This Picture Looks How I Feel
We are all being tested by fire
I’m a very rational person, too rational I’ve been told. I remember declaring, in a gloating tone, how I HOPED Trump would win the nomination; a candidate so incompetent, hateful and out of touch would surely hand the Democrats the White House.
Now I remember those statements with shame, just as I do almost the entire race. I continued to dismiss Trump even as he racked up win after win, and even as I connected the line for Clinton yesterday morning.
I’ll be honest, like many of you I expect, I’m having some trouble coping with this.
One thing I decided to do is be more active. I’m going to apply to volunteer with CAIRS. And I want to photograph more.
Back in the Bush years I photographed all kinds of political protests, social justice issues, and generally newsy things. For a while, though, I’ve been developing other skill sets, other career tracts. Looking back, I think I grew complacent with Obama at the helm. I felt like America was beginning the difficult job of addressing some core issues like racism, environmental degradation, perhaps even income inequality. I felt free to point my lens elsewhere.
Now I realize that complacency was a mistake.
Tonight I went out and protested the completely legitimate election of Donald J. Trump, primarily because I needed to do something. Also, I remembered photographing the street celebrations in November 2008, after President Obama was elected. I wanted to capture this historic mood as well, perhaps as a counterpoint, a reminder of how fragile our gains can be.
I got teargassed (not so bad), but I only came away with one picture I really care about, that remotely reflects my emotional state.
I feel we are all being tested by fire, and I mean all of us, including the ardent diehard Trump supporters and his most vicious detractors. Anyone who has lived in the Bay Area for the past 10 years has realized that time only moves in one direction, we must adapt and change as it requires. Hopefully we are ready.
Follow photojournalist Nathan Weyland on Instagram and Twitter.
