I grew up in a house full of girls. Boys seemed foreign to me for the first part of my life. The main male influence in my life was that of my Dad. He is my biggest fan. My sisters and I could always count on his support and love. I do not take that for granted.
It broke my heart when I saw Salgado's picture of these young girls and woman holding pictures of their kidnapped husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. The night of July 31, 1983 in Beharke, Iraqi Kurdistan, soldiers under Saddam Hussein's rule, unexpectedly broke into the homes of innocent villagers to take all the men. The woman are still awaiting news of their loved ones; to know of their location or just simple knowledge of their existence. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to have my father taken from my home; never to see him again. The pain and unsettled emotions would constantly be tearing away at my soul. It blows my mind as to what allowed such corruption of government officials to tear lives and families apart forever.
Works Cited:
Kyranlucien. "Sebastiao Salgado, Photographer of the worldfull of ashes and gray sadness...."Chess Blogs. N.p. 01/23/2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2010
Salgado, Sebastiaos. Photograph. "Migrations: Humanity In Transition {The Human Family Around the World}." Legends Online. pdn & Kodac Professional, N.D. Web 10 Feb. 2010
I have two brothers, one just older and another just younger than me. I have always grown up playing with them, and I also hung out with my father as well. I have such strong relationships with the male figures in my family. I, like you Chelsea, would also be absolutely crushed if my brothers and father were kidnapped and forced to fight. Waiting in anticipation to hear from them or if they are even alive still would ruin me. The emotional draining and stress that follows the kidnapping would be utterly exhausting. It's also sad to notice that there are little girls missing their parents. Something about children just makes the situation even harder because fathers play such a large role in their kids lives.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response to the age of the girls holding the photographs. The consequences of the abductions go out in waves. Everyone in the family/generations is affected.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post.