I met a friend of mine yesterday to walk through Oakland Cemetery where I often take people who visit my city because some of the most famous Georgians are buried here, and the entire cemetery--right in downtown--is an amazing place.
There are parts of it that are complicated as well, which if you are from the South of the United States, and you grew up here, it is a source of great angst. I know I have it--I am not one to shy away from our history, but I am not one to gloss over the atrocities created by our ancestors (and in my case my very own ancestors) as it relates to humanity and its severe lack of it.
This is huge--It's seen from every vantage point in the massive cemetery. I decided to take a new photo of it. I imagine some day, it may be taken down--I don't think I would miss it. But what I do like about this cemetery is that it has a very long and complicated history--one that also includes tours, context, pain. I did pass a tour just on the other side of me--and the guide was discussing how over the summer these monuments were graffittied and suffered damage. Which depending on the way one looks at it, may have been about time. They have never offered me solace.
@phil_howcroft Oh yes, I am talking about Slavery, but also the fact that many of the southern states attempted to secede from the union (thus a war). I would not say that slavery is only a southern problem, however. The US has a very long history of inequity/inequality as it relates to race--so it's not just a Southern thing at all, but in terms of a confederate memorial, it refers to the civil war in the late 1800's of the US.
Your processing is perfect to convey the sense of melancholy and pain. It is so hard for me as well to let myself really acknowledge the ways I have unconsciously been racist
An ugly past - every country has one. We just need to be sure to improve our present for the future generations to look back on and not be horrified. Beautiful capture.
@darylo thanks Daryl , I don't know many details of US history, although I realise how people were appalled to see a Confederate flag in the Whitehouse when you had the recent trouble there . Inequality, racism, homophobia , injustice has no place in society . Take care
Fab capture