Who is hiding under the form
There are about 22 million veterans in the United States, but sometimes it's hard to see all the diversity of their faces behind these statistics. Of the 22 million, 1.3 million live without insurance, and 60,000 former military men even more sleep on the streets. The creator of the new project "Soldier. The art project" Devin Mitchell is sure that the country lets down its veterans every day, because it is always easier to stick a label and treat with a stereotype than to show humanity. This is exactly what his project is aimed at, in which the people who put on the uniform are presented in the form of powerful and insightful portraits.
1. A series of photographs created by Devin Mitchell inspires viewers to think creatively when they think about those who serve us. So far, his photo project has generated only positive reviews.
2. "The military showed interest in my project in order to show others how they feel when they have to live a double life while serving in the army," says Mitchell.
3. "People who have never served have shown interest in learning more about the various aspects of what makes veterans feel this way."
4. And this is just the beginning. Mitchell says he wants to remove "at least 10,000 soldiers, including at least 30 members of Congress, three generals and one US president—current or former."
5. "I personally like the photo of Joshua Zitting and his husband Patrick Lehmann the most," says the author.
6. "It reminds me how unfair it is that this man can serve his country while enjoying the constitutional rights of an American, while other men and women in other states cannot." This applies primarily to the fact that Judge Jeffrey Sutton temporarily stopped same-sex marriages in Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.
7. "Judges like him are blind. Maybe my photos will help them to see the light." Devin Mitchell himself is openly gay, so he knows firsthand what it means to be unprotected by the law.
8. Only in 2010, the government repealed the "Don't ask, Don't Tell" law, which prohibited openly lesbian, gay and bisexual men from serving in the army.
9. With his project, Mitchell decided to introduce veterans of different races, sexual orientations, religions and genders.
10. "I think it's important when people are denied jobs because of how they look. They are not equal for different opportunities, and in some jurisdictions they are good enough to serve, but not good enough to enjoy equal protection under the law."
11. The use of mirrors in this project, of course, was planned.
12. "It's a kind of optical illusion for them to tell their own stories about who they were when they served and who they are now."
13. Ideally, people who have viewed this project will better understand those who fight and die in American wars around the world.
14. "I really hope that people will see who protects them, who serves them and who sacrifices their individuality, giving themselves to the will of the government."
Keywords: Military | USA | Then and now