Prime Minister Bhutto

I took a photo for The Palm Beach Post in the winter of 2003.
Former Prime Minister Bhutto was speaking at the Society of The Four
Arts on Palm Beach. I knew her title, knew I was honored to be
photographing her, but I didn't get the weight of it at the time. I
knew I had about five minutes to take her picture and I couldn't go
anywhere with her. When I placed her for a photo initially, she said,
"Isn't that bad feng shui - being by the mirror like that?"  She
repositioned herself and I took the picture with the largest man (her
bodyguard) I have ever seen in my entire life standing by.

When I saw on the news that she was returning to her home after eight
years away, I was happy. I was proud. Not because I had taken her
photograph, but because she is a woman and she is who she is. To have
such strength is awe-inspiring to me. To be so passionate about
something that you aren't afraid to fight for it. We're not talking
about picket signs or writing a strongly worded letter, we're talking
about returning to a homeland where there will likely be countless
attempts on your life. Others will die because they believe in you.

Then, when she did return home, there were thousands there to welcome
her. Thousands who maybe thought to themselves Finally, she is home
and we will have democracy. We will fight for democracy. We have our
leader back. What must it be like to be her? To know all the people
have such faith in you that they will rally for you outside your home
despite the fact that hundreds died days ago when a bomb went off at
your homecoming parade.

When you know there are people who want you dead and
who-knows-how-many who are willing to die to kill you, do you just get
used to that idea? Furthermore, as one of her supporters, or even a
citizen of a country in unrest, do you get used to the idea that you
could die at any time from a bombing. Does it just become second
nature to you or are you the hairs on the back of your neck always
standing-up?

We hear about death in other countries. One hundred thirty people were
killed when Bhutto's parade was attacked. It's just a number to us. We
are not connected to the people and it is so physically far away that
it doesn't seem to effect us personally in the US. Maybe as humans
it's necessary to separate. Otherwise, you would be terminally
depressed if you really put some thought into the fact that countless
people, people who are standing-up for what they believe in, or people
who were simply going to the local market, die every day. The idea of
dying while picking-up your groceries is completely foreign to us.

I think we have just accepted that people die. We've accepted that
that's just the way it is. Well, that's just the way it is in other
countries. That would never happen to us. Because if it was something
that was happening to us, we would never stand for it. But, the
numbers we see now, those numbers of people dying so far away, they
are only a brief mention during the commercial break before the start
of your favorite violent forensics show.