TOW #8 - Flower Power

Photo taken by Bernie Boston on October 21, 1967

The context of this historical photograph takes place during a Vietnam War protest where National Guardsman arrived to "control" the crowds. A young protester started to put carnations in the barrels of the guards' rifles. I think it is most important to take into account the facial expressions of those pictured. The protester in the turtleneck has such a serious expression, suggesting how passionate he is about the cause he is protesting for. He is a beacon of peace in the violent situation. On the other hand, the guardsmen whose face is visible doesn't have such a supportive expression on his face. He has a sort of smirk as he removes the flowers from his rifle, showing that he and perhaps all the other National Guards had no intention of handling the protest situation peacefully. The facial expressions of the people in the photo, the fact that the faces of the other people cannot be seen, and the feeling of 'a moment frozen in time' in the picture are all clever appeals to pathos that were captured by the photographer. The stark color difference between the dark uniforms of the guards and the light-colored clothing of the protesters also offers an emotional feeling, since it highlights both the intentions of each party and the hateful distinction of "us and them". Overall, I think this visual text is very important and has a lot to say. Despite it being a simple black and white photo, it speaks so clearly and deeply about its cause.