I had a different image in
mind for this blog post, it will have to wait. Instead, my new offering is an
update of an image/narrative that originally appeared in ShootingHoops, a previously published basketball-themed exhibit. The current post recalls
my thoughts during the rocket barrage aimed at Israeli citizens in 2008. Once
again I’m consumed with a recurrence of that nightmare.
For the photographic composition,
I positioned myself so the unassuming basket & backboard would be overshadowed
by the concrete and stone structure on the right. Loudspeakers visible within
the tree branches above are not intended for game announcements. They are
sirens. They sound the alarm for everyone on the court, or within earshot, to
sprint for nearby shelter entrance #26. The bunker inside provides a temporary
secure haven when an incoming missile lands …. if you get there in time.
Fifteen seconds …... That’s how long Israelis living within range of Hamas rocket fire
have from the moment, any moment - 24/7, sirens blast a Red Alert signaling
a rocket has been launched. That range has now expanded considerably putting
eighty percent of Israelis in the crosshairs. Fifteen seconds to reach a shelter before impact. They hope they
can make it. They hope all their family members, wherever they may be, can make
it to safety as well. Fifteen seconds
– 24/7 for years! Imagine trying to live your life that way. I can’t.
(Click to read more of David's Blog)
(Click to read more of David's Blog)
