A Sad State of Affairs

This is a blog about film photography and vintage gear, so I don’t talk much about myself or my political beliefs, but it’s hard not to feel sad and have some anxiety about the state of affairs in our country right now. I am 62 and I have never seen our country so polarized. There’s always been a right and a left, but I feel that, in the past, there were more people willing to walk towards the center and have a thoughtful dialogue. We would work together as Americans and get some positive things done. At least listen to the other side and think about it.

I’m from Upstate New York and the young man who went to Buffalo and killed innocent people comes from near where I grew up. I can’t imagine the anger and mental instability in someone that would cause them to do that. And I am horrified to hear that there are online groups that are given a platform to spread such hate. That the algorithms of these platforms even encourage this kind of content in order to sell advertising is utterly irresponsible. And honestly, do we really need to be manufacturing and selling these military style automatic weapons that can easily be modified to become mass killing machines by watching a how-to video on You Tube?

New Mexico is on fire. California is years into historic drought. The Colorado River is drying up along with big lakes that supply water to millions in the west. Huge chunks of glaciers are falling off into the ocean up at the top of the world. Historic heat waves are gripping many parts of the world. I’m watching all this while way too many people in our country, including those that can really make changes, continue to deny that anything is happening. They refuse to even listen to the science and consider that the science might just be right.

I grew up being taught that America is the greatest democracy in the world, but democracy is very fragile. It isn’t to be taken for granted. It only works if every American gets equal access to participate.

I began my career in broadcasting and over-the-air radio and television stations were held to a high set of standards with regards to delivered content. News was news and opinions were clearly identified as such. These days, mostly unregulated “news” channels are allowed to spew unchecked information and conspiracy theories as news. Many people belief this stuff, further dividing us. People I know who were, in the past, kind and reasonable, are now repeating and spreading hateful distortions.

I am sad and sometimes very angry. All this makes me anxious too and I don’t like feeling this way. I’ve decided to find my own ways to cope.

As much as I don’t like to disconnect, I am going to watch less news and consume more uplifting content.

I am going to see if there are things I can do in my own community to make a positive contribution in some very small but meaningful way.

I am going to spend more time getting out with my cameras and making photographs. The creative process energizes me and is good food for my soul. The exercise and fresh air doesn’t hurt either.

I am working on a photo book of black and white images I’ve made since living in California. Curating the content for that book has made me feel so fortunate to have spent the last decade living in such a beautiful place. I might try and sell the book. At the very least, I’ll put a copy on my coffee table.

I still have faith that we are going to turn this ship but it’s a big ship and big ships take a lot of time to turn. I don’t have tons of time left in my life so I am gong to do what I can to have an impact in a good way. And I am going to lean hard into my photography.