Posts by Lou Lesko

A New Hope

Posted on May 5th, 2011

This week has seen a frenzy of obsession over the US military mission that resulted in the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the world’s most wanted man. Amid the vast array of opinions about every facet of the operation there is an over arching sense that we can move on here in the United States. Photo Ira Block A week ago the task of finding Osama Bin Laden seemed to be an impossible one that was never going to come to fruition. Just shy of ten years is a long time. Unbeknownst to the American people, the intelligence services had indeed located Bin Laden and were conferring with President Obama about how best to proceed. The President acted quickly and decisively. In spite of…

Categories: Feature Stories

Two Photographers Killed in Libya

Posted on April 21st, 2011

It is with great sadness that I have to report that photojournalists Tim Hetherington and Chris Handros were killed yesterday in Misurata, Libya. Two other photographers working alongside Hetherington and Handros were also injured. From the New York times piece reporting the event. About 3 p.m., Mr. Liohn said, the four were struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. Nicole Tung, another journalist in Misurata, who helped the wounded photographers, said she thought the men might have been hit by a high-explosive mortar blast. Both weapons are in use by the Qaddafi forces fighting for Tripoli Street. Today on the NY Times Lens blog there are two pieces entitled Parting Glance: Tim Hetherington and Parting Glance: Chris Handros. Both photographers have been described by friends and…

Categories: Feature Stories

The English Kid Who Became an Irish Saint

Posted on March 17th, 2011

I learned of the true history of Saint Patrick from an Irishman in an English pub in London. I asked him why Saint Patrick’s day is celebrated. He told me that it wasn’t celebrated until the 1970s when the Irish-Americans turned what was a minor holy day in Ireland into a revenue generating holiday in the States. “Did we Americans invent the Irish Saint Patrick as well?” I asked. He took a long draw from his beer. “If you buy me another one of these, I’ll tell you the whole story, includin’ the part about Patrick…” He leaned in a little closer and spoke in a hushed tone. “The thing of it is, Patrick was a Brit.” Photo Jim Richardson Around 390 AD Patrick…

Categories: Feature Stories