American gumbo, and twenty five thousand reasons not to take money from a racist.

That Anthony Karen is one special kind of photo journalist. Forget the great pictures (just look at Uncle Jeb in this one), how did he even live among these people to take them? Oh well, I guess it takes all types of stew to melt in this great pot of ours to cook American gumbo.

"New York-based photojournalist Anthony Karen has a knack for getting inside of some of America’s most secretive organizations.

A former Marine, Karen is the author of The Invisible Empire: Ku Klux Klan, and White Pride, both of which document white supremacist culture. In dozens of photo essays, Karen has dealt with American subcultures ranging from skinheads to Kansas’ Westboro Baptist Church.

“

I have a keen interest in religious ideology and marginalized subject matter. I prefer documenting long-term stories, because I feel a story can always be improved upon; there’s always some nuance that you’ll discover with subsequent trips. This methodology has proven helpful as I develop as a photojournalist,” Karen told Slate in an email.

“I think a lot of the credibility I’ve earned also stems from my basic philosophy that you need to give some of yourself in order to receive anything back,” Karen told FotoEvidence.

“I spend time with people, I listen to what they have to say, and I treat each person as an individual. I don’t have to believe what they believe, but whenever I’m in someone’s space, I feel I’m obliged to observe without judgment. That's not to say I wouldn't intervene if I felt a situation called for it, but I choose to observe moment to moment and simply take in what I see and experience without presumption or pretext.” [More]

Whatever dude. Better you than me.

Finally, I have a message for Rev. Al: Just because someone gives you money doesn't mean that you have to take it. Not all money is good money.

Now Bill O'Reilly is using the fact that he broke you off to take the "some of my best friends are black" card to a whole different level. I know you saw that check and it made your eyes get big, but sometimes you have to consider the source.

If someone who is dealing illegal pharmaceuticals here on the streets of Philly  wants to break me off with some dollars just because he can, I would politely decline the offer because I know that somewhere down the line my interactions with this individual would come back to bite me.

Actually, Bill O'Reilly might be worse than a Philly drug dealer, because if a drug dealer gave me $25,000.00 and he said that it was for Christmas gifts for kids I doubt that he would later use it to advance another agenda.  

Rev. Al, consider yourself bitten.