PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Jan 4-11, 2008
Waiting outside the police station jail
for Antonio’s release, Juarez, Jan. 4, 2008
Editor’s Note: To understand this week’s photo it might be useful to read the background of the story of the struggle of the people of Lomas del Poleo. Link number one is two years old, but is, I think, a fair history of this situation. The situation has gotten worse. Link number two is a video discussing the bi-national plight of people who are in the path of “development,” and are facing forced displacement. Another option is to google Lomas del Poleo.
Beware: Knowledge is trouble.
http://www.annunciationhouse.org/news_winter2005_dispute_en.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEqkytwHQ5s
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This was a sad day, one that has been coming for a long time. The confrontation at Granjas Lomas del Poleo, in Juarez is coming to the tipping point. Today, Jan. 4, 2008, cholos (gangsters, punks) in the pay of the alleged “landlord,” of Lomas del Poleo descended on the homes of the colonos, removing their belongings and trucking them off, leaving behind “scorched earth,” and, allegedly, some bulldozed homes. There was a confrontation. To fend off the cholos, a gun was fired into the air. Police arrested a colono (a settler in the colonia, which in Mexico means a neighborhood or district). This is no longer a war of words and the inevitable physical confrontation between the haves and the have nots has begun.
1 Comment
Hello, Bruce, just stumbled upon your blog. The photos instantly reminded me of the work of my university photo prof. A look at the left rail confirms that you are the same.
I’m emailing from LA, having lived here for nearly 3 decades. I took 3 classes with you in the late ’70s, and I do believe that you taught us well. It wasn’t just the technical training that was of value, but also the wonderful way you opened our eyes to the work of various photographers, both historical and contemporary: Stieglitz, Weston, Weegee, Leibovitz to name just of a few of the many slide shows you put together for us students. The slides shows, the field trips, the many wonderful photo projects (infrared, bellows photography, pinhole camera, etc.)–I appreciate all of the hard work you invested in the classes. I hope students are continuing to benefit as I did.
In the last year, I also saw that you took pics of my childhood ‘hood, the now endangered Magoffin District. The Catholic Daughters of America is directly across the street from where I grew up (717 Magoffin). Isn’t all this talk of tearing down some truly beautiful buildings a disgusting shame? Places such as Monterey, Calif, having preserved their century-old structures, exude a noble beauty. I’m not supporting the idea of maintaining people in slums (walk into 717 Magoffin some time to see what the landlady did to it), but the exteriors of many of the old buildings still exhibit a time-honored beauty. Would it not be better to renovate the interiors of these, creating affordable homes and picturesque business space?
If you can’t tell, El Paso is still very much in my heart.
Be well.