Saturday October 9, 2004, Ciudad Dorada, Bolivar, Venezuela

Gold mining in Venezuela

Workers at this mine typically work in 4 person teams, using a motor and water pipe to blast gold rich soil which is then sucked to the top of a ramp, where the mud is run over astro turf to catch the gold. The astro turf panels are then washed and the residue is panned for gold. Venezuela is the world's 5th largest oil producer, but in Bolivar State liquid gold gives way to the real thing as gold mines are scattered across the landscape. Many of the miners are foreigners coming from Brazil, Colombia and the Dominican Republic, and nearly all of the miners are working illegaly.

Nightlife in a mining town.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Thursday December 14, 2006, Sicuani Province, Peru

Global warming in Peru

Severe climate change that many attribute to global warming has badly damaged potato crops and alpaca herds, both of which are necessary to the livelihoods of farmers in the Sicuani province of Peru.

Isabel Roa, 39, is a farmer and alpaca shepherd who has had to face increasing problems due to global warming.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday June 18, 2006, Caracas, Venezuela

Crime in Caracas

Gunshot victims are treated in the emergency room of Perez de Leon hospital in the Caracas neighborhood of Petare. The Venezuelan capital of Caracas has one of the highest per capita crime rates in all of South America. Robberies and muggings are common throughout the metropolis although most crimes occur in the city's poor hillside slums. Adding to the problem are public hospitals poorly equipped to deal with the flood of victims that come into the city's emergency rooms every weekend. By 4 AM on this night alone, 9 gunshot victims and 3 stabbing victims were wheeled into the small ER.

The family members of a gunshot victim wait in an emergency room.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday June 24, 2007, Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuelan Youth Orchestra offers hope for impoverished children

The Venezuelan Youth Orchestra encompasses more than 200,000 children in the country. It is a social program as much as a music school giving impoverished children an activity and outlet, as well as a chance to leave the slums where they grew up.

Gustavo Dudamel conducts a rehearsal of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra just before a performance

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Thursday May 3, 2007, Bella Vista, Yaracuy, Venezuela

Venezuelan land reforms lead to sugar shortages

The Venezuelan state of Yaracuy is renowned for it's sprawling sugar plantations. It has also emerged as the epicenter of President Hugo Chavez's ambitious land reform project, which aims to give poor landless farmers pieces of privately owned land. In recent months, the state has seen an intensifying in the conflict which has mirrored a reduction in productivity, resulting in a sugar shortage across the country.

Blas Castillo, 57, prepares an avocado field on the Bella Vista farm. The Bella Vista cooperative works the land here which was once privately owned. The government siezed the land and turned it over to these farmers, building them nice homes and an internet cafe in the process. The farmers are trying to turn what was once primarily sugar cane fields into a diverse crop production.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Wednesday June 27, 2007, Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuelan Youth Orchestra offers hope for impoverished children

The Venezuelan Youth Orchestra encompasses more than 200,000 children in the country. The much-respected program and its music school gives impoverished children an activity and outlet, as well as a chance to leave the slums where many of them grew up.

Boys play the violin during music lessons at the Jose Marti school in Sar'a, a poor slum in Caracas.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday March 26, 2006, Kabul, Afghanistan

Daily life in Kabul

Four and a half years after the U.S. invasion and the fall of the Taliban, life in Kabul rolls along under the ever-present danger of terrorist attacks by Taliban and al-Qaeda sympathizers. Many in the country complain of slow development, scarce electricity and water and poor road conditions.

Pedestrian traffic in downtown Kabul in the early morning moments before a thunderstorm.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Tuesday March 14, 2006, Kabul, Afghanistan

Daily life in Kabul and Parwan province

Four and a half years after the U.S. invasion and the fall of the Taliban, life in Kabul rolls along under the ever-present danger of terrorist attacks by Taliban and al-Qaeda sympathizers. Many in the country complain of slow development, scarce electricity and water and poor road conditions.

A taxi descends from a poor hillside community back to downtown Kabul.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Wednesday March 15, 2006, Kabul, Afghanistan

The ruins of Kabul

After more than two decades of war, much of Kabul's infrastructure is in ruins. Stone walls that were once homes and businesses remain scattered throughout the city with mortar and bullet holes serving as constant reminders of the country's past as well as it's precarious future.

Women in burkhas walk down a dirt road lined with destroyed buildings.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Wednesday April 12, 2006, East Afghanistan, Afghanistan

US Army conducts operation Mountain Lion in Afghanistan

Operation Mountain Lion is one of the largest US military operations in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban. The US is trying to first attack and then maintain a presence in areas of Eastern Afghanistan that have had very little US or Afghan government presence. Because of this many of the mountains and valleys are thought to be hiding grounds for terrorists.

A member of the Afghan National army prepares to search a house with members of 1st Batalion, 32nd Infantry

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Thursday March 30, 2006, Barik Awo, Afghanistan

Rural Afghan Community Lives Among Mines

More than two decades of war has left Afghanistan as one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. The Halo Trust, a group working to help de-mine the country, estimates that at least 100 people are still killed or wounded by mines every month. De-mining work has recently been started in Barik Awo, a small village just outside of Bagram. Locals estimate that nearly 1 in 30 villagers have been wounded or killed by landmines. The village is bordered by old trenches that the Russians used during the fighting. Locals believe they know which areas are the safest, though no are is guaranteed to be safe. One can see unexploded mines and ammunition littering the ground around the old trenches. The community is engulfed in uncertainty and fear about when and from where the next explosion will come.

Nor Rahmat, 18, lost both his legs 2 years ago when he was grazing his family's sheep in an open space that he thought was safe. "3 hours after the explosion a few people that heard it cleared a path with shovels to carry me out". Rahmat had one leg entirely blown off and the other had to be amputated.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Thursday March 22, 2007, La Oroya, Peru

La Oroya makes list of world's ten most polluted cities

35,000 Peruvians are poisoned by lead, copper, zinc, and sulfur dioxide. Since 1922, in the mining Peruvian town of La Oroya, adults and children are exposed to the toxic emissions from the plant's poly-metallic smelter. Currently owned by the Missouri-based Doe Run Corporation, the plant is causing dangerously high blood lead levels in ninety-nine percent of children living in and around La Oroya. Lead poisoning is known to be particularly harmful to the mental development of children. Blood lead levels among local children averages 33.6 micrograms/deciliter for children between the ages 6 months to ten years, triple the WHO limit of 10 micrograms/deciliter. Sulfur dioxide concentrations also exceed the World Health Organization emissions standards by ten fold. The vegetation in the surrounding area has been destroyed by acid rain due to high sulfur dioxide emissions. To date, the extent of soil contamination has not been studied and no plan for reduction of emissions has been agreed or implemented. Limited testing has revealed lead, arsenic and cadmium soil contamination throughout the town. Children and adults alike suffer from headaches, body aches and fatigue. Most people in La Oroya live in poverty and can't afford to see doctors or buy medicine; sometimes their only option for getting healthy is to leave La Oroya but most depend on the very plant that is poisoning them while employing nearly 3,000 people, forming an integral part of the town's economy. The Blacksmith Institute just listed La Oroya as one of the 10 most polluted towns on the planet. Doe Run claims that they are reducing emissions and helping to clean up the community. While they do take part in various community activities, such as cleaning schools and daycare for sick children, locals doubt the company will truly clean up the town.

Bertha Luz Andrade, who has cancer that has invaded her liver, is bed ridden in her home. A doctor told her she should leave La Oroya to recuperate but she is unable to because she has five children.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday March 25, 2007, La Oroya, Peru

La Oroya makes list of world's ten most polluted cities

35,000 Peruvians are poisoned by lead, copper, zinc, and sulfur dioxide. Since 1922, in the mining Peruvian town of La Oroya, adults and children are exposed to the toxic emissions from the plant's poly-metallic smelter. Currently owned by the Missouri-based Doe Run Corporation, the plant is causing dangerously high blood lead levels in ninety-nine percent of children living in and around La Oroya. Lead poisoning is known to be particularly harmful to the mental development of children. Blood lead levels among local children averages 33.6 micrograms/deciliter for children between the ages 6 months to ten years, triple the WHO limit of 10 micrograms/deciliter. Sulfur dioxide concentrations also exceed the World Health Organization emissions standards by ten fold. The vegetation in the surrounding area has been destroyed by acid rain due to high sulfur dioxide emissions. To date, the extent of soil contamination has not been studied and no plan for reduction of emissions has been agreed or implemented. Limited testing has revealed lead, arsenic and cadmium soil contamination throughout the town. Children and adults alike suffer from headaches, body aches and fatigue. Most people in La Oroya live in poverty and can't afford to see doctors or buy medicine; sometimes their only option for getting healthy is to leave La Oroya but most depend on the very plant that is poisoning them while employing nearly 3,000 people, forming an integral part of the town's economy. The Blacksmith Institute just listed La Oroya as one of the 10 most polluted towns on the planet. Doe Run claims that they are reducing emissions and helping to clean up the community. While they do take part in various community activities, such as cleaning schools and daycare for sick children, locals doubt the company will truly clean up the town.

A view of the Doe Run metal plant. Poisonous gases are emitted from the chimney as well as what are called "fugitive gases", or gases that are naturally released during the process.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Tuesday March 27, 2007, La Oroya, Peru

La Oroya makes list of world's ten most polluted cities

35,000 Peruvians are poisoned by lead, copper, zinc, and sulfur dioxide. Since 1922, in the mining Peruvian town of La Oroya, adults and children are exposed to the toxic emissions from the plant's poly-metallic smelter. Currently owned by the Missouri-based Doe Run Corporation, the plant is causing dangerously high blood lead levels in ninety-nine percent of children living in and around La Oroya. Lead poisoning is known to be particularly harmful to the mental development of children. Blood lead levels among local children averages 33.6 micrograms/deciliter for children between the ages 6 months to ten years, triple the WHO limit of 10 micrograms/deciliter. Sulfur dioxide concentrations also exceed the World Health Organization emissions standards by ten fold. The vegetation in the surrounding area has been destroyed by acid rain due to high sulfur dioxide emissions. To date, the extent of soil contamination has not been studied and no plan for reduction of emissions has been agreed or implemented. Limited testing has revealed lead, arsenic and cadmium soil contamination throughout the town. Children and adults alike suffer from headaches, body aches and fatigue. Most people in La Oroya live in poverty and can't afford to see doctors or buy medicine; sometimes their only option for getting healthy is to leave La Oroya but most depend on the very plant that is poisoning them while employing nearly 3,000 people, forming an integral part of the town's economy. The Blacksmith Institute just listed La Oroya as one of the 10 most polluted towns on the planet. Doe Run claims that they are reducing emissions and helping to clean up the community. While they do take part in various community activities, such as cleaning schools and daycare for sick children, locals doubt the company will truly clean up the town.

Richard Romero walks around La Oroya Antigua, the part of the city closest to the plant and most polluted. Romero is helping to organize families in a potential lawsuit against Doe Run.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday March 25, 2007, La Oroya, Peru

La Oroya makes list of world's ten most polluted cities

35,000 Peruvians are poisoned by lead, copper, zinc, and sulfur dioxide. Since 1922, in the mining Peruvian town of La Oroya, adults and children are exposed to the toxic emissions from the plant's poly-metallic smelter. Currently owned by the Missouri-based Doe Run Corporation, the plant is causing dangerously high blood lead levels in ninety-nine percent of children living in and around La Oroya. Lead poisoning is known to be particularly harmful to the mental development of children. Blood lead levels among local children averages 33.6 micrograms/deciliter for children between the ages 6 months to ten years, triple the WHO limit of 10 micrograms/deciliter. Sulfur dioxide concentrations also exceed the World Health Organization emissions standards by ten fold. The vegetation in the surrounding area has been destroyed by acid rain due to high sulfur dioxide emissions. To date, the extent of soil contamination has not been studied and no plan for reduction of emissions has been agreed or implemented. Limited testing has revealed lead, arsenic and cadmium soil contamination throughout the town. Children and adults alike suffer from headaches, body aches and fatigue. Most people in La Oroya live in poverty and can't afford to see doctors or buy medicine; sometimes their only option for getting healthy is to leave La Oroya but most depend on the very plant that is poisoning them while employing nearly 3,000 people, forming an integral part of the town's economy. The Blacksmith Institute just listed La Oroya as one of the 10 most polluted towns on the planet. Doe Run claims that they are reducing emissions and helping to clean up the community. While they do take part in various community activities, such as cleaning schools and daycare for sick children, locals doubt the company will truly clean up the town.

A view of La Oroya Antigua, the part of town closest to the plant and the most polluted.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Wednesday March 28, 2007, La Oroya, Peru

La Oroya makes list of world's ten most polluted cities

35,000 Peruvians are poisoned by lead, copper, zinc, and sulfur dioxide. Since 1922, in the mining Peruvian town of La Oroya, adults and children are exposed to the toxic emissions from the plant's poly-metallic smelter. Currently owned by the Missouri-based Doe Run Corporation, the plant is causing dangerously high blood lead levels in ninety-nine percent of children living in and around La Oroya. Lead poisoning is known to be particularly harmful to the mental development of children. Blood lead levels among local children averages 33.6 micrograms/deciliter for children between the ages 6 months to ten years, triple the WHO limit of 10 micrograms/deciliter. Sulfur dioxide concentrations also exceed the World Health Organization emissions standards by ten fold. The vegetation in the surrounding area has been destroyed by acid rain due to high sulfur dioxide emissions. To date, the extent of soil contamination has not been studied and no plan for reduction of emissions has been agreed or implemented. Limited testing has revealed lead, arsenic and cadmium soil contamination throughout the town. Children and adults alike suffer from headaches, body aches and fatigue. Most people in La Oroya live in poverty and can't afford to see doctors or buy medicine; sometimes their only option for getting healthy is to leave La Oroya but most depend on the very plant that is poisoning them while employing nearly 3,000 people, forming an integral part of the town's economy. The Blacksmith Institute just listed La Oroya as one of the 10 most polluted towns on the planet. Doe Run claims that they are reducing emissions and helping to clean up the community. While they do take part in various community activities, such as cleaning schools and daycare for sick children, locals doubt the company will truly clean up the town.

Daily life on the streets of La Oroya Vieja, the neighborhood closest to and most polluted by the plant.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday November 21, 2004, Port Au Prince, Haiti

Security In Haiti

Prisoners are held in a jail at a police station in downtown Port Au Prince. They complained to visiting UN police officers that they are being illegaly held longer than the constitution allowed and that they haven't been to court. The security situation in Haiti has deteriorated in the past few months with many Hatians and human rights groups accusing the Haitian National Police of human rights violations. Some Hatians who live in the most dangerous neighborhoods prasie the UN forces, claiming that when they are present the Hatian police are calmer.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday October 3, 2004

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday March 19, 2006, Qala-e-Qazi, Bagram, Afghanistan

Rural Afghan community lives at risk among landmines

The community of Qala-e-Qazi has seen the majority of it's members return since the fall of the Taliban. The village's location, directly next to the Bagram military base, made it a strategic location for all sides to bury landmines. Landmines have been found everywhere from fields to doorways to inside of the walls of homes. In this small community more than 10 people have been injured or killed by landmines, while farm animals have set off dozens more. The village is a virtual prison where people are never completely sure that they are safe from harm. One girl lost her leg after stepping on a land mine in the home she had lived in for 4 months. People warn their children not to stray and sometimes are forced to take risks and walk in areas that have not been demined.

The red and white markings show which side of the wall has been cleared, and which side has not been cleared. Through the door is still a potential danger area.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Thursday June 30, 2005, Caracas, Miranda, Venezuela

Behind The Scenes At the Miss Venezuela pageant

50 hopefuls for the Miss Venezuela pageant practice posing and runway walking before being shown to Osmel Sousa, the president of the Miss Venezuela Organization.

A potential Miss Venezuela gets weighed and measured before being shown to Osmel Sousa, the president of the Miss Venezuela Organization.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Saturday February 17, 2007, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico

Living nn the line in Nogales

Cities along the U.S.-Mexican border have always existed in their own space, defined more by their position between two countries than their presence in one of them. With recent increased border security the complexity of these towns is changing. Most immigrants and drug smugglers are looking to the vast desert that straddles Sonora, Mexico and Arizona. Because this desert is one of the hardest regions to patrol, people looking to cross have been funneled here as security increases in places like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez. Nogales, with a population of about 400,000, is the largest city near the desert in Sonora and receives almost all of the deported or repatriated Mexicans who have been caught trying to illegally enter the U.S. Police and community workers say that many of the migrants, and much of the drugs, that fail to get through the border end up staying in their community. Because of the many foreign companies operating factories in Nogales, many immigrants who fail to reach the U.S. decide to stay in the area, where the work is plentiful, albeit less profitable than that in the U.S. Nogales is a bizarre city where poverty and an abundance of work go hand-in-hand. One can see a bit of everything in Nogales: Americans buying prescription drugs and burritos within site of their own country, prostitutes trolling the local bars, and impoverished families living up in the hills with no water or electricity.

A prostitute undresses in a cheap motel in downtown Nogales

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday February 18, 2007, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico

Living on the line in Nogales

Cities along the U.S.-Mexican border have always existed in their own space, defined more by their position between two countries than their presence in one of them. With recent increased border security the complexity of these towns is changing. Most immigrants and drug smugglers are looking to the vast desert that straddles Sonora, Mexico and Arizona. Because this desert is one of the hardest regions to patrol, people looking to cross have been funneled here as security increases in places like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez. Nogales, with a population of about 400,000, is the largest city near the desert in Sonora and receives almost all of the deported or repatriated Mexicans who have been caught trying to illegally enter the U.S. Police and community workers say that many of the migrants, and much of the drugs, that fail to get through the border end up staying in their community. Because of the many foreign companies operating factories in Nogales, many immigrants who fail to reach the U.S. decide to stay in the area, where the work is plentiful, albeit less profitable than that in the U.S. Nogales is a bizarre city where poverty and an abundance of work go hand-in-hand. One can see a bit of everything in Nogales: Americans buying prescription drugs and burritos within site of their own country, prostitutes trolling the local bars, and impoverished families living up in the hills with no water or electricity.

A man stands in his jail cell

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Tuesday February 20, 2007, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico

Living on the line in Nogales

Cities along the U.S.-Mexican border have always existed in their own space, defined more by their position between two countries than their presence in one of them. With recent increased border security the complexity of these towns is changing. Most immigrants and drug smugglers are looking to the vast desert that straddles Sonora, Mexico and Arizona. Because this desert is one of the hardest regions to patrol, people looking to cross have been funneled here as security increases in places like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez. Nogales, with a population of about 400,000, is the largest city near the desert in Sonora and receives almost all of the deported or repatriated Mexicans who have been caught trying to illegally enter the U.S. Police and community workers say that many of the migrants, and much of the drugs, that fail to get through the border end up staying in their community. Because of the many foreign companies operating factories in Nogales, many immigrants who fail to reach the U.S. decide to stay in the area, where the work is plentiful, albeit less profitable than that in the U.S. Nogales is a bizarre city where poverty and an abundance of work go hand-in-hand. One can see a bit of everything in Nogales: Americans buying prescription drugs and burritos within site of their own country, prostitutes trolling the local bars, and impoverished families living up in the hills with no water or electricity.

A wall runs along the border seperating Nogales, Mexico and Nogales, Arizona. The US Border patrol search lights on the left are the only sign as to which side belongs to which country.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday February 18, 2007, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico

Living on the line in Nogales

Cities along the U.S.-Mexican border have always existed in their own space, defined more by their position between two countries than their presence in one of them. With recent increased border security the complexity of these towns is changing. Most immigrants and drug smugglers are looking to the vast desert that straddles Sonora, Mexico and Arizona. Because this desert is one of the hardest regions to patrol, people looking to cross have been funneled here as security increases in places like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez. Nogales, with a population of about 400,000, is the largest city near the desert in Sonora and receives almost all of the deported or repatriated Mexicans who have been caught trying to illegally enter the U.S. Police and community workers say that many of the migrants, and much of the drugs, that fail to get through the border end up staying in their community. Because of the many foreign companies operating factories in Nogales, many immigrants who fail to reach the U.S. decide to stay in the area, where the work is plentiful, albeit less profitable than that in the U.S. Nogales is a bizarre city where poverty and an abundance of work go hand-in-hand. One can see a bit of everything in Nogales: Americans buying prescription drugs and burritos within site of their own country, prostitutes trolling the local bars, and impoverished families living up in the hills with no water or electricity.

a young girl walks by a caravan of police vehicles during a sweep by the police looking for criminals

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Monday February 12, 2007, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico

resend nogales

Cities along the US-Mexican border have always existed in their own space, defined more by their position between two countries than their presence in one of them. With recent increased border security the complexity of these towns is changing. Most immigrants and drug smugglers are looking to the vast desert that straddles Sonora, Mexico and Arizona. Because this desert is one of the hardest regions to patrol, people looking to cross have been funneled here as security increases in places like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez. Nogales, with a population of about 400,00o, is the largest city near the desert in Sonora and receives almost all of the deported or repatriated Mexicans who have been caught trying to illegally enter the US. Police and community workers say that many of the humans, and much of the drugs, that fail to get through the border end up staying in their community. Because of the many foreign companies that have factories in Nogales many immigrants who fail to reach the US decide to stay in Nogales, where the work is plentiful, albeit less profitable than that in the US. Nogales is a bizarre city where poverty and an abundance of work go hand in hand. One can see a bit of everything in Nogales: Americans buying prescription drugs and burritos within site of their own country, prostitutes trolling the local bars, and impoverished families living up in the hills with no water or electricity.

A young boy sits on a couch with a neighbor high in the hills. He and his family have been sleeping outside since their tin and cardboard shack burned to the ground two weeks before. Even before the accident the family had no water or electricity and their only source of income was selling scavenged trash.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Monday March 12, 2007, Bogota, Colombia

Protesters clash with riot police as Bush arrives in Bogota

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Bogota upon the arrival of U.S. President George W. Bush for a seven-hour visit with President Alvaro Uribe. The demonstrators - many of whom burned American flags and decried U.S. military assistance to the Colombian government - were met by hundreds of riot police outfitted with water cannons and tear gas.

Protesters burn an American flag while shouting slogans.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Monday May 28, 2007, Caracas, Venezuela

Chavez shutters voice of Venezuelan opposition by refusing to renew concession of broadcaster RCTV

President Chavez effectively shut down the country's oldest TV station by deciding to not renew it's concession. RCTV is an opposition alligned channel that Chavez accused of fomenting social unrest during a failed coup in 2002.

Police stand patrol during a student protest against the closing of RCTV.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday February 29, 2004, Caracas, Miranda, Venezuela

Daily Life in Venezuela

Venezuelan military lay on the ground and take cover during week long clashes with anti chavez protestors

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

Sunday June 18, 2006, Caracas, Venezuela

Crime in Caracas

Gunshot victims are treated in the emergency room of Perez de Leon hospital in the Caracas neighborhood of Petare. The Venezuelan capital of Caracas has one of the highest per capita crime rates in all of South America. Robberies and muggings are common throughout the metropolis although most crimes occur in the city's poor hillside slums. Adding to the problem are public hospitals poorly equipped to deal with the flood of victims that come into the city's emergency rooms every weekend. By 4 AM on this night alone, 9 gunshot victims and 3 stabbing victims were wheeled into the small ER.

A bloody gunshot victim sits on a gurney in an emergency room as nurses and doctors work on his wounds.

Credit: David Rochkind / Polaris

David Rochkind