[Leica] The Horror, The Horror

[bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen)]

Coming from you, Phong - and I mean that in a very positive sense - this
really says something about our current state of affairs.

B. D.

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Phong
Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2004 7:35 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: RE: [Leica] The Horror, The Horror


Dan Post wrote, re.  http://www.pixelpress.org/horror_text.html :
> The thing that struck me, aside from the stupidity of the guards, was 
> the part of the article about congress limiting who and what could be 
> photographed. Not only is this a clear intrusion on the tenth 
> amendment, but it seems like a start up the 'slippery slope' of 
> abridging the first amendment. So far, street photographers are banned

> from taking shot in and around subways, as I understand, and possibly 
> in other venues of public transportation. Who is to say that there 
> might not be a ban on photographing interesting looking people since 
> the attention might be construed as something sinister- photographing 
> ugly people might hurt
their
> self esteem, or photographing people eating might cause some mental 
> trauma in the 'victims'.

The US for me, at a very personal level is about freedom.  When I first
came to the US, nothing epitomized it more than the ability to
photograph _anything_ in public view, including military facilities, the
Pentagon, etc.. Now I hear of stories of photographers being harassed
for taking photos of bridges, subways, etc.  I hear of laws and
ordinances making such activities suspect and illegal.

In the weeks immediately following 9/11, I was travelling by airplane a
lot for work.  I was very conscious that I was living in a free country,
and not once
did I feel unsafe.    Horrified, and sad, but not unsafe, and above all,
free.
These days, I feel a little less safe, and a little less free. That to
me is victory for the terrorists.

- Phong

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