Nyong Kong, the child who survived the vulture

Last days I readed the news about the child who survived the vulture, and the photographer, Kevin Karter... And i rescue something that i wrote some day...

In the XXI century still trying to define good and evil, right and wrong, ultimately, the ethical and unethical. Millions of years of evolution haven´t helped us to learn what parameters should govern our existence. And on that subject is ultimately both work and life of Kevin Carter. A choice between living doing good, but not our work, or continue with our fate, though this evil is stronger than others.

Like everything else, depends on your point of view from which you look, life have more than two colors, is full of nuances that radically change any parameter. Is a photographer guilty of letting a child die doing their job? Or perhaps we are all guilty of letting it die?

That is the issue, blaming the need for third parties as we know it's really our fault. Try to leave our conscience in exchange for life stigmatize those around us.

Kevin Carter's life was like any of us who live in wealthy countries, we have everything we need, those who do not care about if I have to eat tomorrow or if it is possible to die of hunger. Something as basic as food is no longer a concern. We believe that a person can not die from simple starvation, and it is hard to realize that people die in large numbers as well, simply because they have nothing to eat. And the pain inherent to our existence, knowing that we are fortunate and others are not, makes us avoid what we do not like, just so that we avoid touching something hot because we know it hurts, we are not stupid, not we play, and therefore we prefer to look the other way on certain issues.

The consciences of people were affected with a picture of Kevin Carter in the war in Chad, most of the U.S. population was not aware of that country, perhaps not even feel pleasure or satisfaction to learn that this place existed. But what if pain is felt at the sight of a vulture stalking to finish devouring a dying child, such as those around us in the parks, which protect, cherish, in short, a more than us. Perhaps thinking that we could be ourselves, to one of our children could be such a creature trying to rise to live, but had no chance, saw its extreme thinness, weakness, face of death.

And that's what is surely appreciated the jury that awarded the Pulitzer Prize photographer, how to capture a global sense of humanity. Nobody stopped to assess the real significance of the picture, what really happened. It was not ready, was the fact it was a little girl was already dead, that when given the award he had already been eaten, however hard it may seem, as have so many critters in the area.

Kevin knew he had seen death many times in all armed conflicts covered. It had become a tough guy, separating what was his life's work, even a paradox, since it is possible that the fall in the drug world had to do with trying to escape the pain in the first person who suffered a daily.

He knew what he was photographing the dead, what was the pain, what they had conflicts of ideas, was killed men, women and children, beating until the last breath of his countrymen, but there came a time when everything passed. So he took his life could not continue tormenting the facts daily living, could not overcome the consciences of those who appreciated his work one day end up carrying on his. And to tell this, one must begin from the end to tell the origin.

Death. That's the word that governed the end of his days as a summary of what had been a big part of his life. His last moments were devoted to write a note to friends and family expressing his great love for others and the distress of his person. I could not live longer, should not live longer.

The reviews were greedy, how it was possible that death had left the girl in Chad? But the question that did not was if I could save her, if she had actually saved or opened wounds in the population. If, thanks to that picture to him, this girl will never know his name others were saved. Maybe that girl is a hero, a martyr of the twentieth century, and he, the connecting link between pain and the world's population.

Dozens of interviews had revealed what was said on the street, what people felt, the guilt they placed in it, hypocrites. Absurd population with abnormal values, preferring not to look to themselves knowing that they really were just as guilty Kevin, you and me.

The Pulitzer Prize value to the life of any reporter, photographer or person in general. Famous, desired. An excellent work rewarded with the best prizes, a cloud of happiness, the rest does not matter, you have a Pulitzer, what more do you want? Your life will change, you will work with the best, you're the best. Would be pleased to know that someone remembered for delivery to the poor girl, miserable little person missing to the delight of an award, a jury and a society, but as it is better not to burn, it is preferable not know if anyone thought of her .
But talk of a Pulitzer, whatever. Good dress, good food, luxury. I'm not dying of hunger, otherwise I do not care.

Kevin as a journalist had covered a great many conflicts, ideological wars, etc, but his trip to Chad was the beginning of the end of his career and his life. In this region of the world, the poorest, nothing has changed. People are dying massively and 15 years after the work of this great photographer is still looking the other way. Not interested in the background and even less so now.

Work and ethics sometimes collide. A job is ethical or not? A job is nothing more than fulfill the work that we commissioned. And that's what Kevin did. Shoot what the Times had commissioned images of a country falling apart, of a population suffering, trying to open the eyes of people with their images.
Did his work, was awarded for her. So obviously we think that the destructive criticism which accumulated in recent years made no sense. You criticize the fact in particular, but not the person.

A journalist captures information on any of its forms and variables, their work refers only to that. No more, and that is what is not understood. All his work was accomplished, made journalism. No more.

Different issue is whether we if we had the same attitude. But the context of each moment is vital.

Did the right thing? Would you do the same? Different answers, different people, different context. Let us look more to ourselves to improve what has been done, and criticize less the work of others.