positive and negative images of America

I chose the image of Lady Liberty on July 4th, with the fireworks behind her as she is the symbol of America.

The Lady Liberty was given to America by the French in 1886, to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of independance over a century before. Also it was in recognition of the friendship that blossomed between the two during the war of independance.

The date of July the 4th is significant as it was the day that America was officialy independant from Britain.

In the image the national holiday is clearly showed. The day of independance is a huge celebration for America. Fireworks and the Lady Liberty put together show that feeling of celebration to a degree that words are not needed. The image clearly does all the talking.
It shows a degree of Patriotism that seems to have been lost in Britain.

To me, the image shows a feeling that I can not really comprehend. Pride in my country.

This is an image from Omaha, Nebraska in September 29th 1919.
I chose this image, although horrific, to portray my disgust in what America was, and to an extent is still today, hidden away in small societies.
For such a modern and forward thinking country, some of the ways of life are extremely backward. America was very slow to keep up with the likes of Britain, when slavery was abolished. It was only recently that Blacks were even given the same stand as the WASP. That is a concept that still seems debatable. Segregation may now be illegal, as is lynching. But has it really been forgotten and stopped?
It was only really in the last 15 to 20 years that Black actors were really accepted.
To me as an individual, I think of America as the country of progress. The image makes that thought take a step back. America has its prejudices. It may have a very high percentage of minorities, mainly due to its melting pot policies in the late 1800s, but it definately did not make those minorities feel safe or at home during the 1900s.
Many good people had to die in order to make America think. Not one of those people died well. This image does convey in me a feeling I am familiar with. Pity.
I pity them as many life changing discoveries could have been made at an earlier date. Black people are good on an intellectual level, aswell as just canon fodder during the war.