Documenting the Cost of Youth Violence

January 27, 2012

The award-winning documentary series, "Too Young to Die," by photographer Carlos Javier Ortiz is set to be featured at the School of Communication, Spring 2012.   

"Too Young to Die" is a documentary photography project illustrating the shocking statistics of youth violence in major U.S. cities. For Ortiz, the documentary "personalizes" the stories of those affected by violence, most notably, gun violence.

While covering crime in Chicago for a separate project in 2000, Ortiz was moved to start his own collection of images.

"I was going to the crime scenes. The victims were young kids and it really started bothering me seeing kids mourning their friends," Ortiz said. In 2006, he began his now five year in-depth project.

The photos range from mourning families and friends to gruesome crime scenes. Despite the intimate dynamic between Ortiz and his work, he has not become desensitized.

"Its all out of the ordinary having to see young people killed or going to their friends funerals."

He refers to this situation as a "war." His website, carlosjortiz.com, shares statistics about the devastating number of deaths suffered by young people, stating, "[t]ragically, on average, sixteen youth between the ages of 10 and 24 are killed in the United States every day (CDC, 2009) as a result of gun violence. This is more than the number of American servicemen lost each year in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Ortiz also called attention to the disparate social and economic situations of these individuals, noting the poverty level incomes of families in areas like Englewood. According to City-Data.com, the median household income for Englewood residents in 2009 was $22, 131.000.      

"Black and Hispanics are dealing with this- its something that is avoided by the public," Ortiz said.

Ortiz finds a lack of awareness by the general public, as well over-sensationalized media, as contributing factors to the neglect of this situation.

"You'll see a kid, and kids are all Gods children, kidnapped. If they're not white and blonde, they dont make the news," Ortiz said.

Using his photography, Ortiz hopes to encourage confrontation and action.

"I think I want people to feel it's not so distant from them to really think about the problems and deal with it now. Deal with poverty, lack of good schools, and parents deal with their children. It's a big quagmire we need to address and start investing. It's not just one persons problem, it's everyones problem."

The School of Communication is just one destination Ortiz would like Too Young to Die showcased. His goal is to put out a book and have his work travel from city to city.

The Too Young to Die Exhibit opening will be held Friday, January 27, 2012, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm and will be displayed on the first and second floor as well as lower level of the School of Communication. 

Shattered Lens: A Citizen's Right to Film

January 25, 2012

Momentum for the eradication of the Illinois Eavesdropping Act was high at Wednesday night's discussion panel Shattered Lens: A Citizen's Right to Film.

"Its pretty much black and white, cut and dry to me," said panel speaker Gary F. McCarthy, superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. McCarthy's recent transfer from Newark, New Jersey to Chicago made him foreign to the statute which makes it a criminal offense to take an audio recording of police acting in public without their consent.

"It appears this whole issue is going out the window. I actually am a person who believes in the audio and visual recording of police officers," McCarthy said in his opening address.

The controversial law in question is unique in the nation, punishable with up to 15 years in prison if found guilty. With the rapid emergence of "smartphones" and other audio-video recording devices, the temptation to record public events, including the actions of law enforcement officials, is not uncommon.   

Panel speaker Lucy Dalgish, executive director for Reporter Committee for Freedom of the Press was mostly concerned with the laws infringement on the practice of newsgathering.

"Most of the time, the journalist is covering protestswe have always had occasional problems. We are now working in this all the time," Dalgish said. Dalgish explained how journalists are more often targeted as perpetrators of this crime.

Though Illinois has more strictly outlined the statute, law enforcement in other states have acted similarly in opposing the use of recording devices.

Dalgish cited the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota where journalist Amy Goodman was arrested along with 2 producers for videotaping protesters. They were later awarded a $100,000 settlement. St. Paul police departments implemented an online course to train officers how to deal with protests, with a portion of that curriculum drafted by RCFP.

Harvey Grossman, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, discussed the federal lawsuit ACLU entered to challenge the Illinois Eavesdropping Act.

"We received complaints all over the state," said Grossman. "We had never really thought about the restraints on us until we started up our website. We realized it was a direct restraint to us as well."

The ACLU filed suit in district court, asking to openly record and focus on police-civilian interaction in public places in a non-obstructive way.

"The federal district court gave us a short answer- the First Amendment didn't provide such a right," Grossman said.   The case has been appealed to the Seventh Circuit Court.   

McCarthy directed the conversation to the use of technology in a "modern terrorism world."

When giving an example of someone photographing the underside of a bridge, McCarthy argued "a police officer should be able to articulate and question why someone is recording something."

"I can see why officers are concerned with suspicious activity. I dont think its compelling enough to ban general photography," Dalgish responded.

Grossman said agreed, saying "the place where we run into trouble is where someone is prohibited from an activity like the prohibition of photography."

It was generally agreed that the eavesdropping law needs to be changed. Grossman believes more attention to this issue will be drawn during this springs G8 and NATO meetings.

"We think this law will be problematic during G8 and Nato. It isn't usual for people to engage in this behavior," Grossman said.   

For now, Grossman is "hopeful" about the Seventh Circuit appeal. Until any change is made, McCarthy intends to uphold the work of CPD officers.

"If the law makes sense, doesn't make sense, we're in charge with enforcing it," McCarthy said. "The law is the law."