[Leica] Yet Another Sign of the Times

[dpost at triad.rr.com (Dan Post)]

e.j. schlup wrote:

>I was out in Kansas on a personal work
>assignment (vacation)  and I got to meet the Patriot
>Act face to face---three times! I was doing nothing
>illegal and got hassled for the simple reason that I
>had a camera in my hand. On the first occassion I was
>walking from my car to my friends house in North
>Kansas City, MO with my camera bag in my hand and a
>few minutes later the police were at the door asking
>all kinds of questions that were answered correctly.
>The second time I was photographing a street scene in
>Gypsum, KS in the middle of the day with my Leica and
>a couple of box cameras. I left that area and went
>over to photogrqaph a really great rundown flour mill
>from the street and had to take time out to reload my
>box cameras. The sheriff pulled up behind me lights
>flashing. He walked up in all his badged glory and
>asked me what I was doing? I had a front seat full of
>cameras and told him I was loading my cameras. He got
>a little cocky and asked for my ID which I complied
>and stated that I was clean and he could run the car
>to because it was clean. He came back a few minutes
>later  and returned my ID and I gave him my business
>card that states I am a photographer and it lists our
>website. He wanted to know MORE about WHY I was there!
>Told him I was working on my vacation and that seemed
>to satisfy him and he left. The next time I was in
>Wichita, KS with my friend and were were going around
>photographing the wonderful regional architecture when
>we were stopped AGAIN. This officer asked me what I
>was doing? I told him that the building I was
>photographing was an excellent piece of regional
>architecture (it was!! really great!!) and that my
>father inlaw was an architect, my wife was a portrait
>artist.That seemed to do it for him. We were both run
>through the computer, both clean. He was nice and then
>directed us to some really beautiful buildings.
>
>Folks I live in Upstate NY and have never had anything
>like that happen in any of my travels down south where
>I go to the State of Mississippi frequently,
>interesting? I told a friend of mine that produces a
>radio show and travels all around the US what happened
>to me. He said you were a victim of the Patriot Act
>E.J. Several of his friends have suffered the same
>indignities just because they had cameras and were
>doing NOTHING illegal! Again interesting?
>
>Makes you wonder what is down the road for the people
>that reside in the United States of America?
>
>Peace and Harmony, E.J. Schlup
>
>http://www.paintedblues.com/pages/562631/index.htm
>
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E.J.
Well, with Ashcroft gone, we will find out. Either things will lighten 
up, or they will try to tighten the grip- if it is the latter, I hope it 
makes the news as often and as vociferously as the coverage of a couple 
of  relatively mundane murders that suddenly gained nationwide coverage. 
It is hard to tell what will grab the national news' interest. We had a 
murder case here a few years back- a dentist slashed his wifes throat, 
and nearly decapitated his 2 year old daughter, and eventually got life 
with the possibility of parole,yet! Then there was the businessman who 
poisoned his wife, and continued to do so even while she lay dying in 
the hospital- but he was only charged with second degree murder; 
apparently you don't have to premeditate a poisoning! There are 
literally hundreds of murders a week in this country, and even the ones 
of unusual nature are commonplace. I don't see a lot of coverage of 
those- even of the horrendous murder of three children by their mother 
who used duct tape to do it.... I didn't even hear about a call for a 
five day waiting period to buy duct tape, either!
We hear a tad about the high cost of medical care, but a reliable source 
in the AARP bulleting states that at least 98,000 people die every year 
from mistakes made either by doctors or hospitals- and there is 
relatively no outcry. We lose 2,800 in a terrorist attack and it's big 
news, and our lives are changed; I would think that the senseless deaths 
of 98,000 would cause an even greater furor.  Maybe that is the sign of 
the times- spectacular makes the news.
Perhaps all the LUGgers should start a grassroots effort to draw 
attention to the ridiculous; we are subjected to searches before flying, 
but the airlines are cautioned to never examine more than a couple of 
similarly classified folks per flight or the FAA will get them for 
'profiling'!
The terrorist acts are not carried out by people with cameras! Even if 
you are a middle eastern photographer, or a brown skinned person in 
general- photographing something is not against the law. 
Gee! Heaven forbid if I am caught photographing with my Minox!
Dan