don’t even like to think about this subject any more than the apartment. It seems like we are in one of those rashes of crimes like this one. People want to blame the economy for their crimes of passion, when there again, the economy doesn’t kill people. People kill people.

Can I imagine being as despondent as this man was when he chose to make himself feel better by killing these people? Yes. Can I imagine inflicting my own misery on others by killing them and setting in motion more grief than is imaginable? No. Therein lies the difference.

You can’t legislate humanity. See why I don’t like talking about these issues? Ick.

I tremble as Carrie said thinking of hitting the submit button. I may think a moment…

Lee

Congratulations on a fine essay. Clear, concise and to the point. It’s been interesting to see how this essay has sparked conversations on the issue of gun control.

Here in NZ we are in a similar position to Lisa’s in Oz. Most guns are used for hunting and target shooting. There are very few pistols, and what are available are used for target shooting, and a special licence is needed to own them. The licence has very strict guidelines and usually the handguns must be left locked away at the pistol club.

Here’s a link explaining the situation here.

http://www.police.govt.nz/resources/1997/review-of-firearms-control/

Hunting is a huge part of NZ culture. All game animals are introduced pest species that are wiping out our native forests. Most people hunt for the pot and freezer, or to eliminate pests like rabbits, possums and wild goats. And Lisa, we’ve even got wallabies!! The only native mammals in NZ are two species of bats.

Possums are a plague devastating our native forests. Each night they consume about 21,000 tonnes of vegetation (300 g wet weight per possum x 70 million possums). So every possum a conservationist kills saves 109.5kgs of vegetation annually.

Mark, thank you for sharing your essay with us.

Cheers

chunky kudos for producing a set of clean and highly publishable photos.. usable from newspapers and magazines to .. more.
i thought the piece was a great example of a journalistic approach and as such has produced just the kind of conversation which probably needs to be had around the issues raised.
it´s a different shape of photo story than has appeared here for a while.. and welcome as such.

the issue is much more important than the photographs themselves and as such any critique by me is redundant – you´ve achieved a discussion on guns.. an estimable result.
keep on..

jim..
your figures for uk gun crime, and us for that matter, are wildly inaccurate..
where they come from friend?
da
x

I’m familiar with the work of almost everyone here; a great group of very talented people. I look forward to meeting all of you who I haven’t. Soon.

Matt: Good to hear from you!

Andi: Thanks!

Lisa: Where have you been? I have one of your images from the fires stuck in my head.

Bob: An encouragement as always, thanks.

Mark, a moving essay and very well photographed. I admit, the end of the series came a bit abrupt. But it is good to point our eyes to this tragedy, because it raises questions about how we deal with people who come to our countries as immigrants or foreigners. How do we integrate these people in our society?
Another question is about the access to weapons?
Well, I live in Germany and just recently in the south of Germany in a small town called Winnenden a 17 year old guy killed 15 people. His motives were frustration and depression. We have tight weapon regulations, but this kid was familiar with weapons. His father was in a gun club (I have to stress here, that it is something very common, it is like a sport club and most of the time it is more about beiing social and drinking rather than about shooting a gun). Anyway, this young man had access to weapons even though his father had his guns locked away. I guess if you want to get a gun, you find a way to get one. Of course the outcry in Germany was very strong. 4 weeks later the police noticed that the amount of guns returned voluntary to the police was incredibly high.
The access and use of video games like Counter-Strike was discussed as well.
Personally I see the problem is somewhere else. That brings me to the question about immigrants, refugees and people on the corner of society. The question is, how much attention, how much respect do we bring to our neighbours, to the people who live in our communities?
In Germany we have many refugees living here. Many of them only have the right to stay and they can be sent back to their countries any time. This can go on for 20 years. The word we use is “Duldung” which translates to toleration. I feel even the use of the word says a lot. We simply tolerate it, but it feels like ignoring rather than an active integration. This happens to many people and this creates misery and frustration. What I like to say is that we should be more responsibel and pay more attention to the people that surround us. Approach them, make them part of the community! This is what I hope for when I travel to a foreign country where I am the outsider and hope for people to share their life with me.
Okay, work is waiting and sun is up!
Best
Reimar

Sometimes my finger quivers before I hit the innocently bystanding submit button…yet I still hit it, and without regret…yet I still check over my comments in the morning to count the mortally offended. And ya know what? Even in my checking to see the aftermath, I really don’t give a flying fuck if I’ve offended someone because my thoughts, comments, and diligence to comment in this shared art space come from an intelligent and thought out place, and from an angle or opinion which I can defend. Yet, I am open for others’ comments and discussion…isn’t that what BuRN is all about? Like I’ve repeatedly stated, I’ve learned so much from the readership here, and I continue to comment for my wandering eyes channel my intellectual self and create the need to know more, know more, know more…yes, I comment from a selfish place…I want to learn and know and be heard and my never-ending quest for knowledge is fueled by those who stop by here in their weary travels.

Patricia, I think you are immensely intelligent and extremely talented. You exude a gentleness and appreciation for what goes on here…and you know much already of the work that is exhibited here…something that my virgin eyeballs cannot claim to have experienced. You are one of the commenters who I look forward to reading…so that being said, I beg you to never apologize for how you feel about something…even if it is in a tangent wrought with emotion filled reaction…these emotions are yours and they are never wrong. So, go ahead…I triple dog dare ya…feel it and react…as you always do in your graceful way. I celebrate you and your thoughts, Patricia. Please don’t ever apologize for your comments again…

Were a couple a Canucks, does that explain us? Anyway, checked out your site, love your stuff.

Gordon L.

“……She’s not a girl who misses much
Do do do do do do- oh yeah
She’s well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand
Like a lizard on a window pane

The man in the crowd with the multicoloured mirrors
On his hobnail boots
Lying with his eyes while his hands are busy
Working overtime
A soap impression of his wife which he ate
And donated to the National Trust

I need a fix ’cause I’m going down

Down to the bits that I left uptown
I need a fix cause I’m going down
Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun

Happiness is a warm gun
(Bang Bang Shoot Shoot)
Happiness is a warm gun, momma
(Bang Bang Shoot Shoot)
When I hold you in my arms
(Ooooooooohhh, oh yeah!)
And when I feel my finger on your trigger
I know nobody can do me no harm
Because happiness is a warm gun, momma
(Bang Bang Shoot Shoot)
Happiness is a warm gun
(Bang Bang Shoot Shoot)
-Yes it is, it’s a warm gun!
(Bang Bang Shoot Shoot)
Happiness is a warm, yes it is…
GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!
(Bang Bang Shoot Shoot)
Well don’t ya know that happiness is a warm gun, momma?
(Bang Bang Shoot Shoot)
Yeeeaahhh!…….”