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The Woman outside the White House

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..March 2008 The Woman outside the White House..

When I was attending university I used to photograph a woman who sat in front of the White House protesting the use of nuclear weapons. The last time I saw her was 11 years ago, 1997. She has been holding a 24 hour a day vigil on the street since 1980. Only leaving briefly to go to the bathroom, sleeping on 2 blankets, and a pillow on top of a large wooden mattress, no matter the elements.

I’ve seen her sitting in snow up to her waist and sweating in the oppressive August humidity. She out lasted 4 Presidents who slept about 100 yards away in the Lincoln Bedroom inside a mansion called the White House.

I’ve been carrying a business card she handed me the first time I met her. It was shoved into the corner of my camera bag for 11 years. I wonder if she’s still sits there? I can’t imagine being as devoted to give up my entire life for a cause. 1980 was 28 years ago. She has been sitting out there 3/4 of my life. In that time I’ve seen the birth of my sister, experienced my parents divorce, graduated from college, started my career, traveled around the world twice, and seen the birth of my niece.

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I haven’t been to Washington, DC in many years. I wonder if she is still sitting in front of the White House? I wonder if she’s still alive? I thought about her while I was photographing Hibakusha in Nagasaki last fall. When I was sitting in my hotel room one block away from the epi-center, I thought of my friendship with her from 1995-1998. Is she still sitting out there?


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This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 1:41 am and is filed under Hibakusha, Hiroshima, Nagasaki. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “The Woman outside the White House”

  1. Tina Cassler says:
    August 13, 2009 at 11:32 pm

    I came across your blog in a search I was doing to learn more about Concepcion Picciotto, the woman you mentioned. She is indeed still there as of a few weeks ago; her face and body showing the wear of decades of exposure to the elements and difficult living.

  2. thea may says:
    February 11, 2010 at 4:42 am

    Yea she is out there i have stayed at the support house for the vigil and she comes every day 8 hours four in the morn and four at night to be fed and clean up she really is an amazing individual it is important to know
    thomas started the vigil and passed away last year ‘
    namaste,
    T