A Picture's Worth

The Gun Show

I read with interest and considerable agreement, Jaime O’Niell’s article “Notes From a Gun Nut” in the March 14th issue of the Chico News & Review. In his article O’Niell cites the dangerous and sometimes melodramatic paranoia of the more strident gun enthusiasts. O’Niell’s analysis coincides with what I saw at the gun show myself. I photographed the following images displaying the extremity and harshness that permeates the cultural atmosphere of gun shows. For those who, as O’Niell says, are “survival” oriented and purchase guns with that intent, I can only pass on my perception that the possession of a weapon for that purpose does more to threaten survival than it does to enhance it. Click on an image to view it enlarged.

Gun Show at the Chico Fairgrounds

Semi-automatic rifle

Semi-auto rifle

Flyer on gun seller’s table

A target titled “Shopping Spree”

A target poster titled "Special Delivery"

A target titled “Special Delivery”

Hand guns

Made in the U.S.

Flag and bullets

T-shirts for sale

I arrive early at One Mile in Bidwell Park for my usual morning walk. I park and lock my bike at the racks where the creek flows through Sycamore Pool. At times the oaks and sycamores are mirrored in the water like an inverse image of an upright world. It’s all so calm here where I, too, am sunk deep in the silent waters. This landscape of tree and water flows through me, and all seems right with the world. But all too soon, the mood is shattered by what comes next. A friend once said to me, “The Park is good for everyone.” I think that’s true, but not everyone is good for the Park.

Sycamore Pool

Sycamore Pool

One Mile Picnic Area

One Mile Snack Bar

Sycamores by the Pool

DSCN7408 "Please Recycle This Paper".JPG

One Mile Dam

Whiskey Bottle at One Mile Dam

Broken glass on the fish ladder, One Mile Dam

Quote: “Please recycle this bag.”

Beer carton in Sycamore Pool

Beach balls in Sycamore Pool/One Mile Dam

And yet, I don’t despair. There are plenty of people who are quite good for the park. By the end of the day, the park maintenance crew had removed all of the glass, graffiti, and even the beach balls. And then there are the volunteers who spend long hours helping to keep the park nice for the rest of us. I’m grateful to all of them.