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Post by faustino on Oct 26, 2008 9:41:37 GMT -5
Civil War re-enactor's injury shakes die-hards news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081025/ap_on_re_us/re_enactors_safetyBy STEVE SZKOTAK, Associated Press Writer Steve Szkotak, Associated Press Writer – Sat Oct 25, 10:56 am ET RICHMOND, Va. – In the passionate world of Civil War re-enactors, authenticity is everything — from uniforms with historically correct stitching to hardtack made from scratch. A battle re-enactment last month pushed realism to the limits: a retired New York City police officer portraying a Union soldier for a documentary film was shot in the shoulder, possibly by a Confederate re-enactor. The shooting sent the 73-year-old to the hospital and left the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office in rural southeastern Virginia with a Civil War-style CSI case. Investigators used film to piece together what happened and have narrowed a suspect to one re-enactor. The Sept. 27 injury also sent ripples through the tight-knit re-enactment community, which can be understandably sensitive to public perceptions of thousands of enthusiasts toting swords and firearms in roughhewn uniforms, often on horseback. "We were sort of freaked out because this hits the hobby hard," said Ed Hooper, editor of Camp Chase Gazette, a monthly magazine aimed at re-enactors. "It is so out of the norm." The shooting of Thomas R. Lord Sr. in a Suffolk park violated the cardinal rule of re-enacting — no loaded weapons. Black powder brings the flash and bang to the pageantry, but even that primitive explosive is used gingerly.
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hawkins2ndcav
History Student
On the border somewhere near Columbus, New Mexico
Posts: 70
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Post by hawkins2ndcav on Oct 27, 2008 0:01:10 GMT -5
In reading the article, it must be pointed out that the accident occurred during the shooting of a film as opposed to a reenacting event. Not to say it can't happen in either venue, but it shouldn't reflect on reenacting since it was the responsibility of the film company to ensure the safety of the actors in its production.
IMHO, I've seen more accidents on movie sets involving reenactors/extras than at reenactments and it pretty much comes down to the film company trying to cut corners in one way or another. This is especially true on low-budget/no-budget/"student films". Which is why I refuse to participate in most of these productions (been there, done that and it sucked).
For the most part, Civil War reenactors tend to police themselved pretty well, knowing full well that all it takes is one accident to give the government some excuse to ban reenacting.
Just my dos centavos.
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