Born this day in 1917 | Gene Rayburne

Born this day in 1912 | Lady Bird Johnson

They Live | 1988John Carpenter

Versus | Roland Martin Emmitt Till v The Newtown 20When is a photograph necessary?

My actual comment to Roland Martin, on CNN's site:

Mr Martin (yeah, I know your a priest or a reverend or something, but you don't warrant my time to look it up): I think I know more about "lynchings" than you do, because I carry "lynch" as a last name, and as a very responsible photographer, I wanted to learn all I could, and see all I could see, about "lynchings" (also known as barbecues, depending on exactly how far the crime was taken). I know all about the photo postcards which were taken, processed, and sold as souvenirs, and I myself am shocked that within my lifetime (I was born in 1960) "lynchings" still took place. And I know all, or at least 90% of the "iconic" photographs of lynchings, the race riots, the marches, Rosa Parks on the bus and all the rest of them. And, as a matter of fact, I happen to also like extreme horror movies (lately termed "torture porn") for some odd reason. Battles between good and evil ("The Exorcist"), vampires (Dark Shadows), and the "end of the earth" or "planet invasion" movies just don't cut it for me anymore. Yes, I live less than 20 minutes from Newtown, and about 10 minutes away from Cheshire, where a senseless home invasion resulted in the horrid deaths of a mother (who was raped), a daughter (who was raped, tied to her bed and burned), and her sister (who was also tied to her bed, and burned) although the husband, a doctor, was spared. So yes, I've seen home invasion horror movies ("why are you doing this to us?" begged one woman in one scene in one movie, only to hear as a response from a hooded person "because you were home.") Do I have a problem reading the paper and the stories of actual carnage, only to burn through a couple of hard core, extreme DVDs at night? Yes, and I wonder why. But you, Reverend Martin, I find repulsive and unprofessional and intrusive on CNN. I "put up with you" because I can't "erase" your segments. Why CNN promotes an obviously homophobic African-American of little class and keeps a true pro named Don Lemon in the shadows is beyond me. When civilians and military were captured and tortured by having their heads sawed off, and then posted to YouTube, did you watch? Did you need to watch in order "to believe" evil existed? I wonder. I didn't watch. I had respect for the soldiers and the civilians who found themselves in some awful position in an effort to promote democracy throughout the world. I don't need to have some family in Newtown CT take a clinical forensic autopsy (or "in situ") photograph and have it splattered all across every paper in the world, because we both know that would be the end result. They have suffered enough. And, before I forget, I took not one photo during 9/11, Hurricane Andrew, Gianni Versace enjoyed his café cubano on South Beach...nor would I take one photo in Newtown. Does this make me a less professional photographer? Perhaps. But I know I am not a vulture.

And I know the Emmitt Till photograph(s) quite well. I've known them for years. They rank up there with the My Lai Massacre, Nick Ut's photograph of the naked girl, running, covered in napalm, Eddie Adam's Cambodian war photo of a man's face when the trigger was pulled. There are far too many of these photographs, and they will stay burned in my mind forever.

And now for something completely different, I wonder how much you really know of Robert Mapplethorpe and his photographs of nude black men, and his impact on the history of art by elevating the nude black man in the art world's pedestal. If you know that much, do you know what Mapplethorpe said to them, and did to them, in private? Serious racism clouded by an indescribable beauty.

I know the Tweet you "slipped" on SuperBowl weekend. And I'll never forget the day you had to show American Morning your "sandals without socks." Vulgar. Just tacky and vulgar.

To me? You are a pimp who is permitted to blabber on and on and on, and you make no contribution to a sane discussion of anything you set your sights on.

And when you're ready for a real class in the history of photography? Then you can look me up. You might learn a thing or three.

To quote George Michael: "did you cover your eyes when they told you?"

Respectfully.

Bernard M Lynch Jr

@ibernard

Without Sanctuary

The Canine Guardian of The Newtown 20 ChildrenBrvtvs Maximvs [2004 – 2012]

Brvtvs Maximvs

2004 – 2012

The 26 Newtown CT Angels

Rest in peace, Brvtvs Maximvs.1 Dec 2006 – 20 Dec 2012

No More Gun Violence!Photograph of Gun by Robert Mapplethorpe

Artwork ©2012 Bernard M Lynch Jr 

Photograph ©Robert Mapplethorpe

William Burroughs with RiflePhotograph by Robert Mapplethorpe

GunsPhotographs by Robert Mapplethorpe

TICKING | 1974By Bernie Taupin & Elton JohnCaribou | 28 June 1974

Download TICKING from iTunes NOW to show your support for the Newtown CT 27 slaughtered in their classroom and in their school. Download TICKING to show your support AGAINST gun violence, and in memory of anyone lost to this senseless and chaotic act, highlighted in 1974 by Bernie Taupin's prescient lyrics and accompanied by Elton John's brilliant, machine-gun like piano track.

DO IT NOW!

Not Patti Hearst | Robert MapplethorpeSelf-Portrait with Gun 1983

GunsPhotographed by Andres Serrano

Jerry B. [2004 – 2012]Wooster Square's Top DogDescanse en Pace

JERRY B.

2004 – 2012

Elton John | Bernie TaupinTicking | 1974

Elton John - Ticking - itun.es/i6D48Hw #iTunes BUY THIS SONG 2 SHOW SOLIDARITY w changes in gun laws in USA. Written in 1974 #TICKING
— Bernard M Lynch Jr (@iBernard) December 16, 2012

Oh but for arrows, to have our swans back.

e*TradeNot even remotely funny.

eTrade's "Down on the floor!" commercial (which shockingly made its debut during the SuperBowl) in which a bank manager holds the customers "hostage" while the tellers don tangentially frightening masks (a pig, a rabbit et al) isn't even remotely funny in today's clime. Given that the bank manager repeats "down on the floor" in a loud and threatening voice the second time around, even going so far as to tell a woman not readily "down on the floor" and appearing to get up, he says in an off-hand manner "don't try to be a hero, Jane Doe."

I'm sorry. I've had strong feelings against this commercial from the get-go and was so consumed with the message I could not remember the company for the LIFE of me (I repeat:: DOWN ON THE FLOOR!)

This is a reprehensible and vulgar commercial, and I challenge eTrade to removed it totally from their advertising campaign BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH (May 2007, in case they're left wondering.)

Shameful, harmful, frightening, and vulgar. No other way around this one.

I'll bet 10 out of 10 people polled after a viewing of this horrifying commercial will find this "advertising" beyond poor taste, bordering on inflammatory.

eTrade: ARE YOU LISTENING?

(ps. watch the commercial with the volume muted and tell me what you see?)

I double- dare you to release a statement to the public in the same manner (vehicle, and length of time, and market penetration) apologizing for what will be termed "an oversight."

The ad agency should be summarily fired, as well as the "suits" who greenlighted this frightening advertising.

Why don't they cut to the chase and have a bank manager put a gun to a patron's head?

I apologize only for any incorrect words, spelling, and corporate misrepresentation of "eTrade", however, who can remember after such a shocking viewing such as this.

Shame on Progressive Insurance"Everybody Stay Cool"

Progressive Insurance Television Commercial

BOYCOTT PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE!