Life, etcetera.

From the moment we are born we are indoctrinated to be male or female; pink or blue; black or white; get married; work work work, pay taxes, have children, get divorced, get remarried, have more children, work work work; pay taxes; support your country; work work work; pay taxes; be a good grandparent; work work work; pay taxes; get a little back in retirement benefits; die and then your estate pays taxes. It is a sad, deplorable state of existence. There must be more to living. I refuse to accept that this is all there will be for my life. I fight against that pitiful existence. I don't have much, but what I do have I try to use for the happiness and the benefit to the lives of others. It is a hard life here in these United States. People are driven by the dollar: get it, spend it, get some more. Too often they seek to get the dollar without regard to how they get it or who they have to harm along the way. Oil prices set new record high prices daily. Food products are increasing at record rates. More and more families in the United States are receiving assistance through Food Stamps because they can't afford to feed their children. Two jobs and two incomes are not enough for the working families in this Country to have a decent life. It seems the harder we work, the harder it is to make ends meet. Hunger, homelessness, and joblessness are all on the rise. It would be easy to just give up. The hard part about life is staying in the fight, and fighting to win. I believe that my art should mean something. I hope it stirs people to think, if not to action. When a photograph would be inadequate, I turn to writing. Someone once described my work as illustrated messages. I embrace that idea. My work starts with an idea, then I seek to illustrate the idea. My photography has been a journey for me. The prison without bars is the hardest to escape. The chains, and wires, and fences around our hearts and minds are created by a lifetime of goals not met; dreams unrealized; and great expectations which led only to disappointment. Be brave enough to climb over the barriers to your peace of mind. I try to raise awareness through my art and through my writing. Granted I am sometimes a bit in your face and harsh in my treatment. I make no apologies for my style. Love me or hate me, you can not deny the truth of the message that our society needs to change. I've heard it said that no good deed goes unpunished. Punish me you naysayers, you who are filled with hate! Cast the first stone you self righteous bigots. And in the end, you will be remembered as an example of what is wrong with this world.

CHANGE THE WORLD ONE PERSON AT A TIME. START WITH YOURSELF