Dith Pran: 'Killing Fields' journalist dies. Reflecting on his email to me.

A Cambodian-born US journalist whose enslavement and escape from the Khmer Rouge became the subject of the famous film, The Killing Fields, has died.

In November 2005, I saw The Killing Fields for the first time. After witnessing such a powerful story, I decided to write to Dith Pran and express what I felt. Surely thousands have written identical emails and letters, but nonetheless I pursued it. I also included some words relating to my desire to help others less fortunate through my photographs. Kindly enough, he took the time to respond:

Hi:
Thank you for your email. I am always glad to hear from people like you who have been inspired by seeing the movie “The Killing Fields” to commit themselves to being a better person and to making the world a better place.

While it may sometimes seem that the world is full of greed, intolerance and violence, I do not believe that evil can prevail when people of good
conscience are willing to defend justice and peace. You can make a
difference,

Please tell your friends to visit my websites – WWW.DITHPRAN.ORG and look for dith pran collection section in the front page of my website under the picture of my book ( Click it ). For more info click that place and also check the websites down below ..

Thank you for caring. Pran

Dith Pran
The New York Times Photographer
&
Founder The Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project Inc.

Perhaps this was a ‘carbon copy’ type of email, perhaps not. I’ll never know. But at any rate, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how much this man contributed to the causes he cared about, and how he continued to give back to humanity throughout his entire life.

Rest in Peace.