Jaime Lubrani

About
Class of 2020
Physics Major
Math Minor

Course
ART303 Photography 1
Professor Steve Nyktas

Statement
I haven’t taken many photos that I’m proud of but I really enjoy this one because the faux-intellectual in me thinks a statement can be made about it. A police officer who swears to, “Protect and serve” using a grenade launcher to send a canister of chemical warfare agents on his fellow citizen. The officer of peace is allegedly there for the people, but in this instance he is against the people. He stands in front of a large banking institution, acting as its sentinel and protecting it from further harm. In this moment, the police officer is not at the service of his fellow citizens, but at the service of a large capitalist conglomerate that has enabled the very oppression his fellow citizens are protesting against. It really just epitomizes the idea that the police aren’t here to protect others, but to protect the status quo. But that’s just me trying to fancy talk a rather unremarkable photo.