The Catholic church that once stood along the little highway that winds through Pearlington now exists as a small pile of rubble on either side of it. Broken pews and torn hymnals. Smashed statues of Jesus and bent altar rails. Like the rest of Pearlington, it smells like dust and mold and death.
A small pack of dogs now roam the former grounds of the church. They're hungry and dirty, and have largely reverted back to nature. The leader of the pack is this large golden dog, scruffy and proud, his snout swollen and bruised. I took to calling him King, because that's the way he acted, and was treated by his pack.
That's King, above, standing atop the rubble of the church, the Virgin Mary in the background and the swamps behind her. King's barking at some well-meaning animal rescue volunteers from Virginia who were trying to catch him and his pack. It was a fifteen minute stand-off, but in the end they ran off with their tails between their legs.
The animal rescue people, did, that is.
8 comments:
maybe if you keep pretending the government hates you, more people will click your blog and pity you. photography and documentary is not heroism.
Just because some people are anonymous (*cough* morons), does not mean we all are.
Thanks Callie. There's a reason he's anonymous.
He never said that the goverment hated him, just that the goverment doesn't care. Telling thousands of people that they can call or go online to check their claim doesn't help them if they don't have a computer. Or a phone. Or running fucking water. And Siege never made out like he was a hero. He didn't go down there for publicity or because it was the cool thing to do this week. He went to help his family. That's what he did, that's what he's doing now, and that's far more "heroism" than most people will ever be able to claim.
If you can't see that, then I pity YOU.
Anonymous,
Hey buddy, you're new here aren't ya.Let me tell you a couple of things...
First of all, Seige here had plenty of people clicking to his blogs- and that's PLURAL. Some of us go to extraordinary lengths to keep up with him.
Second, don't you DARE pity him. He's never asked for it, and quite frankly none of his regular readers are willing to give it. If you're going to sit there and pity him, get the heck out.
I don't think you have a right to talk about heroism either. Unless you were actually down south in the ground doing somthing for your family when everything they have got washed away...
As a photographer myself, I can't be more offened with the Photography as heroism comment. Fine, we might not be out there with the national guard or pulling out of the water, but are YOU brave enough to go stand witness? That, sometimes, is a hard job.
I'm canadian, and in general, it takes a lot to piss me off. You, Mr Anonmyous, pissed me off.
Anonymous,
What a really sad, pathetic and strange way to kick a guy when he's down! People like you never cease to amaze me, your cowardice and weakness is so vast, that you dont even have the courage or the decency to take the heat that might be thrown your way by people with opposing viewpoints.
Well you have a nice day there fella,sitting in your nice apartment all comfortable, dry, well fed,with electricity not worrying about looters taking what little you have left away from you, and when or if -God forbid- the city youre in has catastrophe of this proportion, just remember that somewhere out there, on the internet, is a monumental insensitive jack ass just like you, saying the same thing about your family.
Oh and btw, the government really doesnt care. Case in po9int, Boh Bros construction, along with all the other small time construction companies in New Orleans, that need work, are willing to jump on it right at this very instant, but cant. Why? Halliburton. Viva croneyism!
anonymous, you're a sad, sad being. Notice intentional omission of the word "human."
1. Dear Anonymous: Documentary /is/ heroism. How much if history is lost to us because only those in power were writing it? Any record, however humble or incomplete or focused or biased, of an event from the view of someone who is not advantaged in that situation is an act of resistance to the oppression that exists in allowing the history of the battle to be written only by the victor. Dumbass.
2. CJ - I /love/ this dog photo. It just speaks volumes to me. Is there any possibility I might be able to purchase a print (or maybe two) of it, for the Eden fund? Please let me know at bear [at] sbearbergman [dot] com. Thank you so much, and G-d bless.
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