If You Go To Gwinett County, You Better Walk Right

'contempt of cop' prosecutions lead to stronger contempt. (link)


In Gwinnett county, just north of Atlanta, Ga, USA, in May, 2004, a group of 6 policemen held Frederick Williams down, who was already not only in custody, but handcuffed and manacled and in an inner locked room in a secure lockup facility. Williams was unable to comply with their shouted demands, physically, mentally or emotionally. The group of deputies tasered Williams to death.

Williams was arrested and brought to the jail because he was acting crazy after not taking his epilepsy medication, so was not in his right mind. (I think they could have shortcut the process and shot him in the street like a dog....)

It made some great film from the overhead video recorder. It sure looks like murder, as a matter of opinion -- he died two or three days later of an arrhythmic heart thingy, after being tasered numerous times. The video, which the grand jury declined to watch, showed Frederick Williams being tasered at least 5 times within a period of one minute.

The Gutless (er, Grand) jury did not indict the popos -- they had, perhaps, a feeling that there might be some retribution on them? Defense testimony ran along the lines that the preceding events could not be definitively tied to the condition that lead to William's death, the Medical Examiner said that a definite connection between the excessive treatment was unclear, the defense claimed the jailers had no intention of harming Mr. Williams.

Well, anyway, it makes for great sport! This little parable, now a dust mote in history, shows two things:

1. Quite often is it art not evidence that prevails in courts
  (art, and lots of friends in the right places.)
2. Your best protection against thugs and bullies is a bigger stick.
  (really, it's Darwinian -- beauty, power, speed, aggressiveness are all survival traits for your bloodline.)

Critique: Harsh or Helpful?

From a critique I wrote recently:

"Snapshot, out of focus, looking down, distracting background elements, and the light is not controlled nor flattering.

Even a camera mounted flash would have opened the shadows on her face a bit. She is not engaging the camera, instead she is looking down. The portion of an arm above / right, the torso to the left, the concrete and siding behind her all detract from the subject.

It sounds harsh, but understanding what you see when you take a photo helps to realize a better result. I have learned a lot by dissecting my blunders. It helps me to build a mental checklist to use while shooting, and even more, to have concepts to think about before picking up a camera.

FWIW, it's possible to develop a style that capitalizes on things that some/many consider wrong/errors, but that takes a certain mastery or natural talent not everyone has. I've been trying to sell the notion that my biggest mistakes should be in museums for year -- no takers."

It's hard to listen to a listing of the problems with a piece of work and walk away as a better artist.

In a rural stretch of Germany, I was in a traffic jam at 115mph. Very weird -- large Mercedes, Porsches, Audis were trying to get past, and I was stuck in a very nice Renault with a top speed of only about 125mph, so I was getting out of the way.

Something like 90% of European drivers are educated about driving on highways and other roads and willingly give right of way to faster drivers. That other 10% thinks they are driving tractors in the fields. In the US, probably about 40% of the people behind the wheel are capable drivers during their entire time behind the wheel -- whether the distraction is kids, the car, the phone, texting, lack of training or desire to function properly and courteously while driving. Going slow in the left lane, failure to yield properly in most circumstances, lack of attention, or a lack of understanding and experience combine to cause most traffic and wrecks.

A for-instance: people change lanes directly into the path of faster cars without speeding up first. They are only thinking about themselves. Which is it most: a lack of courtesy, experience, poor driving habits? Speed is a much lesser danger than incapable drivers, but the problem is that people are culturally unable to grow and become better drivers.

/..