Thoughts and Prayers (Empty Gestures)
Bozeman, Montana
2018
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families of today’s horrible and murderous attack…”
–Donald Trump
I actually started working on this image in reaction to the response by politicians and others to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in February. That shooting was no longer front-page news by the time I finished it so I held off posting it until the inevitable next mass shooting at a school, which of course occurred yesterday at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas.
Note the faded yellow ribbon tatoo on the back of the hand on the left; it’s hard to read at this scale but it says “empty gestures.”
Nice, evocative, and appropriate response. Thank you.
Thanks Carol. I have to admit that when I posted this I felt like I was really just putting my own empty gesture out there. At least I don’t see it effecting any change, which is what is sorely needed.
An old worn out saying but appropriate: “A picture says a thousand words”.
Thanks Mike. I forgot to mention it in the post and maybe folks saw it anyway, but there’s a stack of assault rifles on the left side of the road. So much in these photos doesn’t appear that easy to see when viewed on a phone screen. At least on my phone those rifles could be anything.
Thank you for this image…Empty Gestures are no solution to the problem and no comfort to those suffering…
Your welcome Kathy. It felt good to do this image even though as I mentioned in another comment it seems somewhat like my own empty gesture.