Recently, a photographer from Winnipeg had her exhibition curtailed because she had included images of kids in her neighbourhood flashing gang signs in their portraits. Those photographs were removed because it was thought that they would hurt the community's image. And they did: when I first saw those photographs in the Globe and Mail (January 16, 1999), I first thought I was looking at kids from L.A.

It was a sin to remove those photographs; if only for the fact that they are great images. I've cut out two of photos from the Globe and Mail and they are currently on the fridge door. Above is my favourite image of this stone-faced tough girl with her hands are poised delicately in some sort of gang sign, not unlike a buddha.

Did buddha belong to a gang?  You decide:

buddha's mudras

gang signs