American Sensitivity

I am curious. I am curious as to why the flags of Hawaii and the United States fly together outside homes in Honolulu. I am curious as to why folks save up for years to walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame for a mere couple of hours. 

I am curious as to why a billboard for the Marines rests on top of an Allstate office in the middle of L.A. I am curious as to why airlines use the plane itself as a form of advertisement, 30,000 feet in the air. 

I am curious as to why the National Guard patrols the subway platforms in Greenwich Village. I am curious about the camera of a cell phone. 

I am curious as to why a bus with an American Flag painted on it stays in place in Venice Beach. I am curious as to why I used to be a part of a church my parents no longer speak of. 

I am curious as to why influencers agreed to pose against a dumpster on St. Marks when I asked. I am curious as to why NYU is taking measures to stop protests with a green wooden wall and one security guard.

I am curious as to how children can play in the face of a "natural" disaster as they run and play catch through hurricane torn beaches in Daytona. I am curious as to why storefronts are so meticulously curated in the age of ordering whatever you need from amazon.

This is a diary. This is a diary of a young American man born in 2002 who is coming of age in the late 2010's and the 2020's. My blood is connected the Choctaw people of Oklahoma and to a slave owner in Texas. The last name "Lowry" carries weight. My mother's maiden name. She comes from a lot. My grandfather was a vocal supporter of the Black Panthers carrying rifles to walk children to school in Detroit in the 60's. His great grandfather owned slaves. His great grandmother was Choctaw. 

My Grandfather served in the Air Force. My cousins manufacture engines for F-16's for American Arms Suppliers to make a living. My parents are architects that don't make a lot. My brother is a working physicist. I take photos. 

I don't get it. 

I understand why people voted for Trump. I don't want to other them. They want to be happy. I want them to be happy. They want to be able to pay their bills. They may be misguided, but they are still human. It is not "them" at fault. The individual does not have power. There is no common understanding of "American Life". Everyone has it different. I had access to a decent public education in the suburbs of Chicago, which many do not. 

We all have to pay thousands of dollars if we want our grandpa to make it to the hospital in an ambulance rather than him dying alone on the floor while his left arm aches. 

To quote my hero, Robert Frank: "This is a criticism out of love"

This project is ongoing. The website is updated frequently. 

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