Faces

It ain't like it is all sweetness and light here. Just like El Norte and damn near everywhere else, the place has problems. Folks in the US would be interested that folks here think the US politicians are almost like the South Koreans, you know, ready to punch each other's lights out. The best thing for most north americans would be to leave the country and look at it from the outside. Then problems would get solved instead of all the hideous stuff that is going on. I really don't want to have come back and solve everything once again. C'mon people, get it together.

Here, they deal with different problems and they deal with them differently. There are the narcos, the poverty, the political problems, the inequities between the haves and the have nots. So the government uses strong tactics and symbols. In Oaxaca and especially travelling in and out of the state, there are lots of military and police checkpoints. They are just an everyday part of life. For me, to see such large weapons and in such numbers is intimidating, but as i say, it is just a part of life here. Maybe that is something for the folks in the States to ponder. I hasten to add that these guys do not ever hassle tourists unless they deserve it by being jerks. I myself, who can be quite a jerk, generally am on good behavior when in the presence of a guy in black body armor with a big gun.
These police were part of an action just to north of the zocalo last week. I have no idea what the action was, but there were a lot of them. I shot all these clandestinely at hip level so they are all candids. No reason to stick a camera up in people's faces. I do find that the faces and expressions are fascinating. Click on the image to see them larger. One of these men has a smile way too reminiscent of Alex in A Clockwork Orange.