Why Am I Doing This?
I’m not a protestor by nature. I don’t carry signs. I don’t chant catchy slogans. I don’t give up sleep to protest on the steps of the Supreme Court or at City Hall. Most of that just passes me by. But I’ll be there on the Fourth of July to exercise my right to photography in a public place. Why? What’s so different this time? That’s a good question.
As part of a program in Science and Technology Studies, I got to read Martin Heidegger last summer. He’s a bit of a bore, and the people who did his translation pretty much suck at writing, but he has this basic important concept called dasein, or “Being-in-the-world.” Heidegger argues that human beings cannot be viewed except through the context that they share. Capturing that context, that essential viewpoint by way of photography becomes part of Being in the World.
It’s an expression of self and viewpoint that should not be obstructed in the commons that are owned by the Government.Clearly there are lines of demarcation that exist to protect Secret from Public, but in this case, there’s no reason for Ellsworth Drive to be a point for harassment. Thus, I will be out with my 10D and my 50mm prime lens to snap some shots of the buildings at Ellsworth Drive. Come help contextualize the world with me.