In these present times when people cry things like;
"We are so poor now we had to get rid of nanny number 2"
or
"We are just so poor now we had to delay the extension to our extensions extension and our house is only worth what we paid for it.."
or my favorite,
"We'd best buy another plasma before we don't have any money left.."
I thought I would mention a few of my experiences on my recent U.S trip. The image above of the green station wagon belongs to Chuck, a 35 year old American from Ohio. He had lost everything he owned except this car and was making his way to LA. In his 35 years he had never seen the Golden Gate Bridge, the Grand Canyon, the Statue of liberty, the White House or the Bonville Salt Flats which is where this image was made. Chuck had decided to sell what little he had left in an attempt see of much of America as he could, he then hoped to pick up some work in LA.
Here in the land of opportunity I met a man with nothing except the $120 dollars he had left for gas.
The second image was taken in Slab City. A town made up of trailers, caravans and tents on the outskirts of the Salton Sea in California. The land belonged to the military at one point and is now decommissioned and uncontrolled. There are around two thousand people living here at anyone one time in an attempt to remove themselves from the American government. There is no water, no electricity and the temperature reaches 120 degrees in the summer months. After making this image four children emerged from this very caravan and started to play in the dirt.
My friends, 50 percent of Americans live in poverty but you never hear that on the news. Its a side of America I have often seen on my travels and have been left dumbfounded that such a rich powerful nation has such an underbelly of millions who basically live in the dirt.
Now excuse me while I watch Songs Of Praise on my 50 inch plasma.
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