Talking Gun Sense

I, like many other Americans, was completely horrified when news broke on December 14, 2012 of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. There were 27 dead (20 students, 6 faculty members, plus the perpetrators mother). None of the students were older than 8 years old, many of them had multiple gunshot wounds.

As someone who vividly remembers where they was when the Columbine happened, I wish I could say something like surprises me. It doesn't. While overall gun violence has gone down in the US, these mass shootings really feel like they're becoming more frequent. After the Virginia Tech massacre (2007), this current one had the highest death toll. Newtown was less 6 months after the Aurora, CO theater shooting where a guy opened up at the premiere of "the Dark Knight Rises" killing 12 & injuring 52.

The NRA's post-Newtown statement was completely tone deaf (not that I expected it'd be otherwise). They cited the prevalence of video games & diminished cultural values & then proposed that to stop "a bad guy w/ a gun is to arm a good guy w/ a gun." I'm not stranger to out-there ideas but this one's a doozie.

The big question I have to ask is who do they think is going to pay for this? Its certainly not going to come from the federal level, the Paul Ryan budget alone has already called for an across the board 15% cuts in discretionary spending (where education & health care is apart of). It sure as hell isn't going to come from the states. Here in NYS, they've already reduce education funding where schools have already cut class offerings, discontinued after-school programs, & consolidated services w/ nearby districts. Many teacher's unions have forgone their cost of living increases for the last 5 years (which means work more, paid less), increased their health care contributions. Many districts have left open positions vacant as well as seriously consider going to a 4-day week as a way to reduce their busing gas costs.

But let's look at the video games violence is the cause theory. What Mr LaPierre is not (convientantly) telling you is that the very same video game makers he decries producing many of these first-person shooter games work hand-in-hand w/ many of the arms manufacturers. Like a weapon you fired in the game like "Call to Duty"? Follow the partners link located on the game's website where you can get the real thing or something like it. Course this was before Newtown. Now nobody wants anything to do w/ the arms manufactures.

The other problem w/ "the only way to stop a bad guy w/ a gun is w/ a good guy w/ a gun" is because its to subjective. Take the Trayvon Martin case. There's nothing to stop that "good guy" simply misreading a situation, getting a burr up his rear, looking to reassert his alpha-maleness, & someone that doesn't need to be dead dies. I won't even claim in bullsh***ing that I know what happened. Zimmerman felt wronged & was specifically told by the 911 operator that he need not follow Tray. One thing lead to another, the situation probably got out of hand, & an unarmed Trayvon is dead.

Everyone agrees "something" needs to be done. Everyone agrees that those 27 people need not have been murdered. But what frustrates me about the discourse is when anyone proposes anything, they're immediately met w/ the old stand-bye "criminals aren't going to care about the laws". In some cases that's true but just because everyone speeds on the highway isn't a reason to not have a speed limit. These same people when confronted about what it is THEY propose, their silence is deafening. Its much easier to scoff why someone else's ideas won't work (even when the proposer openly acknowledges its flawed) than put your hide on the line & propose something of your own.

"Gun control" discourse should really be renamed "gun sense."

When I visit the VA & the first-hand the wreckage firearms can do to a person, I'd be more than happy to see blanket ban on anything beyond a 6-shooter hand-gun, a single shot rifle, & a double barreled shotgun. But I also know very well it ain't going to happen. When a firearms enthusiast hears "gun control", they freak out that they'll have no means to protect themselves. I may be a bleeding-heart liberal & a fierce defender of the 1st Amendment but I also acknowledge the 1st Amendment is NOT, I repeat, NOT absolute. I cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theater because of a threat to public safety. Nor can I as a newspaper publisher print troop movements. Nor can I legally marry multiple wives as a tenant of my religion. Why then are 2nd Amendment Rights viewed as being absolute? Why does their right to bear arms supercede my right to life, liberty, & property w/o due process?

As a long-time believer in not only diagnosing problems but offering solutions, below are my "Gun Sense" proposals. In no particular order:

1- restrict the kinds of weapons that can be bought & produced on the civilian market (why ordinary citizens can buy clones of the same types of weapons that rival the military & law enforcement is beyond me)

2- restricting the size of clips (why does a person need a 20-round clip to kill a deer? In the Marines, we had a saying, "1 shot, 1 kill")

3- restricting the amount of ammo a person can buy at any one time (when a person buys a certain quantity of fertilizer at any one time, they get a knock on the door by the FBI)

4- universal background checks

5- restricting the kinds of ammo people can use. There is ammo the military uses that is specifically designed to not only shred flesh but bounce around & destroy it. Why can't effing up the person really bad but the person will live be sufficient?

6- greater funding for police "buy back" programs that help get guns off the street

7- greater regulation of the firearms industry itself. The toy industry comes under great Federal scrutiny, same w/ car & driver safety, same w/ the food industry all significantly have more regulations & watch-dog groups after them because they effect the public's health & safety. Why do firearms get a free pass?

8- create a gun insurance regulatory aspect. If I drive a fast Ferrari, you bet your bottom dollar my car insurance will be through the roof. Likewise if my car is equipped w/ an airbag or seat-belts, that insurance will be lower. The point is to that if it costs money to do their hobby, it might give them pause in doing that hobby. Same goes whether if they have a mentally unbalanced family member in the house or a young child getting their hands on the weapon & injuring themself or another.

9- greater mental health screenings. Heck w/ all the whackos out there, this would help society as a whole & hopefully getting people the help they so desperately need.

10- reinstate & update the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.

11- tighten inter & intra-state gun transport. NYC & Boston has a big problem where people bring weapons from either upstate or across state lines where gun purchasing laws are loosen. Same w/ Boston. I propose making it a felony in failing to notify local law-enforcement within 2 weeks of you bringing a firearm into the district.

12- a media blackout of the perpetrators name. Considering we live in a free society, I simply propose a 5 month media-naming-the-perp blackout. Many of these killers do what they do SPECIFICALLY because of the notoriety that comes w/ the act. Almost nobody remembers the victims but we all now know who the killers are. & I'm suggested a 5-month naming-the-perp blackout because by the time the blackout expires, the media will have moved onto something else & its impact will be diminished.

I don't pretend any of these proposals are but it needs to be discussed & w/ luck acted upon. By doing nothing we guarantee that more tragedies like Newtown, CT happen again & on a more devastating scale.


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This here is Jamie. I remember her being a cool cat & having an infectious personality. Very fun to work w/.



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Project Unbreakable

Like everyone else in the country, I am truly shocked & horrified at yet another senseless shooting this past Friday at an elementary school in Newton, CT. You will eventually hear my own thoughts on this but at the moment, I'm still trying to process & articulate what I want to say.

In the meantime I'm bringing you something constructive. Bringing to light another tragedy that is equally horrific to those involved & how they've chosen to deal with the situation.

Its called "Project Unbreakable". Giving you the short version, its a campaign addressing & combating sexual violence & assault.

Below is a YouTube video from the founder.



As a photographer, I'm impressed with its simplicity. No elaborate concepts, no fancy illustrative reenactment of the violence. Just the victim & a placard w/ the words the perpetrator used in quotes. The very definition of the K.I.S.S. Principle (keep it simple, stupid).

Its revolting to read what the perpetrator says. Its even revolting to read what people have said who are SUPPOSED TO BE supporting the victim, people like family & law enforcement.

Its nice knowing a project that starts as simple as helping a friend can completely take on a life of its own in a good way.


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As a photographer, its an extra special treat working w/ people on an unintentionally long-term basis. You're blessed with being a part of the big moments in their lives. See them find love (& sometimes heartbreak), get hitched, start a family, sometimes even seeing those family members grow up & having them in front of my camera.

Ceri is one of those people.

This was taken back in 2008 for my never-ending Abandonment Project. The locations may change but my interest in the visual contrast between the "dirty, blah" environment (something most people overlook) juxtaposed against the "pretty" model hasn't.



Feel free to comment away if you so desire.

Political Ad Observations - 2012 Edition

As someone who took multiple communication related courses during his Undergrad, I'm fascinated w/ political advertising.

My hometown is at the confluence 3 Congressional districts (2 of which are really competitive) & a few other races for the State Legislature. So I'm exposed to the broadcast advertising. I've noticed a few things.

We're all used to listening to the sinister, creepy, Scooby-Doo music if its an attack ad or the light, stringed or sentimental piano music if its a support ad. But I've noticed a change, the change being the source material.

For instance an attack ad could by running "Candidate X voted to increase your taxes by a whopping 55%" followed in tiny print stating something like "HR 1139-2019". Whereas others (particularly coming from any of the mysteriously named patriotic SuperPACs), will lay a claim to something "Candidate Y is in bed w/ (insert the National candidate of your choice) & has pledge to take away your Social Security. Are you going to stand for this?!"

I've noticed the more competitive the race is, the more likely the ads will respond to each other. "Candidate Y has claimed I bought a summer home in some foreign country. I want you to know that was a complete lie. I went to said foreign country because it was a fact-finding trip promoting the area in the hopes of creating jobs back home. While I was working hard for you, Candidate X was buying companies w/ the intent purpose of profiting from their layoffs."

I have to give Kirsten Gillibrand, my state's junior Senator, credit. Her ads alone are premised entirely on HOW she delivers her message. It just feels so enthusiastic & geniune. Of course except for the election where she unseated a 4-term incumbent back in 2006, she's won all her elections by 20 points or more & can afford to simply not acknowledge her opposition.


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This here is Shiloh.



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UC Davis Pepper Spray Noncharges

Remember the Occupy UC Davis incident where the police used industrial strength pepper spray (the same product that Megyn Kelly of Fox News described as "essentially a food product"). Judge for yourself, the original incident is below:



I saw this bizarre line in a Washington Post news article reporting the noncharges.

"In reaching their conclusion, prosecutors said they relied on facts included in the task force’s report. Among them was the finding that the officers perceived they were dealing with a hostile mob and needed to spray the protesters to clear a path to safety." (emphasis mine)

They're saying protestors peacefully sitting-in (resisting arrest but not fighting back) are considered a "hostile mob". This vocabulary would make George Orwell proud.

Having unindicted criminals in uniform degrades their colleagues who are on the level & it makes it 20x harder for those officers to simply do their job. Why would anyone cooperate w/ the "good" cops when they've experienced so many instances with the "bad" cops? You're seeing this already w/ the backlash over the NYPD's controversial "Stop & Frisk" policy.

Such impunity stiffles free speech in a different way. Being in a holding cell is like aversion therapy, it gives you PLENTY of time to think. You start going over all the events that lead you there, how stupid you were, & start blaming yourself (even if you did everything you could to avoid it). It sends the message that if you dare to stand up for your rights or even come close to anyone exercising theirs, this is the treatment you can expect.

This means the police have COMPLETE impunity to do what they want & when they want & those investigating after-the-fact will take everything they say at face value.

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum we should ALL be worried about this mentality.


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The shot below is of Sarah & Breanna, two buds simply being themselves.



Feel free to comment on any part of this if you so desire.

Dear New Start-Up Company

Dear new Start-Up Company,

Thank you for the offer but I cannot justify shooting your exciting new product line on a trade basis. I'm a small independent artist who does this out of love, not money. I fear that if I give you my time & efforts, you will not respect me in the morning.

I'm flattered you like my work but the promise of exposure is like over-usage of the exclamation point. Everyone uses that promise & I've NEVER met anyone who can actually deliver on those promises. If you can prove to me that you have the right connections &/or back it up w/ facts & statistics, I'm open to reconsidering at a later date.

Also if you're going to turn a profit, specifically based on the images I produce, I think its only fair I get paid. No, I am not inclined to work on spec either. Yes, I'm sure you're an honorable fella but I've been in to many instances where Person X promises L, M, N, O, & P only when it comes to crunch time, I'm the one left without a chair when the music stops. I have to protect myself. I'm sure you can understand.

Another reason why I'm declining your generous offer is that we do not have a preexisting work relationship. My (admittedly lame) justification goes like, "Well you already helped me out in the past when I needed it, I can justify helping you out now." Its my way of giving back.

I'm willing to negotiate a price that's not only fair & respects my time & the quality product I deliver but also is within your budget. My point being you've got to give me something to work with. I cannot draw blood from a stone, nor will I bother trying.

Its nothing personal.


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This is Ashley.

She's led an interesting & challenging life. I admire the battles she's faced, the difficulties she's overcome but want to wish her well on the long road ahead.



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People Who Dive into First Base Should Be Shot

If you're playing baseball & slide into First Base, you deserve being summarily shot. No trial. No defense. Double tap to the head. Bamm, you're dead.

Anyone who knows me will confirm this is one of the things that drives me bonkers each & every (expletive deleted) time. So much so its #7 in my life rules, "If you slide into first base, you deserve everything that's coming to you."

The pet peeve is bad. It doesn't matter if I watch it on Sportscenter or a game at the local Single A level or high school baseball. I go apesh** each & every time.

The whole point of BEING ALLOWED to overrun first base is because the batter, unlike all the other base-runners, is starting from a stationary position & has no chance to build up speed. That & all their attention is simply focused on making contact with the ball. The act of sliding into any base is designed to slow down ones momentum so the base-runner DOES NOT overrun his base & thus be tagged "out."

Why buggers still continue to dive into First is beyond me? If I were the manager & one of my players does that, their butt is being benched for stupidity. I don't care if they're a highly priced free agent or a minor league trying to earn their spot on the roster.

Oh, sure they'll try to claim they were avoiding a tag. But this isn't American Football where one can strip the ball from the fielder (alla A-Rod in the 2004 ALCS style). To make this stupidity even worse, 95% of the dives to first base happen when another fielder (say the shortstop or 2nd base) is making the throw for the 1st base force out. Yes, those batters periodically will get on base by diving but (as the saying goes) a broken clock is right twice a day.

Below is the latest example & the player should not only be royally mocked not only for diving into first base but also because he's a big-time player w/ a fat contract who ended up hurting themselves doing something dumb he shouldn't have been doing in the first place.

http://www.nesn.com/2012/09/mark-teixeiras-horrible-decision-to-slide-into-first-rewarded-by-bad-karma-from-baseball-gods-video.html


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This is an outtake of Cait playing around in one of the local baseball/softball dugouts.



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Eagle Scout Award Turn-In

Its no secret this blog is a supporter of gay marriage & equal rights under the law. You can read the original entry where we make our case here if it floats your fancy:

http://farenellphotography.blogspot.com/2011/06/nys-gay-marriage-vote.html

W/ the nature of the internet where anything can be found if one looks hard enough (or wastes enough time), I found a Tumblr site dedicated to Eagle Scouts turning in their awards in protest to the Boy Scouts of America's discrimination policy against gays. BSA will not accept gay Scoutmasters, nor Scouts themselves who are openly gay.

Supposedly its about youth protection but for the life of me, I don't see why an adult guy liking another adult guy or (in the case of 2000 Supreme Court case Dale v BSA) an adult girl liking another adult girl is a threat to the health & well-being of young boys. Nor am I understanding how a person's sexual orientation violates the Scout Law (trustworthy, loyal, friendly, helpful, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, & reverent).

The Scout Oath also asks its members to be "morally straight". How can a person be morally straight if they have to lie about who they are? This makes no sense to me.

I don't expect it to. To quote Aesop, "A tyrant will always find ways to justify their own tyranny." Its the same w/ bigots. Just examine how the up-standing religious community in the South justified the existence of both slavery & Jim Crow.

The Boy Scouts of America I knew was more focused on providing good mentors (some of whom REALLY need it) as well focusing on being good citizens. My troop was like a 2nd family, providing a haven of sorts for the utterly depressing days of both my middle & high school life. My Scoutmaster to this day still feels like a 2nd father. My love of the outdoors grew from my many camping trips & hikes. The Boy Scouts of America that I currently see seems more about protecting its bank accounts & fundraising streams (75% of their national donations originate from Utah).

As an Eagle Scout myself, I've thought about getting involved again but simply haven't. I'd be lying if the reasons were based on upholding some great moral principle. I struggle w/ whether if by becoming a mentor at the local level if I'd be condoning the objectionable policies as set forth by higher headquarters. Since I don't want to deal quandrey one way or the other, I choose not to participate.

I don't remotely plan on turning in the Eagle Scout Award, the awardt I worked my ass off to earn, but I can certainly see why others do. This makes me sad.


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This is Amy.

I was blessed in being taken to shooting at her childhood escape as part of my ongoing Abandonment series. When we got there, it was burnt to the ground. Literally. This is what's left.



Feel free to comment on any part of this, if you so choose.