White People Scare Me

I lost my censorship virginity today when I received a phone call asking me to remove this piece from the current photography show at Portland International Airport:


If you can't make out the graffiti, it says "White People Scare Me!" Just underneath is a phonebook called The White Pages. I thought the juxtaposition made for a good photo which, as a bonus, spoke honestly about the city's racial tension. Someone out there thought differently.

There was some vetting of photos beforehand. We were told to include no images of naked kids, obscene gestures, or politically controversial images. In addition to this I went the extra step and discarded all of my images of nuclear warhead plans, mass public orgies, and terrorist cell portraits. After all that, the only image I had left to show was "White People Scare Me!" And now, alas, that too is history.

I can't be sure but I think the phone call today was from a white person who scared me.