Pulitzer Prize Winning Photo That Haunts Me

To those that wish to save the child, I ask you this.

Do you save the one and turn your back on the other millions?

Dont take your food for granted.

Edit:

Im also wondering if this isnt the first image of starvation you people have seen.

I know this isnt my first, and it isnt the worst I have seen. Yes its sad, but what kind of person are you to not want to look at these images.

Do you just want to ignore it? Help?

Its easy to help. Think about your food supply. Dont take it for granted.

Again, as I always state when something like this happens, im in agriculture. I can sleep at night knowing that what I do helps a small amount.

[edit on 21-10-2005 by Dulcimer]

Originally posted by psychosgirl
The part that gets me is that he WAITED for 20 minutes to get the perfect shot. That says it all. He wasn't a soldier,on a mission,he was a photographer in search of a money making photo. I am not suprised at all that he commited suicide,once the quest for fame and fortune came to fruition.

When you've been there and done it, then you can comment.

Try living in a city where everyday you are pestered by beggars. They are satisfied with a few cents, but soon you have no cents left and there are still beggars you haven't given money to. Then there are the "professional" beggars, the ones who have strategies to maximise their takings, the ones that rent young children and pinch them to make them cry as if from hunger. Then the beggars of opportunity, those who take a chance when it presents itself and those who only target foreigners because they are "rich". Now who do you give money to, who is worthy and who isn't? How do you reconcile the fact that you didn't give money to someone so obviously destitute when you are so obviously comfortable?

Or traffic accidents, what does it do to your psyche to deliberately drive away from the scene of an accident (which did not involve you) instead of stopping to render assistance, because you will be forced to pay all the costs, you might find yourself being treated as a suspect and the medical personnel will do nothing until YOU pay them?

And that's the easy stuff.

Ever been to Africa, let alone any part of the 3rd world? Ever seen the list of diseases you need to be innocculated for? Or the list of diseases they don't have vaccines for? The list of diseases that you will carry for life if you contract them?

Ever spent every day looking at scenes like this, until you have no objectivity left? All you can see is just one more terrible scene to add to the list or great photo opportunity, or story to cover? One more pile of bodies, one more mass grave, one more mass funeral? One more exhausted aid worker who has had their shipment stolen by the government, one more embassy type who doesn't see it, one more government official who is only worried about making money? One more mortar attack on the Sarajevo market?

Do you know how many foreign correspondents are alcoholics, because of this? Without them we wouldn't know about Darfur, Srebrenica, Bihac, Mostar, Chechnya, Cambodia, Kosovo etc, we wouldn't have a reason to be outraged, we'd just be living our comfortable lives with our medical care, education, social security, running water, hamburgers, beer, wasted food, luxury V8 cars, 200 cable channels, skiing trips on the weekend, saturday football games for the kids and pathetic disputes over meaningless crap with our workmates.

quote-
"Do you save the one and turn your back on the other millions?"

Have you ever held a starving person, and knew there was nothing you could do?

I have. And will many times more in my life time.

It starts with one person and goes from there. Then sometime in the Future, The millions will be fed.

The question is not the million, But THE ONE. And that is what I fault the guy with. The Guy is well fed, has a excellent job, And Wants more. The child just wants a meal. And the Guy uses the child for "his meal ticket" to fame.

I'm sorry, I have no remorse for him. I have remorse for the people I see everyday suffering due to the injustice that others do onto them. Much like this creep did.

Your Wrong, I have seen many "flesh and Blood" people die from starvation. Some on purpose, others due to illness, etc.

And it hurts everyday, When i remember all those who have gone before me. I wish I could feed the World. But I can't.

When I take care of a person Dying from GI Cancer. Seeing them become skin and bones. And knowing no amount of D5NS, Glucose, or TPN will prevent them from starving to death.

And then the Family asking you "How long?" Then you truly know the absolute hopelessness that comes with human existence.

You know how I cope? Anti-depressents, Alcahol, Religon, etc. No matter How hard I try to stop "feeling". I can't.

A part of me, Dies everyday. Seeing the total hopelessness. Of Human existence. And I question Man, I question God, I question existence.

But it comes down to this. If I am not here, Who else will take care of them? My family. My friends, My Patients. Who will be there for them.

And I continue, For what Am I to do. But to serve others. And one day they shall take care of this "tired" old man. And the cycle will continue.

I'm sorry, But as one man. I can only feed one at a "Time". And I will save that one. And try to save the million afterwards. That is your answer to your question.

Pictures like this remind us just how bad we have let things get. I cannot even begin to understand how that man can just walk away and leave that starving child.

I don't even understand how in this day and age so many people are starving. I know for a fact many factories that produce food throw away large quantities of the food that don't sell. Why can't we just ship it all over to the starving?!

This photo is definately one I will remember for the rest of my life. Thank you for posting it for things like that I use to remember when faced with certain situations in my life. I showed it to someone yesterday and they silently closed the browser and had no further comment. Perhaps that is the general consensus (of the entire world?). Not being able to handle such things. Is it guilt? I am not sure because although I feel extreme guilt I still do things within my power to donate money and food to those less fortunate. But as one person, two persons, or even one million people, it would be hard. I believe the world leaders spend too much time on inate things and should be keeping it simple (stupid). Peace and happiness throughout the world. This all brings me back to the idea of evolving backwards but that is an entirely different thread.

Originally posted by Netchicken
It is really sad, but he must have seen lots of people in a
similar situation, you can't save them all.

You are right, he couldn't save them all. But he COULD have
saved that one. She may have been past being saved, but
even if he picked her up and carried her to the camp, she would
have had some comfort in her dying hours, instead of being alone
and scared and in pain.

Man's inhumanity to man .... and toddlers. Sickening.
This planet disgusts me.

You have voted msnevil for the Way Above Top Secret award.

As a parent, I could not turn away from a dying child.
As a caregiver, I could try to do something.
As a human, I couldn't allow that child die alone.

I know the detatchment needed to get a job done. But, I also know how it feels to be haunted by what you see in life. I don't think the photographer was evil, I think he was numb to the helplessness that surrounds him. He had to live with his decisions, and he killed himself.

How does a picture become prize worthy?
Is it because it is a raw truth caught on film?
Is it because it stirs strong emotions?
Personally, I think a better picture would have been the photographer hugging the child while she gets medicine and food. (if it were there)

[edit on 21-10-2005 by shadow watcher]

A saw this picture for the first time yesterday on this thread.
At first i was shocked by the picture itself as i didn't read the description.
After i started to feel very angry at that inhuman attitude of a coward that later accepts the guilt but cannot stand it and kills himself. The only attitude he could take, but again i'm shocked to know that he only has taken his life because of the criticism of fellow professionals and public. And again he only thinked on himself since he has left a young child who will grow without a father, and later will discover what kind of 'person' her father was.
If he tried to save that little girl, he would save probably two persons: the little girl and himself.

I cannot get that picture from my mind.

This thread has been the most thought provoking and emotional I have seen thus far.

I too cannot get that picture from my mind. I can't believe the photographer didn't carry that poor, innocent child 1000 metres to safety. It's sickening.

As I read about this picture and this man, I felt sympathy and compassion all around. For the child and the photographer. Sure, I would have found a way to get her to the camp, too, but it didn't occur to me that he was making the wrong choice or was less than human or anything of the sort.

As I read the thread, I'm kind of sickened at the accusations that have been thrown at him.

He was taking a picture of a condition. A disease that is spreading in the world. He was hi-lighting the situation for the rest of us to see. He was not responsible for the starvation. How much good did this picture do? How many people did it touch? He was following his calling to tell a story with a picture and he did an excellent job.

I don't intend to change anyone's mind, these are just my thoughts. I don't think badly of this man. He suffered and died because he couldn't stand what he'd seen or done or the helplessness he felt. That calls out my compassion.

Granted, he scared away the vulture but still... if you were in his situation I'm sure you would have carried her to the UN camp. I know I would. I can only hope that girl made it on her own, although it is very doubtful.

I can’t understand why some would come back and state that until you are in this situation don’t make comments. I understand that you have to, in a sense, detach yourself from these horrors if you want to complete your work but for Gods sake that was just not right, not human. This man stood there waiting to get that perfect shot while this poor child struggled for her life in complete and utter desperation. For twenty minutes he watched her struggle on the ground, in complete terror, trying to get away from that vulture and did nothing. Once he got his shot he moved on probably telling his conscious that you can’t help them all. This wasn’t a passing shot as he moved through this area, he waited for this one. He stood there for twenty minutes waiting for the bird to spread its wings but couldn’t take the time to scoop her up and get her away from a certain, horrible death. Sure he tried to chase that bird away but there can be no doubt that it soon returned after they left. It’s a shame that his “perfect” shot trumped that child’s life. In my opinion, he made the wrong call and I believe that in the end he realized this as well. Sad situation all around.

Also one thing to point out. Nobody knows what happened to the child.

How do you know it didnt make it?

That photographer seems like an opportunistic ghoul to me - whether he was jaded or not.

However its too bad the people who bring this kind of misery, like George Bush, could never even understand feeling guilty for their role in these direct and indirect genocides.

They are the ones we truly need to excise from society.

Replace that child with a starving, naked Dick Cheney - and how many here would feel half the guilt for leaving Him there...

What about this photo (of an unrelated nature)




Famous photos of this nature tend to have a similarity dont you think.

But I guess the man in this photo was "bad".

and by looking at the picture and not doing something to stop famine we are all equally as guilty as the man who snapped the shot.

[edit on 21-10-2005 by jprophet420]

I would do something if I had the money to. Me and my mum give money to many charities that help people like that poor girl. I'm not saying that I'm a saint but what more can I do?

I wish I had the money to fly over there and feed all those people but I don't, hopefully one day I will.

OK here I go on a rant. Of course BAD stuff happens everyday,that's life.....and death. The part that sucks is this: the photographer didn't even try.....per his own admission. If the girl died then she died. He could have at least tried to get to her. He could have asked,"hey...go get me a tarp or a blanket or something,I'll wrap her in it(to try and protect myself from disease) and transport her to the camp. Maybe she's too far gone and maybe she'll die,but at least I tried. I didn't stand by and get my money shot and leave this beautiful child to become carrion for a vulture." That is what I find deplorable. I deal with death EVERYDAY,with people I cannot save,but I am not desensitized to it. If there is anything I can do,I do it. Even if someone ultimately dies,I know that I tried. I give money to beggers,in the hopes that they will go get food instead of crack. I work in non-profit,barely making it myself,but making a difference in peoples' lives. At least I try. You have to be a fool to think you can feed or save everyone,but you are a horrible person if you consciously decide not to try.

xeroxed88,

I don't really believe it is a matter of money that is lacking in these cases.

I think it is a lack of political will, and in fact, significant political opposition both internally and externally in thes countries that is causing disasters like these famines, and genecides such as in Rawanda.

What we must do is put political pressure (through collective grass root action) on the dictators of Africa, and the despots of Russia and America, until they no longer block the world's efforts to bring relief and aid to the third world.

Certainly sponser a child or too, but make sure to join up and donate your time with groups such as Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and other Non Profits to help educate people and turn the heat up on these greedy, self serving politicians.

Originally posted by jprophet420
and by looking at the picture and not doing something to stop famine we are all equally as guilty as the man who snapped the shot.

I would'nt say that......a little extreme don't ya think?

There is a HUGE difference between not giving to the red-cross or whatever and actually being in a position to where your lack of action possibly resulted is someone's death....and even knowing about it.