WOW! I love the use of lines, textures, and points of view to make all these
shots very dramatic!
Jenny Rasak
12/1/05
Really good shots of the fences from a variety of angles. Close ups of either side of the fence combine well with broader shots encompassing both sides to show multiple perspectives. Also, the text and images are combined very effectively, particularly in the civil homeland defense section. The image of those detained by CHD walking single file with their hands behind their heads is juxtaposed with the quote (that I assumed was from Chris, the CHD guy) about it being a "pity that our government does not see the necessity to help these people". Really made me wonder why he's actively making their lives more difficult. It was nice to see this followed up immediately by the humane borders sequence, textlessly depicting different people actively working to make the lives of those attempting to cross the border a little easier.
-Dan
11/21/05
I think it is so horrible... all the things the Mexican people endure, braving
heat, dehydration, death, robbery, deportation, all to get to our
country to make some money to support their families. It's crazy that we would
spend billions of dollars making a fence, instead of helping those impoverished
people...
Kodee Camp
... an interesting look into what the situation is on the border... There was a
repressive feel to the image of the fence blocking the veiw.
... one hears the names of places in the news, but one generally has difficulty
relating to the news stories. This project illustrates a lot of points that
one only hears about in the news...
Mike Turner
11/20/05
It is so simple to ignore the difficulties of others, to close ourselves off from the real world and remain in our middle-class bubble. Reading a story such as this one, and perusing the different photographs forces us to look at the real issues at hand. While we worry about not being able to afford gas for our SUVs, many,many others have to worry about staying alive and getting through the boarder in order to survive. Many have had to leave their families behind; many have had find jobs that are looked down upon just to send money home in the hope that they and their families will be united in some distant future. One thing that really stuck out in my mind while reading this was when one of the smugglers said, "Normally I charge $300, but you are a woman, you are slower."
So many people spend years raising enough money to leave in order to start a better life; on the way they face horrible living conditions and all the dangers of being caught. Once they cross the border to "safety", they face racism.
This story is about more than just the situation at the boarder: it is about but about basic human rights in general. We must open our eyes; we must help the situation...We must fight for everybody's right to live a decent life...
Camila Moreiras
11/20/05
The fence looks so flimsy and inviting in so many of the photographs.
It could be all too easy to slip through or hop over, if there werent guards
waiting to gas you on the other side or worse.
I thought the different perspectives of the fence, different physical
viewpoints, different locations and different groups of people that come into
contact with it were very well chosen and illustrated. The interviews were
really effective as I have little knowlege of the situation or the people
involved, so the photographs meant that much more upon reading the captions.
You illustrated almost every angle, although I would love to see some
interviews of those who were attempting to cross, and perhaps views of those
involved with Humane Boarders.
This is an awesome project, very well done
emerald
11/4/05
The pictures are incredible. The contrast of light and dark, the cold feeling of those bars i think captures the feeling of the border perfectly. It is cold and unwelcoming. And all the captions reaffirm the feelings: If you don't move away you will be severely punished by being gased then having the Mexican police called. Also: the caption about how expensive it is to cross brings the same feeling... I like the different approaches to each photograph and the order they are in.
-Jess
11/2/0
Read the story, "Perspecives on the Border: The Fence."