War Photojournalism

Wake up people, there is a war going on, right behind my house. Child soldiers armed with brightly colored BB’s and frighteningly realistic BB guns are on maneuvers as long as daylight permits. Where are their parents? Why don’t their parents love them enough to buy them video game systems and violent movies to keep their butts at home? Why are they allowed to destroy the field behind my house? (Also where is the hungry wildlife when you need it?)

I suppose it’s a case of the parents being happy that their kids are not at home destroying their house. They can’t see the field so it’s out of site and out of mind. Not a single parent has come to investigate what their child spends countless hours doing. I doubt a single parent will insist that their child cleans up the impressive amount of junk that is being dragged into the field. I suppose the real looser will be the poor guy who has to brush hog the field in the summer. There are now deep holes and lots of metal junk to help destroy and mangle his machine. I wonder if the parents will pool together to pay for his repairs?

[Clicky for larger]

The child-soldiers’ real piece de resistance is their main battle fort. I’ve taken to calling it the hobo-palace. Unfortunately it’s also the most visible structure from our house. Perhaps I have these young scallywags pegged wrong. Perhaps instead of the unmitigated defacement of public lands what they are really doing is an elaborate historical reenactment. They could be recreating the hobo-wars which took placing in the early twentieth century as described by John Hodgman. Although they are wearing a bit too much camouflage and not enough torn-up pinstriped suits for their outfits to be a period correct. I my head it makes me happy to image that they’ve each adopted a hobo name which they refer to each other by while they shove pointed sticks and metal bits into the mud. However, I suspect that is not truly the case.

[Clicky for Hobo-Palace enhancmenet]