A Genesee Community College photography instructor is in a bit of political hot water in Monroe County over some pictures he took a decade ago.
Besides being a photographer and instructor, C. Stephen Eckel is a Monroe County legislator who is running for reelection.
Eckel's Republican opposition has apparently tried making hay over a couple of nude photographs Eckel posted on his personal website. Eckel posed for the pictures himself, according to a report by WHAM13's Sean Carroll.
Eckel, a legislator since 2005, told Carroll that he took the photographs more than 10 years ago as part of his studies for a degree in fine arts.
Eckel released this statement Friday afternoon: "Today, we have seen Monroe County Republicans stoop to a new low in order to distract the public from the real issues facing county taxpayers -- the crushing property tax burden, need for jobs and the culture of corruption that has plagued county government. My opponent has run a negative smear campaign that has distorted the facts."
The only thing worse than a
The only thing worse than a negative smear campaign is a positive smear campaign.
It might be added to avoid
It might be added to avoid any confusion that Eckel is not currently the photography instructor at GCC. He was an adjunct instructor in previous years.
Less than the space of a
Less than the space of a second is required to (http://the-eckels.org/Steve/index.html) conclude Eckel's website is that of an artist- not someone trolling for "companionship" or presenting exploitative images. The website is professional, intended to present Eckel's credentials as artist and academic. It neither showcases nude images nor ushers one to them. To subvert the images or their intent as anything less than art, specifically as tools of harm to Eckel's political aspirations requires a singular motivation devoid of good-judgment and ignorant of the boundaries between criminal and artistic treatment of the human form. Let's hope the Monroe County Republicans never venture into the Memorial Art Gallery lest the Auguste Rodin works will be forever relegated to the broom closet.
Eckel's opponent, Tony Micciche, who may not have initiated the smear, is quoted, "I don't see how anybody can not question the judgment of someone who puts something like this up on a website..." recalls a Josef Goebbels quote, "Intellectual activity is a danger to the building of character."
"On Tuesday Eckel will face
"On Tuesday Eckel will face Republican Tony Micciche in the general election."
[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezPQrVVDEG0]
This one is for you Tony.