Hear the Cry

Lately I can not help, but to think about his situation in Haiti. At first estimated 50,000 dead has now risen to an estimated 70,000 dead. So many people are lost, and so quickly. Now I think death is something that we can all relate to, because we all know someone who has passed on.

Now what does death cause us to do? When someone close to us dies, how do we learn to adjust without them? I would like to now show you another photograph.



Photograph by Sebetastio Salgado

Now this is a photo from Salgado's book "Migrations". What do you see in this photograph? Do you see a building? Do you even think these people know this photo is being taken, why no one is looking at the camera. Who are these people looking at, and why are they crying? Before I completely flood you with questions, please come up with your own conclusions and then read below.

Salgado writes, "73. At the International Airport of Ho Chi Minh City, as several families leave for the United States, there are tears of apprehension from those about to start a new life and tears of regret from those being left behind. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 1995."

It is estimated that 39,111 people left Vietnam every year from 1980-1994. People left behind their familes, friends, and they did it in hope for a new life. The part that sticks out to my is "tear of regret from those being left behind"(Salgado intro packet). In Haiti they don't really have much of a choice on what happens currently, but these situations are so similar. People leaving people. I guess all we can do is do what is described in Salgado's quote "tears of apprehension of regret from those about to start a new life". Whether by choice or of life, we all can hope for a better life.


If you would like to help those in Haiti or other situations here is a link to a website.

http://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/



Work Cited

Photograph
Salgado, Sebastiao. Photograph. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture. New York, 2000. 78.